49 John Lewis Quotes For Leadership And Confidence 2024

2. “You must be bold, brave, and courageous and find a way… to get in the way.” — John Lewis

3. “Never become bitter, and in the process, be happy and just go for it.” — John Lewis

4. “Some people have told me that I am a rare bird in the blue sky of dreamers.” — John Lewis

5. “Following the teaching of Gandhi and Thoreau, Dr. King, it set me on a path. And I never looked back.” — John Lewis

6. “Too many people struggled, suffered, and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote.” — John Lewis

7. “Following the teaching of Gandhi and Thoreau, Dr. King, it set me on a path. And I never looked back.” — John Lewis

8. “The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. made me very, very sad, and I mourned and I cried like many of our citizens did.” — John Lewis

10. “Not one of us can rest, be happy, be at home, be at peace with ourselves until we end hatred and division.” — John Lewis

11. “Darkness cannot overcome darkness, only light can do that. Violence can never overcome violence, only peace can do that. Hate can never overcome hate, only love can do that.” — John Lewis

12. “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” — John Lewis

13. “It is only through examining history that you become aware of where you stand within the continuum of change.” — John Lewis

14. “It’s a shame and a disgrace that so few people take part in the political process.” — John Lewis

15. “The government, both state and federal, has a duty to be reasonable and accommodating.” — John Lewis

16. “The scars and stains of racism are still deeply embedded in the American society.” — John Lewis

17. “Every generation leaves behind a legacy. What that legacy will be is determined by the people of that generation. What legacy do you want to leave behind?” — John Lewis

18. “Be hopeful. Be optimistic. Never lose that sense of hope.” — John Lewis

19. “Some of us gave a little blood for the right to participate in the democratic process.” — John Lewis

20. “I say to people today, ‘You must be prepared if you believe in something. If you believe in something, you have to go for it. As individuals, we may not live to see the end.” — John Lewis

22. “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” — John Lewis

23. “Sometimes I hear people saying, ‘Nothing has changed.’ Come and walk in my shoes.” — John Lewis

24. “You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone—any person or any force—dampen, dim, or diminish your light.” — John Lewis

25. “What I try to tell young people is that if you come together with a mission, and it’s grounded with love and a sense of community, you can make the impossible possible.” — John Lewis

26. “You have to be persistent. Sometimes I feel like crying, tears of joy, to see the distance we’ve come and the progress we’ve made.” — John Lewis

27. “Not one of us can rest, be happy, be at home, be at peace with ourselves, until, we end hatred and division.” — John Lewis

28. “It was not enough to come and listen to a great sermon or message every Sunday morning and be confined to those four walls and those four corners. You had to get out and do something.” — John Lewis

29. “To make it hard, to make it difficult, almost impossible for people to cast a vote is not in keeping with the democratic process.” — John Lewis

30. “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” — John Lewis

32. “We must be headlights and not taillights.” — John Lewis

33. “You cannot be afraid to speak up and speak out for what you believe. You have to have courage, raw courage.” — John Lewis

34. “I want to see young people in America feel the spirit of the 1960s and find a way to get in the way. To find a way to get in trouble. Good trouble, necessary trouble.” — John Lewis

35. “I believe race is too heavy a burden to carry into the 21st century. It’s time to lay it down. We all came here in different ships, but now we’re all in the same boat.” — John Lewis

36. “If you are not hopeful and optimistic, then you just give up. You have to rake the long hard look and just believe that if you’re consistent, you will succeed.” — John Lewis

37. “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” — John Lewis

38. “I believe that you see something that you want to get done, You can not give you, and you cannot give in.” — John Lewis

39. “Too many of us still believe our differences define us.” — John Lewis

41. “We may not have chosen the time, but the time has chosen us.” — John Lewis

42. “I want to see young people in America feel the spirit of the 1960s and find a way to get in the way. To find a way to get in trouble. Good trouble, necessary trouble.” — John Lewis

43. “Rosa Parks inspired me to find a way to get in the way, to get in trouble… good trouble, necessary trouble.” — John Lewis

44. “I believe that you see something that you want to get done, you cannot give up, and you cannot give in.” — John Lewis

45. “Fury spends itself pretty quickly when there’s no fury facing it.” — John Lewis

46. “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” — John Lewis

47. “We are one people, one family, the human family, and what affects one of us affects us all.” — John Lewis

48. “Martin Luther King Jr. said that peace is not the absence of tension, but the presence of justice.” — John Lewis