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Kiera Colon

Ms. Ditch

ENGL 115 APPR

November 8, 2020

Project Text Essay

John Lewis, a strong-willed activist, advocated for not just equal rights for all but of non –

violence. John Lewis used his suffering and transformed it into determination, this is what fuels

his activism. John Lewis even in the face of discrimination, hatred, unjustifiable treatment,

threats, and so much more has never stood down for what he felt was right. Instead of stepping

down and rolling over, he took charge. John Lewis furthered his fighting spirit with inspiring

speeches and actions like his sit-in's and marching for the rights of African Americans. He

inspired people to follow alongside him, he also encouraged those to make a change and to fight

for what they felt was right, and that was equal rights for all. John Lewis not only acknowledged

the suffering of his people but had experienced it first-hand. He wanted to make a change even

when they put him down, they spat on his name and even kicked him around. Yet, he did not let

that deter him from the fight but instead made him more determined to keep fighting. This is

what fueled his activism and made him John Lewis, not just another name on the street but a man

who was an African American statesman and civil rights leader who fought along-side Martin

Luther King Jr. John Lewis transformed his suffering through his actions of activism. His

activism of sit-ins, marches, and his speeches with his community transformed his sufferings of
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hatred and violent act and transformed that into motivation and determination to see the fight tell

the end through protest and non-violent actions.

To start, it is no secret that Mr. Lewis has been through inhumane events that we would only

believe to-been seen on television. Mr. Lewis was nearly beaten to death, had cigarettes put out

on him, been ridiculed, slanged, he himself including his family's lives had be threatened, and so

much more. Yet, never has he let that deter him from the fight. I believe this is what kept him

going because of these cruel actions preferably than trying to push them on one side he took

advantage and used these events to fuel his activism. I feel Mr. Lewis knew that if people were

reacting this way from his way of protesting, then clearly what he was doing was getting to them.

He was forcing them to recognize a change. And this I feel connects with Matthieu Ricard “The

Alchemy of Suffering”, according to Matthieu Ricard there are three different types of suffering,

hidden, invisible, and visible suffering. (Ricard p.36) And as he declared a lot of individuals

suffer from invisible suffering, which stems from the blindness of our minds where it remains so-

long as we are in ignorance and selfishness. (Ricard p.36) And to this statement, I strongly agree

because something that I feel people suffered in Mr. Lewis's era was invisible suffering. Instead

of acknowledging the pleas and cries of the African American community, Caucasian people

took it upon themselves to be ignorant and selfish and hold themselves upon the rank and

decided to ignore them and turn a blind eye to their suffering. As a result, because of their

ignorance, I feel it became Mr. Lewis's goal to make them realize that the circumstances that

they were enforcing African Americans to experience were not right. And this made John Lewis

fight harder and further his activism to make them acknowledged change. He kept pushing them

into that conner to make to realize that the treatment of the African American community was

not right; it was not moral and it needed to be changed.

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According to Michael Gerson, a nationally syndicated columnist on The Washington Post, “It

takes courage to face those who hate you and wish you harm. But sometimes it takes almost

equal bravery to oppose your friends. John Lewis was remarkable for both."(Gerson) Gerson

states that there was almost a time when the thought of marching in Montgomery came about

Mr. Lewis was almost alone in the support of it. However, Gerson then proclaimed, "Mr. Lewis

kept his head held high and declared "If people want to march, I’m going to march with them.

You decided what you want to do, but I’m going to march."(Gerson) Gerson argued that it takes

courage to do what John Lewis does, and I strongly agree that. I know that on the other hand,

others may state that the only reason for Mr. Lewis's having his fighting spirit was because he

was a part of the race that Caucasian people were targeting and holding back. And also, that his

fight was well-done and over so, there was no real reason for him to keep fighting. However, I

believe that Mr. Lewis was fighting for what he felt was right and that he kept fighting because

he did not want people to forget to ALWAYS fight for your rights. John Lewis uses his

hardships, suffering, and pain as fuel to his activism because even through all the brutal events

that Mr. Lewis had experienced, he has never stood down from what he was fighting for, equal

rights for all. Additionally, according to Debbie Elliott, a former host of NPR's newsmagazine,

"Civil Rights Leader John Lewis Never Gave Up or Gave In.” (Elliott) She claims that even

when Mr. Lewis was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, he still stood to fight. And I agree

with her, even when Mr. Lewis was mostly likely fighting a war within himself when he was

diagnosed with stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, he never abandoned the fight. I feel it made him fight

actively with a point to prove to the people that no matter what happens, never let something get

in the way of what you feel is right. Always fight for your rights. Mr. Lewis used his suffering

and pain as fuel to keep pushing and to try to aim for something better to further his activism. He
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never once used violence and instead choose words over weapons. As stated by Gerson, "John

Lewis’s faith was a source of personal strength in the face of cruelty. It provided a framework for

his activism. Like King, he did not believe in inevitable progress. Lewis did not think that those

who exercise unjust power would give up their privileges easily. But the willing embrace of

sacrifice in a good cause could, in his view, break down the resistance to justice. Redemptive

suffering, Lewis wrote, “opens us and those around us to a force beyond ourselves, a force that is

right and moral, the force of righteous truth that is at the basis of all human conscience.”

(Gerson) As Gerson clearly stated John Lewis’s faith, his determination for equal rights for all

was what provided that framework, that backbone for his activism. As Gerson stated John Lewis

didn’t believe that individuals who hold power and abuse it to turn a blind eye would not just

give up so easily, however perhaps for a good cause some might turn their heads to acknowledge

his point. That quote from Mr. Lewis makes a connection to Ricards “The Alchemy of

Suffering”, in the way, that as humans, it is in our nature to be ignorant and to veil ourselves

from certain situations we want to avoid. As Ricard describes it “our confusion, born of lack of

judgment and wisdom, blinds us to what we must do and avoid doing to ensure that our thoughts,

our words, and our actions engender happiness and not suffering” (Ricard p.36) Yet, as Mr.

Lewis mentioned, Redemptive suffering is the way we can open our eyes to thoroughly

acknowledge and try to make amends for the misdeed of our actions and to see the truth.

Finally, in conclusion, as I stated many times before, John Lewis’s determination to keep moving

forward, his fighting spirit, his morals and faith for redemptive suffering, non-violence, and

equal rights for all, and so much more is what fueled his activism. These few things are what

kept John Lewis’s head held high and determined to see the fight tell the end. These things are

what made his goal and pushed him to further his activism to enforce a change in our nation.
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John Lewis was not just another person on the street but instead a man who was ready and

willing to fight for those who couldn’t. John Lewis used his suffering of hatred, discrimination,

and violent acts, to transform that into something more, something to keep him fighting for what

he felt was right. And that was equal rights for all.

Work Cited

Ricards, Matthieu. “The Alchemy of Suffering.” pp. 34-42.

Gearson, Michael. “John Lewis’s Faith was a Source of Strength in the Face of Cruelty.” The

Washinton Post, 20 July 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/john-lewiss-

faith-was-a-source-of-strength-in-the-face-of-cruelty/2020/07/20/8e0b7770-caa4-11ea-

bc6a-6841b28d9093_story.html

Elliot, Debbie. “Civil Rights Leader John Lewis Never Gave Up or Gave In”. NPR's
newsmagazine, 19 July 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/07/19/890796423/civil-rights-
leader-john-lewis-never-gave-up-or-gave-in