Summer 2020 Education Series
JFK Library Teaching and Learning Tuesdays
From the Library's Department of Education and Public Programs Team
July 21, 2020
Remembering Congressman John Lewis
(February 21, 1940 - July 17, 2020)
"Every generation leaves behind a legacy. What that legacy will be is determined by the people of that generation. What legacy do you want to leave behind?"

2001 Profile in Courage Award
John Lewis Acceptance Speech
In 2001, Representative Lewis received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. This award recognizes a public official (or officials) at the federal, state, or local level whose actions demonstrate the qualities of politically courageous leadership in the spirit of  Profiles in Courage , President Kennedy's 1957 Pulitzer Prize-winning book, which recounts the stories of eight U.S. senators who risked their careers by embracing unpopular positions for the greater good.
Presidential Medal of Honor
From the White House Archives of President Obama
Since 1987, John Lewis represented Georgia's 5th congressional district, which encompasses most of Atlanta. From age 18 when he met Martin Luther King Jr., Lewis played a crucial role in the civil rights movement. He was the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and was the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington. From organizing the first lunch-counter sit-in, participating in the Freedom Rides to the legendary Marches on Washington and from Selma, AL to Montgomery, AL, Lewis braved police brutality and physical violence in the name of civil rights. Here, Congressman Lewis reflects upon his work and what receiving this medal signified to him.
Oral History
John Lewis
In this interview, Lewis discusses President John F. Kennedy and civil rights; Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] as Attorney General and civil rights; working on RFK’s 1968 presidential campaign; RFK’s assassination, 1968; J. Edgar Hoover and FBI investigations of the civil rights movement; discrimination, hatred, and violence; and the march from Selma to Montgomery and “Bloody Sunday,” 1965, among other issues.
Ready-to-Go Resources
Elementary & Middle School
Resource
Literature on the Civil Rights Era for Young Readers
Grades 3 - 8
The books in this bibliography help to tell the story of the civil rights movement from 1954 to 1968. They document the efforts of both prominent and lesser-known African American activists and their allies to end segregation, to extend the right to vote to all citizens, and to create a more just, free, and equitable nation. Included is a biography of John Lewis for young readers.
Elementary & Middle School
Lesson Plan
Investigating the March on Washington - for Online Learning
Grades 4 - 6
At age 23, John Lewis, chair of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), was the youngest member of the "Top Ten", the team of civil rights and religious leaders who helped organize the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In this lesson, featuring biographical information about Lewis and the other leaders, students analyze and recite an excerpt from one of the speeches delivered at this historic event.  
Middle & High School
Resource
Leaders in the Struggle for Civil Right: John Lewis
Grades 7-12
John Lewis was committed body and soul to nonviolent action. Students can use this resource to learn more about the leadership of the 1960s civil rights movement, including the work of John Lewis.
High School
Resource
Summer Reading for Teachers and Older Teens
Grades 9 - 12
Visit this web page for a selection of books on a variety of topics related to John F. Kennedy and his administration, publications featured in Kennedy Library Forums , and online resources from the Kennedy Library website. Included on this list is the series of graphic novels that Congressman Lewis wrote with Andrew Aydin, titled "March."
Interactive Timeline
1963: The Struggle for Civil Rights
Explore John Lewis' early leadership role in the context of the larger civil rights movement during the Kennedy Administration.
The March on Washington Forums
The 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington
for Jobs and Freedom
The Kennedy Library hosted an afternoon conference on the March on Washington. There were presentations by attendees of the March; a panel discussion with historians Clayborne Carson  and  Peniel Joseph , civil rights leader  Elaine Jones , Kennedy administration official  Harris Wofford , and veteran journalist  Callie Crossley ; and a concluding keynote from Congressman John Lewis , the only living member of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders and also a speaker at the March. 
The March on Washington
Congressman John Lewis led a discussion on the March on Washington: its planning, implementation, and its effect on the country. Harvard University's Randall Kennedy moderated.
Kennedy Library Forums are webcast live and recorded whenever possible. Written transcripts of most recorded events are also available. View our past Forums or visit our YouTube channel to view past Forums.
In Case You Missed It...
JFK Library's Teaching and Learning Tuesdays 6/30
Last week's email featured information about the National Student/Parent Mock Election , a save-the-date for the virtual fall conference Expanding Democracy: The 19th Amendment and Voting Rights Today , the New Frontiers Newsletter's Issue 2 8, and a highlight from the collection -- ceramic Blue Jays from the British Prime Minister.

In addition, all past emails from this series are available on the Library's website.
Suggestions or Feedback?
Interested in a particular topic or type of resource? Reply to this email and let us know what you are looking for and we will do our best to incorporate it into this weekly guide!

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