A HISTORY OF ACTIVISM
John Lewis: Good Trouble
John Lewis has been the U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 5th congressional district since 1987. During his time in the House, Lewis has fought tirelessly for civil rights, gun reform, voting rights and much more. But, Lewis didn’t start fighting when he became a congressman, he’s been an active campaigner for civil rights since his college days in Nashville. Lewis was instrumental in organizing the Nashville sit-in movement, which led to the desegregation of lunch counters in downtown Nashville. Now, John Lewis: Good Trouble, a feature-length documentary, is coming out that chronicles Lewis’ career in politics, as well as his early activism, and childhood.
The documentary was directed by Dawn Porter and distributed by Magnolia Pictures. For the film, Porter mixed archival footage and present-day interviews to track Lewis’ six-decade-long career in social activism. It delves into Lewis’ family life and upbringing. Growing up in the South, Lewis was acutely aware of segregation. It wasn’t until he visited family in the North that he saw integration could happen. After experiencing stark differences between life in the South and the North, Lewis chose the path of fighting for justice.
John Lewis: Good Trouble couldn’t be arriving at a more important time. With protests going on not only throughout the U.S., but the world, in response to police brutality against Black people. This film is necessary viewing for anyone who wants to understand the seemingly never ending scourge of racism in our society. But also, show how things can be done. Lewis has accomplished a lot through his work both before and after he entered politics. Things may be trying now, but if we all keep kicking up “good trouble”, we can put an end to police brutality and systemic racism.
Watch John Lewis: Good Trouble on-demand July 3, 2020.
