The Backstory: John Lewis urged journalists, 'be a headlight, not a taillight'

"I heard that I may get arrested," he told the Pulitzer event crowd."And I wanted to look like some young people used to call fresh. I had very little money, so I went to downtown Nashville and bought a used suit at a used men's store. I paid $5 for this suit. And I saw a picture a few days ago. ... I looked sharp. If I still had that suit today, I probably could sell it on eBay for a lot of money.

Turning more serious, he addressed the forces buffeting journalism with a story about a storm from his childhood – and the message it has for us today. His aunt lived in a shotgun house in rural Alabama,"where you can bounce a basketball through the front door and it goes straight out the back door." He was in this house one Saturday afternoon with a group of his brothers and sisters and a few of his first cousins."I was only about 4 or 5 years old, but I remember it like it was yesterday. An unbelievable storm came up.

"The wind continued to blow, the thunder continued to roll, the lightning continued to flash, and the rain continued to beat on the roof of this old house. And we cried and we cried. When one corner of this little house appeared to be lifting, my aunt had us to walk to that side to try to hold the house down with our little bodies. When the other corner appeared to be lifting, she had us to walk to that side.

He steps away from the podium, raising his voice, speaking directly to the journalists in the audience."I say to you as journalists, the wind may blow, the thunder may roll and the lightning may flash and shake ... the house, but you must stay with the house."Tell the truth. Report the truth. Disturb the order of things. Find a way to get in the way and make a little noise with your pens, your pencils and with your cameras."Lewis respected journalism.

nicole_carroll As Wapo writes a check to Nick and Gannett has the checkbook out as we speak...oh the irony and self awareness

nicole_carroll Job Lewis Human Right American Icon🇺🇸

nicole_carroll TheGlobalVigil

nicole_carroll Well you're licking the butt of the democratic party so how much more can poor folks at USAT do

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Rep. John Lewis to lie in state next week at the US CapitolLewis, a civil rights icon and longtime member of Congress, died last Saturday at the age of 80 after a monthslong battle with cancer. Are we allowed to comment here? What no surveys?
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