1. “You must be bold, brave, and courageous and find a way… to get in the way.” -John Lewis
2. “We in the movement decided to actualize our belief that the hatred we experienced was not based on any truth, but was actually an illusion in the minds of those who hated us.” -John Lewis
3. “Rosa Parks inspired me to find a way to get in the way, to get in trouble… good trouble, necessary trouble.” -John Lewis
4. “We need some creative tension; people crying out for the things they want.” -John Lewis
5. “Some of us gave a little blood for the right to participate in the democratic process.” -John Lewis
6. “There’s nothing wrong with a little agitation for what’s right or what’s fair.” -John Lewis
7. “Too many people struggled, suffered, and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote.” -John Lewis
8. “Following the teaching of Gandhi and Thoreau, Dr. King, it set me on a path. And I never looked back.” -John Lewis
9. “You have to tell the whole truth, the good and the bad, maybe some things that are uncomfortable for some people.” -John Lewis
10. “Never become bitter, and in the process, be happy and just go for it.” -John Lewis
11. “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
12. “I really believe that all of us, as Americans… we all need to be treated like fellow human beings.” -John Lewis
13. “America, a nation destined for greatness but tarnished by a persistent, nagging untruth” -John Lewis
14. “We’re one people, and we all live in the same house. Not the American house, but the world house.” -John Lewis
15. “There is no passion to be found playing small–in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” -Nelson Mandela
16. “If you ask me whether the election of Barack Obama is the fulfillment of Dr. King’s dream, I say, ‘No, it’s just a down payment.” -John Lewis
17. “Sometimes I hear people saying, ‘Nothing has changed.’ Come and walk in my shoes.” -John Lewis
18. “Sometimes I feel like crying, tears of happiness, tears of joy, to see the distance we’ve come and the progress we’ve made.” -John Lewis
19. “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
20. “The vote controls everything that you do.” -John Lewis
21. “The vote is precious. It’s almost sacred, so go out and vote like you never voted before.” -John Lewis
22. “It’s a shame and a disgrace that so few people take part in the political process.” -John Lewis
23. “The vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have.” -John Lewis
24. “I believe in freedom of speech, but I also believe that we have an obligation to condemn speech that is racist, bigoted, anti-Semitic, or hateful.” -John Lewis
25. “Some people have told me that I am a rare bird in the blue sky of dreamers.” -John Lewis
26. “Fury spends itself pretty quickly when there’s no fury facing it.” -John Lewis
27. “I believed innocently and profoundly as a child that the world could be a better place.” -John Lewis
28. “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” -John Lewis
29. “It is only through examining history that you become aware of where you stand within the continuum of change.” -John Lewis
30. “You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone — any person or any force — dampen, dim or diminish your light.” -John Lewis
31. “Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won.” -John Lewis
32. “Not one of us can rest, be happy, be at home, be at peace with ourselves, until we end hatred and division.” -John Lewis
33. “The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democracy.” -John Lewis
34. “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
35. “But we’ve come too far; we’ve made too much progress to stop or to pull back. We must go forward. And I believe we will get there.” -John Lewis
36. “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
37. “We need someone who will stand up and speak up and speak out for the people who need help, for people who are being discriminated against.” -John Lewis
38. “These young people are saying we all have a right to know what is in the air we breathe, in the water we drink, and the food we eat. It is our responsibility to leave this planet cleaner and greener. That must be our legacy.” -John Lewis
39. “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
40. “We will stand up for what is right, for what is fair and what is just. Health care is a right and not a privilege.” -John Lewis
41. “Nothing can stop the power of a committed and determined people to make a difference in our society. Why? Because human beings are the most dynamic link to the divine on this planet.” -John Lewis
42. “Too many of us still believe our differences define us.” -John Lewis
43. “The scars and stains of racism are still deeply embedded in the American society.” -John Lewis
44. “When people tell me nothing has changed, I say come walk in my shoes and I will show you change.” -John Lewis
45. “You cannot be afraid to speak up and speak out for what you believe. You have to have courage, raw courage.” -John Lewis
46. “The reward for playing jazz is playing jazz.” -John Lewis
47. “If you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to do something about it.” -John Lewis
48. “We may not have chosen the time, but the time has chosen us.” -John Lewis
49. “Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse.” -John Lewis
50. “The government, both state and federal, has a duty to be reasonable and accommodating.” -John Lewis
51. “My mother and father and many of my relatives had been sharecroppers.” -John Lewis
52. “I believe in nonviolence as a way of life, as a way of living.” -John Lewis
53. “If someone had told me in 1963 that one day I would be in Congress, I would have said, ‘You’re crazy. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” -John Lewis