His Truth is Marching On

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John Lewis, who was beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge at twenty-five, is portrayed as a visionary and man of faith. Through intimate interviews and extensive research into the civil rights movement, Meacham explores how Lewis drew inspiration from the Bible, his mother's resilience, his father's ambition, and his mentors in nonviolence, including Reverend James Lawson and Martin Luther King, Jr. A firm believer in hope, Lewis understood nonviolence as a philosophy and a biblical imperative. At just four years old, he practiced preaching to chickens, and when one was cooked, he refused to eat it—his first act of non-violent protest. His commitment to improving the nation stemmed from his faith in humanity and God, along with an unwavering belief in hope's power. Meacham emphasizes Lewis's significance in shaping a modern, multiethnic America, comparing him to foundational figures like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Lewis risked his life to advocate for the powerless, motivated not in spite of America, but because of it, and not in spite of religion, but because of it.