Following the iconic Congressman John Lewis during the 2018 mid-term elections, this educational documentary offers an intimate look at the life of this civil rights leader through contemporary political battles. John Lewis was an active participant at many of the important civil rights moments in the second half of the 20th century.
This included meeting Martin Luther King Jr. as the result of writing him a letter as a teenager asking for help integrating his school, leading the Selma to Montgomery March, speaking at the March on Washington, serving as a Freedom Rider, and being a chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Lewis later entered national politics taking on a friend and incumbent candidate for Georgia’s 5th congressional district, a seat Lewis held from 1987 until his death in 2020.
Given Lewis’ history of fighting for voting rights, the film looks at Lewis through the lens of the 2018 mid-term elections both in his home state of Georgia and while stumping for candidates across the country. Documenting Lewis on election night 2018, it is clear that while Democrats retook the House of Representatives during this election cycle, they fell far short of the results they were hoping for.
This is an engaging story of the important history of John Lewis through archival footage, interviews with Lewis as he viewed the archival footage, conversations with relevant political figures, and following him as he continues his work to make positive change through his brand of good trouble. While this is an important film that documents an iconic figure, the attempted parallels being drawn to the 2018 election distracted from his significant and enduring legacy.
This documentary is essential for any film collection supporting political science, contemporary politics, history, and civil rights. Given the significance of Lewis’ career as a civil rights leader and congressman, this belongs in all public and academic library collections. Highly Recommend. Aud: J, H, C, P.
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