Turning Points In The March By Andrew Lewis

John Lewis has never let his 40+ arrest affect what he stands for. In Lewis’ book March, he tells his story of segregation in the 60’s and the events that shaped his life. From when he was a little kid, to an older adult, March displays Lewis deal with the segregation in the south, and the hard ships others endure. Although he experienced many events in his life, John Lewis used those events to build himself religiously and help others. Receiving his first bible, Jim Lawsons workshops, his decision not to go to college and Martin Luther King’s speech all helped him become who he is.

Have you ever faced a turning point or a life-changing experience that impacted society? A turning point can be described as a life-changing event that teaches someone about themselves or the world around him/her. People who endure a life-changing event respond positively or negatively. The autobiography “I Never Had It Made”, by Jackie Robinson, the memoir “Warriors Don’t Cry”, from Melba Pattillo Beals, and the article “The Father of Chinese Aviation”, by Rebecca Maksel, each of the individuals faced turning points. Jackie Robinson, Melba Pattillo Beals, and Feng Ru faced life-changing experiences that altered both their lives and their countries.

In the book trilogy, March by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin. John talks about his life growing up and making a difference. These highlights of his life would make him develop into someone more important. He received a Bible from his uncle as a gift, the trip John took up to Buffalo was a realization of how different the northern and southern states were. Segregation didn’t exist in the north. Later, John met Jim Lawson and began attended his workshops about non-violent protesting, and lastly his first arrest. These highlights during his youth would become eye-opening to Lewis that what he was putting himself through to take down segregation in the south was a risk for his life to save future generations.

World War II was a long bloody battle that lasted for six years. It started on September 1, 1939. The Holocaust was the murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime. The Death Marches were forced marches of prisoners over long distances. The prisoners were abused by the guards and some of them where often killed.

John Lewis, even from a very young age wanted to become a preacher. “I’ll never forget my mother reading aloud to me the first words in that book…

Lewis, however, highlights these people whose lives will be greatly affected by decisions about and fights for civil rights so that those who are marching remember that the fight continues and has real consequences. Therefore, Lewis’ remarks in the first paragraph demonstrate that he identifies with the concerns of grassroots activists across the country who could not attend the march, and he explains that he has doubts about this march doing enough if the movement does not focus more on the grassroots efforts of its members. (Ms. Pruden)

In his essay, "Just Walk on By" Brent Staples explains how throughout his life, it is hard being a black man without having others discriminate against him because he is a tall, black man who works as a journalist in a predominantly white field. In Ta-Nehisi Coates book Between the World and Me Coates is addressing his son about the truth of being black in a society that is inherently races and the constructed stereotypes on them by those in power. Both Coates and Staples agree on the fact that the black body is being systematically oppressed by the powers of this society. Being born black which is something Coates and Staples has no control over, causes them to be perceived as a negative stereotype of black people. This is a world where the black body has been oppressed and damaged throughout history, but yet maintain a fearful presence implied by Staples piece. In Brent staples “Just Walking by”, a black male’s body is capable of altering public space because the stereotypical projection of their race, causing others to do irrational things damaging he black body.

Lewis mentions, “But eventually I began spending more time doing schoolwork, studying, and my eyes began opening to the world around me” (Lewis and Aydin 1:35). Or another way to say it, he became a student and a protestor, but does he really start opening his eyes to the world? Well, everything happened during his first trip to the north. His uncle Otis invited him to Buffalo, New York, and visit his family. This trip is very important because it helped him to understand the injustice in the south against the Black community and get a clearer vision of what the Black people should be fighting and demanding for in the south. Quotes like, “I was not disappointed” (Lewis and Aydin 1:42) and “… travel was an otherworldly experience” (Lewis and Aydin 1:43). They express his emotions and try to give us a context of how amazing the north was. Lewis tells us, “I could not believe that they had white people living next door to them. On both sides” (Lewis and Aydin 1:43). His first impression was huge, something that was pretty much forbidden in the south was a “myth” in the north. Finally, when his visit to Buffalo ends, he says, “After that trip, home never felt the same and neither did I” (Lewis and Aydin 1:47). I wonder if that is really the beginning of a new John Lewis, the one who does not care how many times he has to go to jail for his

In the book March, I learned more about the civil rights movement than I had known before. Things like Parchman Farm, the Freedom Riders, and using nonviolence to combat segregation. I now have a better appreciation for the civil rights movement, though I never took it for granted, I feel like I have a greater insight on the journey for equality. March is brutal, sad, empowering, brave and

The only way for transformation and ultimate character reformation is to go through Hell. On the other side of being tested to your limits, the potential for the man or woman you could be shines through and becomes who you are. John Lewis was a man that went through things everyday people would think are unimaginable in order to transform into who he is. There were no comfort zones for this man, and he came out the other side so much better for it. John Lewis had many influential events throughout his life that made him want to make a change; the ones that stand out the most are listening to Martin Luther King’s speech over the radio, his trip to Buffalo with his uncle, and his first arrest.

The march of the Bonus Army was a group of World War I veterans and their families who travelled to Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1932. They came from all over the nation to seek economic relief from the federal government. The veterans wanted to receive money that was promised for their services in the first world war and to redeem their service certificates ahead of schedule. The Great Depression was at its height and it was a difficult time to live. Many of the veterans were poor due to a shortage of jobs. Unemployment was at 25% and everyone that went to Washington, D.C. camped out in a self-made “Hooverville”. The government tried to get them to leave, but it was not facile. They were not leaving without a fight.

more he did this, the more he realized that he wanted to become a preacher when he became an adult. One morning in 1955 John Lewis was listening to the radio when someone unfamiliar came on. He continued to listen to the sermon, this unknown

During the civil rights era, there were many iconic figures who created everlasting change. Although there were many individuals who did such thing, there were certain people who caused more of a major impact than others during this time in history. One of those icons were John Lewis, who teamed up with Andrew Aydin to create the March trilogy. These pieces examined John Lewis himself and his path throughout the civil rights movement. There were numerous factors that led John Lewis to become the civil rights activist that he became. Some may argue that every factor helped him in an equal way. However, I believe that although every factor helped drive him to become who he set out

This trilogy is entitled “March”, because of active marches that were happening in to protest of inequality of people of color. Several marches were depicted throughout the novel to show the perspectives of John Lewis and his civil right activists. Lewis and his comrades wanted their characteristics such as being as being resolute, unified, and steady to back up reasoning for their marches. Marches was a way to show strength and unity in a nonviolent way to get their points across. Lewis would govern these marches for his society that’s were being put in harm’s way like the bombing of the Loobys’.

March is a graphic memoir of John Lewis life, but most importantly, it is about his life during the Civil Rights Movement. The story begins with 2009 Congressman John Lewis getting ready