His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope

This concept, which Martin Luther King popularized and advocated, has sometimes been described as the Kingdom of God on earth. In general, it means everyone of all backgrounds living together in peace and mutual respect, all caring about and for one another. It is associated with integration—the original goal of the civil rights movement—and, as such, it fell out of favor with some people as the ideas of Black Power and separatism gained currency. Lewis, however, never gave up on the idea.

This Supreme Court decision prohibited segregation in interstate transportation and related facilities. The purpose of the Freedom Rides in 1961 was to test the enforcement of this decision in southern states, as individual states continued to uphold segregation in bus facilities like waiting rooms and restrooms. The violent reaction to the Freedom Rides by southern authorities illustrates that the decision was slow in being implemented.

This landmark legislation outlawed discrimination and segregation in employment, voter registration requirements, public facilities, and schools. It was initially proposed by President Kennedy in mid-1963 but blocked in the Senate by filibustering. After Kennedy’s assassination, President Johnson fought for its passage, overcoming another long filibuster. It finally passed Congress in June 1964, and he signed it into law on July 2.