Guide Note

John Lewis is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia. Prior to entering Congress, Lewis was an influential civil rights activist and the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Lewis will introduce a special tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. at the 2008 Democratic Convention on Thursday, August 28, 2008, the anniversary of the day in 1963 when he stood beside Rev. King as he delivered the "I Have a Dream" speech.¹

Fast Facts:

1. Born: February 21, 1940 in Troy, Alabama
2. Assumed Office: January 6, 1987
3. Party: Democratic
4. Spouse: Lillian Miles
5. Alma Mater: Fisk University
6. Civil rights activist, leader
7. Former chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
8. Lewis switched his endorsement and pledged superdelegate vote from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama
9. Lewis will introduce a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. at the 2008 Democratic Convention

The son of Alabama sharecroppers, Lewis became involved in the nascent civil rights movement in the 1950s, and in 1963, shared the podium with Martin Luther King, Jr. at the culmination of the March on Washington.²

He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House in 1977, but in 1987, became only the second African-American to serve in the House from Georgia since Reconstruction. Lewis serves on the Ways and Means Committee and is a powerful national voice in the African-American community. In October of 2007, Lewis endorsed Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination but has since switched his endorsement to Senator Barack Obama.

John Lewis Speech | U.S. House of Representatives | Hillary Rodham Clinton | Barack Obama | Obama Acceptance Speech | 2008 Democratic Convention | Obama Endorsements