NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nashville officials have discovered never-before-published photos and records detailing the early arrests of civil rights icon John Lewis.
Nashville Mayor Megan Barry surprised Lewis with the records Saturday while he was receiving a literary award for “March,” a three-part graphic novel about his life in the civil rights movement.
This combination of photographs provided by the Nashville Police Department shows recently discovered never-before-published photos of civil rights icon John Lewis’ arrest while leading an effort to desegregate the city’s lunch counters in the early 1960’s in Nashville. Mayor Megan Barry surprised Lewis with the records Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016, while he was on stage at the Nashville Public Library to receive a literary award. (Nashville Police Department via AP)
Lewis, now 76 and long a congressman from Georgia, said he was surprised and nearly cried upon seeing the records. He said he plans to place copies in his Washington office to inspire young people who visit him.
Lewis said he had been arrested 45 times for his activism, but his first arrest came in Nashville.
City officials plan to display copies of the records in the Civil Rights Room of the Nashville Public Library.