JOHN LEWIS–SOME THOUGHTS

I met John Lewis a few years ago. The contact was brief. I gave him my card and suggested that he read my book and contact me. I missed my chance with only this encounter. It will never come again.

A few years ago, John Lewis spoke at a Judicial Reform meeting put on by the hosts Sheila Jackson Lee and Commissioner Rodney Ellis. I met him briefly. I did not know that I would never get another chance to meet him again.

I delayed going up to meet him because I got sidetracked by Rev. Bill Lawson. Rev. Lawson and I started talking and realized that when we first met I had been a missionary and he had been a young minister. He told me that he was forty at the time. We spoke about corruption in the judicial system and how necessary it was to fight for reform. We reminised a little about old times. It was such a pleasure to see him again and talk to him that I forgot to rush up to talk to John Lewis before he could get away. We were in a small room and you do not get to make this kind of connection everyday.

John Lewis like Rev. Abernathy were figures that we used to see around MLK when we were in college. Then I could not have gotten that close to him to give him or Dr. King a card. Later Reverend Abernathy would speak at the University of Michigan and talk about those times. Dr. Abernathy was sad. He appeared to be losing hope with the Ronald Reagan changes. John Lewis was upbeat today. He was always talking about getting into good trouble. You could tell that he had made this speech before. His voice was not the voice I used to hear in college. It had lost its depth which made him sound like MLK.  John Lewis still had energy. I wish I had time to sit down and talk to him and spend time with him as I had with Dr. Thomas Freeman. Those old guys had such wisdom and are so giving to young Blacks. Dr. Freeman met with me before I filed my Supreme Court Cert. He was encouraging and supportive and wanted to help me make strong arguments. I enjoyed those sessions and how he shared with me. From time to time I have been able to talk to Rev. Lawson for lengthy conversations since returning to Texas. It is always a pleasure to talk to him and reminisce about old times in the church and in society. I never got a chance to really talk to John Lewis. I kept saying that I was going to Washington to meet with him. I will never get that chance again.

John Lewis had the same spirit as Rosa Parks and Erma Henderson. They were always upbeat and encouraging. They had the one foot before the other mentality. You are to never give up or stop moving forward. Someone has to be in the trenches. You must have a line which you will not cross or you will be ready to fight in a nonviolent way. Watching film about John Lewis has been painful. It has brought back my college years and our struggles. It makes you realize that there have been improvement but more is needed.

Blacks and America owe a debt of gratitude to the John Lewis’ and MLK and those warriors of the sixties. We will only be able to repay him by continuing to improve conditions in America and bring about justice and equality.

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