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Bridge to the Beloved Community: John Lewis's Interracial and Jewish Community Outreach
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 November 2021
Abstract
This article captures my personal relationship with Congressman John Lewis, his wife, Lillian, and their son, John-Miles. Readers will discover Congressman Lewis's unique ties with the Jewish community and his lifelong commitment to strengthening Black-Jewish relations. It notes the issues he championed—from voting rights to Israel's security—and includes his own words marching in solidarity with the Jewish community and speaking out for freedom for Soviet Jews.
- Type
- Essay Roundtable: John R. Lewis's Legacies in Law and Religion
- Information
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University
References
1 King's 1957 sermon “Birth of A New Nation” sounds prescient of the life Lewis would live: “The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community. The aftermath of nonviolence is redemption. The aftermath of nonviolence is reconciliation. The aftermath of violence is emptiness and bitterness.” King, Martin Luther Jr., “Birth of a New Nation,” in The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr., ed. Carson, Clayborne et al. , vol. 4, Symbol of the Movement, January 1957–December 1958 (Berkeley: University of California Press), 155–66, at 162Google Scholar. “The Beloved Community,” The King Center, https://thekingcenter.org/about-tkc/the-king-philosophy/.
2 John Lewis, “Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation,” New York Times, July 30, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/opinion/john-lewis-civil-rights-america.html.
3 Leo Frank was a Jewish man who managed a National Pencil Company factory in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1913, he was convicted for the murder of a thirteen-year-old girl, Mary Phagan, who was last seen alive at that factory after having collected her payment from Frank. Frank's trial was tainted by unsound evidence and public outrage demanding his conviction. Frank was ultimately convicted of the murder. He appealed all the way to the Supreme Court—twice—both times having his appeal rejected. The governor of Georgia at the time, John M. Slaton, commuted Frank's death penalty to a life sentence, concluding himself that Frank was not guilty, and that his innocence would later be proven. This commutation led to intense public outrage, which led to the 1915 lynching of Frank by white supremacists, calling themselves the Knights of Mary Phagan, in Marietta, Georgia, Phagan's hometown. See Leonard Dinnerstein, “Leo Frank Case,” History & Arche, New Georgia Encyclopedia, May 14, 2003, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/leo-frank-case.
4 On October 12, 1958, a dynamite-fueled bomb was detonated in the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation (since renamed The Temple) in Atlanta, Georgia. The incident was part of a string of synagogue bombings (or attempted bombings) in the South between 1957 and 1958. No one was injured, and the only suspect to go to trial was acquitted. No one was convicted for their role in the bombing. See “Temple Bombing (Atlanta, Ga.),” Civil Rights Digital Library, December 17, 2020, http://crdl.usg.edu/events/temple_bombing_atlanta/.
5 “Jewish Atlanta Remembers John Lewis with Affection, Respect,” Religion Unplugged, July 22, 2020, https://religionunplugged.com/news/2020/7/21/jewish-atlanta-remembers-john-lewis-with-affection-respect.
6 Lewis was a co-sponsor of the 2019 House Resolution, “Opposing Efforts to Delegitimize the State of Israel and the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel.” See Opposing Efforts to Delegitimize the State of Israel and the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel, H.R. Res. 246, 116th Cong. (2019–2020).
7 Frank, Sherry Z., A Passion to Serve: Memoirs of a Jewish Activist (Alpharetta: BookLogix, 2019), 291Google Scholar.
8 Frank, A Passion to Serve, 287.
9 Lewis spoke of these sentiments often in his commencement addresses. See Emory University, “Commencement Keynote Address 2014,” YouTube video, 14:46, May 12, 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvD6Zfvih3g.
10 For a remembrance of Lewis and his contributions to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, see “Historically Speaking: The Legacy of John Lewis through The Lens of The National Museum of African American History and Culture,” National Museum of African American History and Culture, October 16, 2020, https://nmaahc.si.edu/event/historically-speaking-legacy-john-lewis-through-lens-national-museum-african-american-history.
11 Rep. Lewis, along with Reps. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Will Hurd (R-TX), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL), and Lee Zeldin (R-NY), established the Congressional Caucus for Black-Jewish Relations to “raise awareness of each community's sensitivities and needs in Congress and around the country and to provide resources to members of Congress to empower them to bring Black and Jewish communities together, combating stereotypes and hate and showcasing commonalities.” See “5 Things You Need to Know about the Congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 9, 2020, https://www.ajc.org/news/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-congressional-caucus-on-black-jewish-relations.