From Rep. John Lewis:
"Nashville prepared me. If it hadn't been for Nashville, I would not be the person I am now."
- Rep. John Lewis
Friends and fellow citizens,
John Lewis changed our nation and our world for the better. He also changed my hometown, Nashville, Tennessee, where he learned and first practiced the principles of non-violent resistance to racial segregation.
This weekend, Nashville will honor the Civil Rights icon who helped make it a cradle of The Movement. We invite you to join in two days of celebration, including the official dedication of Rep. John Lewis Way, formerly Fifth Avenue North, on Saturday, July 17.
Vanderbilt University and the Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy are proud to join in sponsoring this commemoration hosted by the John Lewis Way Committee, which begins on Friday, July 16 with a memorial service at the First Baptist Church.
The dedication of Rep. John Lewis Way takes place Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at the intersection of Jefferson Street and the former Fifth Avenue North. This will be followed by a celebratory march through Downtown Nashville, where Rep. Lewis led historic sit-ins to desegregate Nashville's lunch counters as a young student at American Baptist College.
The march will conclude with a celebration of the life of the long-serving Georgia Congressman at the historic Ryman Auditorium. Jon Meacham, co-chair of the Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy and author of an award-winning biography of Rep. Lewis, will join his family members and other Movement leaders in honoring Rep. Lewis' enduring impact on Nashville and the nation.
All events are free, but tickets are required. Click here to secure tickets. Let others know you are attending by RSVPing on Facebook. If you're unable to attend, but would still like to offer support, we invite you make a donation to the Nashville United Fund at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to help fund the city-wide dedication ceremonies honoring this greatest of American heroes.
Hope to see you there!
Respectfully,
Gray Sasser
Executive Director
The Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy