Dear Supporters of John Lewis and Friends of the John Lewis Fellowship Program,
July 2021 marks one year since the Honorable John Lewis transitioned from body to Spirit, joining the venerable ancestors of our ancient freedom struggle. This moment also marks the seventh and final year of the John Lewis Fellowship (JLF) experience, which has cultivated a global community of engaged citizens committed to carrying forth Lewis’ legacy. I hope you will join me and over 150 fellowship alumni, with appearances from former JLF directors Karcheik Sims-Alvarado and Tanya Washington, to reflect on the program and the significance of Lewis’ life.
UNAPOLOGETIC: The John Lewis Legacy and the Fierce Urgency of Now is a four-day virtual event inspired by John Lewis’ activist journey, political philosophy and practical ethics. This program features performances, talks, film screenings and a public commemoration. The convening is local and international in reach, and also serves as the capstone conference of the John Lewis Fellowship program, operated by Humanity in Action and the Center for Civil and Human Rights since 2014. The goals of the virtual event are:
- To re-connect the global network of John Lewis Fellows by exchanging ideas, igniting collaborations, and invigorating commitment to the legacy of John Lewis
- To memorialize John Lewis through the public recognition of his contributions to American history and the global human rights movement
- To gain knowledge of the work of Atlanta-based thought leaders, artists, and activists whose fire fuels the black freedom movement today
I have envisioned this culminating moment as an opportunity to bring us all together in celebration and remembrance – a time of communal intention to reflect on how far we’ve come and what we might achieve together in the future.
Are you in? Let’s make history together – in the memory of John Lewis and in the eternal spirit of “good trouble.”
Yours in solidarity,
Dr. Kali-Ahset Amen
