Remembering Congressman John Lewis

Today, the world lost a superhero.  Congressman John Lewis was my hero.  When we met for the first time in Montgomery, Alabama in 2012, we were gathered at the Civil Rights Memorial for the annual Wreath Laying Ceremony.  I chose to go that weekend because the year before, Alabama passed the most hateful immigration law in the country, HB56, which encouraged immigrants to “self-deport themselves.”  In response, immigration rights advocates from across the country were gathering to join the Annual Bridge Crossing Re-enactment the next day in Selma, remembering the March day in 1965, where John Lewis was beaten near death by law enforcement as the peaceful group began their march to Montgomery for Civil Rights.   The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was ultimately passed as a result of this bloodshed. 

For many reasons, I feel connected to Congressman Lewis – he shares a birthday with my sister, he and other SNCC members spent time in my hometown of McComb, Mississippi during Freedom Summer, and his tremendous courage in Selma on Bloody Sunday happened 2 weeks after I was born.  These facts set the course of my life long before I knew where my life would lead. 

The work we do at ¡HICA! is built on and informed by the efforts of John Lewis, Medgar Evers, Fred Shuttlesworth, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and so many more.  The unique intersection of my birthplace - at that particular moment in history and my cultural heritage – as a Mississippi Mexican, who was racialized a white girl, created in me the question of “why do some have opportunities that others do not, and why does it seem like white folks always come out ahead – how is that fair and just?”  We are all equal in the eyes of God. 

As Latinos continue to be such an integral part of the fabric of our society, the work of ¡HICA! is more important now than ever.  Congressman Lewis knew that.  A champion of our issues, he sponsored The American Dream and Promise Act last year, which provides legal protections and a path to citizenship for DREAMers and for refugees seeking humanitarian refuge.  Following the Supreme Court Decision on DACA this June, Congressman Lewis said “the DREAMers are American in all but paperwork and their home is here. ….  Congress must immediately protect all those seeking a better life in this country.  Where the administration has failed, we must step up and be headlights, not taillights.” 

Gracias, Señor.  Rest in Power.  As we prepare for an historic election in November, we will honor your memory and legacy through our commitment to justice and equity for all people who call America home by promoting civic engagement, registering eligible voters and making sure their voice is heard.   

Isabel Rubio

Executive Director