Lecture & Discussion

»Reconciliation – The Path to Peaceful Change«

featuring US Congressman John Lewis, House of Representatives (D), Atlanta (GA). Moderation: Christof Lang, RTL Nacht Journal

John Lewis is one of the most recognized figures in the American civil rights movement. Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, called him the "conscience of Congress"; and Roll Call Magazine wrote, "John Lewis is a true American hero and moral compass.“

John Lewis was born on February 21, 1940, the son of an field worker near Troy, Alabama. As a young man, he was already politically active in the Montgomery bus boycott. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech inspired him to become more active in the civil rights movement. At 23, he belonged to the "Big Six“ of the civil rights movment and was one of the organizers and speakers at the historic March on Washington in August 1963. Depsite more than 40 arrests, violent attacks and injuries, John Lewis remained a proponnent of peaceful protests.

Since 1986, John Lewis has been a member of the US House of Representatives for the Democrats. His commitment to social justice and human rights in the US today is as strong as ever. 





In cooperation with

U.S. Association of Former
Members of Congress
Congressional Study Group
on Germany






The Germany visit of Congressman John Lewis was made possible by support from the Amerika Haus e.V. NRW, the Körber-Stiftung, the Zeit-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius and Bucerius Education.