“I just never thought that way. Trying to get out front and worry about who’s getting the credit, that’s just never been my concern. Let’s get the job done – that’s how I feel.” (John Lewis)
March on Washington
In Spring ’63, Lewis heard of the March on Washington, “From the first mention of this march, a good number of SNCC people wanted nothing to do with it. Their feeling was that this would be a lame event, organized by the cautious, conservative traditional power structure of black America, in compliance with and most likely under the control of the federal government.” "Protest rather than plea." SNCC leaders preferred, “Protest rather than plea. [to] Stage sit-ins all across D.C. [to] Tie up traffic. [to] Have “lie-ins” on local airport runways. [to] Invade the offices of southern congressman and senators. [to] Camp on the White House lawn. [to] Cause mass arrests. [to] Paralyze the city.” SNCC’s plan was ignored but Lewis was invited. “It was mind-blowing for me to be there. Exactly one week after being elected chairman of SNCC, here I was, at the White House, meeting with John F. Kennedy, meeting Bobby Kennedy, meeting Lyndon Johnson.” "Credit"
Julian Bond urged John Lewis to gain recognition, saying, “Don’t let King get all the credit. Don’t stand back like that. Get out front.” Lewis hated the spotlight. Leadership, to him, was a relentless pursuit of justice. "A Good Speech" Lewis's intended impact on the march was his speech. “I felt satisfied. It was a good speech, a strong one.” However, Lewis’s speech became controversial for its harshness. Ultimately, A. Philip Randolph connected to Lewis, “I’ve waited 22 years for this. All my life. John, we’ve come this far together. Please let us stay together.” Displaying leadership, Lewis could not selfishly center this collaborative effort on himself. He remodeled his speech, “I was angry, but when we were done, I was satisfied. The speech still had fire. It still had bite, certainly more than any other speech made that day.” |
John Lewis March on Washington Speech, August 28, 1963, YouTube
JOHN LEWIS, “SPEECH AT THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON” (28 AUGUST 1963) - excerpt |