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Commonwealth Museum   Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin
Commonwealth Museum Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin

Celebrating Roxbury: Iconic Moments in the Life of John Lewis



The program for August 28, 1963 including the name of John Lewis.
  The program for August 28, 1963 including the name of John Lewis.

Washington, D.C., August 28, 1963 Twenty three year old John Lewis was the youngest speaker to share the platform with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the day of his “I Have a Dream” speech. Lewis is shown at a press conference with Dr. King the day of the event.

Washington, D.C., August 28, 1963
Twenty three year old John Lewis was the youngest speaker to share the platform with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the day of his “I Have a Dream” speech. Lewis is shown at a press conference with Dr. King the day of the event.

Selma, Alabama, March 7, 1965
Bloody Sunday: The attack on peaceful voting rights demonstrators at Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge shocked the nation in 1965 and helped fuel passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act. John Lewis sustained a fractured skull from this beating during the incident.


View from the First Church belfry showing marchers gathering below. Photo by Anthony W. Lanier.
Barrack Obama places ribbon on Mel King

Washington D. C., February 14, 2011
 President Barack Obama awards the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to Congressman John Lewis.

John Lewis joined Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the Selma to Montgomery March for voting rights.

Selma, Alabama, March 21, 1965
 John Lewis joined Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the Selma to Montgomery March for voting rights. Thousands of people walked twelve hours a day, arriving in Montgomery, the state capital, on March 25th. Federal troops and nationalized units of the Alabama National Guard protected the marchers.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick greets Congressman John Lewis, who represents Georgia’s Fifth District (including Atlanta.) Anthony W. Lanier, Photographe
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick greets Congressman John Lewis, who represents Georgia’s Fifth District (including Atlanta.)
Anthony W. Lanier, Photographe