New Canaan Library is pleased to present a special screening of the powerful documentary John Lewis: Get in the Way, the story of political activist and congressman (D-GA) John Lewis. A moderated panel discussion will follow the screening. The event takes place on Tuesday, March 6 at 6 p.m. in the Adrian Lamb Room. Please register online at newcanaanlibrary.org.
The film documents Lewis’ courageous journey and unwavering fight for justice that spans 50 years. Through interviews filmed over 20 years, filmmaker Kathleen Dowdey shapes a gripping and intimate tale of personal voice and astute observations. Once an activist pushing from the outside, Lewis is now a legislator making noise on the inside, tenaciously pressing powerbrokers to hear the voices of the unheard. Despite numerous setbacks John Lewis keeps his eyes on the prize.
Congressman John Lewis was born in segregated Alabama in 1940. He found his path as a student organizer/leader in the Civil Rights Movement and two years later led the Bloody Sunday March in Selma with Martin Luther King, Jr. He was instrumental in raising awareness of voter suppression which led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Lewis rose to the corridors of power as a member of Congress where he continues to represent Atlanta’s Fifth District today. Lewis is the co-author of the graphic novel MARCH (2016) which illustrates the inside story of the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of one of its most iconic figures.