Honoring John Lewis

[babylonsister]

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2011/2/15/125129/754

Honoring John Lewis

by BooMan
Tue Feb 15th, 2011 at 12:51:29 PM EST


John Lewis is going to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom today. I've written about John Lewis repeatedly over the life of Booman Tribune. I admire and respect him more than any other living American. I am very happy to see him honored by the first African-American president. Without John Lewis, there is no President Obama.




Here, Jim Zwerg contextualizes the photograph (above):

Q: You were attacked when you arrived at the bus station?

Zwerg: The idea had been that cars from the community would meet us. We'd disperse into these cars, get out into the community, and avoid the possibility of violence. And the next morning we were to come back to the station and I would use the colored services and they would go to some of the white services -- the restroom, the water fountain, etc. And then you'd get on the bus and go to the next city. It was meant to be as non-violent as possible, to avoid confrontation as much as possible.

Well, before we got off the bus, we looked out and saw the crowd. You could see things in their hands -- hammers, chains, pipes... there was some conversation about it. As we got off the bus, there was some anxiety. We started looking for the cars. But the mob had surrounded the bus station so there was no way cars could get in and we realized at that moment that we were going to get it.

There was a fellow, a reporter, with an old boom mike and he was panning the crowd. And that's when this heavy-set fellow in a white T-shirt... he had a cigar as I remember... came out and grabbed the mike and jumped on it... just smashed it... basically telling the press, "Back off! You are not going to take any pictures of this. You better stay out or you're going to get it next." You could hear crowd yelling and of course a lot of them were, "Get the nigger-lover!" I was the only white guy there.

more...

John Lewis took many beatings. His worst beating came during the march in Selma, Alabama where his skull was fractured.

People need to remember how much courage it took to end Jim Crow. Remember to honor John Lewis today.

[chelsea0011]

1. You are absolutely correct. A true American hero and richly deserving of the award.

[politicasista]

2. Kick

for a patriot and product of pol's Alma Mater. :kick: :patriot:

[Clio the Leo]

3. With great honor I'll kick this one....

.... am eternally thankful for the way men and women like John Lewis worked to achieve the very freedoms we now take for granted.

American Heroes