by John Lewis
First published 2012
Congressman John Lewis transforms his decades as a Civil Rights Movement leader into guidance for modern social change. Lewis served as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and helped end segregation despite facing over forty arrests, physical attacks, and serious injuries. He remained committed to nonviolent philosophy throughout. In this work, Lewis argues that genuine social transformation begins with individual change. He contends that the real battleground exists within human consciousness, where people must believe and accept truth. Lewis draws from 1960s movement experiences to address contemporary questions of social inequality. His approach centers on the principle that activists must embody the changes they want to see in society. The book offers practical wisdom for anyone working toward social justice, showing how personal transformation drives broader societal change. Lewis brings the authority of someone who helped create modern protest culture to guide today's engaged citizens through meaningful reform.
Genres: african-american, biography-memoir, activism, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-transformation, social-change
Setting: United States
Period: 20th Century, 21st Century
180 pages · Hardcover · Hachette Books