John Lewis was born in Troy,Alabama,on February 21, 1940. John had a great childhood. In 1957 John Lewis left Alabama to go and attend the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee and he learned about nonviolent protests against racial segregation. He was arrested during these demonstrations and his mom was very upset with him for it. Even though his mother was upset he was determined on the Civil Rights and went to participate in the Freedom Riders in 1961. The Freedom Riders challenged racially segregated facilities they encountered at interstate bus terminals in the South. It was very dangerous work that they were doing especially because they were in the South where it is illegal for a African American to
