Walking with the Wind

Throughout Lewis’s memoir, he recalls feeling the presence of a power that he calls the “Spirit of History.” At moments of crisis, he describes being touched by this spirit, which guides him to where he is needed most. Lewis first encountered this guiding force when he learned about the philosophy and practices of nonviolence through Lawson’s workshops. Lewis felt this spirit again when the SNCC elected him chairman in that same week that Medgar Evers, a World War II veteran and the NAACP’s Mississippi field secretary, was murdered and Dr. King announced plans for a march on Washington. To Lewis, these cascading events occurring in a single week was “the Spirit of History at work” (201). Lewis underscores the importance of being in tune with this force and allowing oneself to be used for a greater purpose.

To build a more just, equitable, and inclusive society, Lewis urges all of us to be active participants in our democracy through voting and volunteerism. When we choose to act, we "walk with the wind"—a metaphor Lewis creates out of a childhood memory of helping prevent his aunt’s house from blowing away by joining hands with his siblings and cousins and walking with the wind to keep the house on the ground.