John Lewis

Born in Alabama in 1940, John Lewis became one of the most important figures in the American civil rights movement. He was a Freedom Rider, a chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington. His lifelong commitment to nonviolence and voting rights later carried into his decades of service in the U.S. House of Representatives for Georgia.

As an author, Lewis wrote with the directness and conviction that defined his activism. His memoir Walking with the Wind, written with Michael D'Orso, reflects on the movement and the values that guided him through arrests, beatings, and public service. He also reached a new generation through the bestselling graphic memoir trilogy March, created with Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell, which helped bring civil rights history into classrooms and homes in a fresh, accessible way.

Lewis died in 2020, but his writing continues to carry his message forward: democracy depends on courage, participation, and what he famously called "good trouble." For many readers, his books offer both a firsthand record of history and a steady reminder that ordinary people can help change a country.