Dear John Lewis

In pages 100-173 you covered your journey into Africa and some more of your difficulties with trying to keep the SNCC together. The trip to Africa seemed to come as a response to strife within the SNCC, and during that trip, you met Malcolm X who you talked with about the struggle in America for the right to vote. While in Africa you also met many Africans who occupied positions that you found eye-opening the meeting with the pilots and police stuck out the most. After recharging in Africa you went back to America where you continued to line up and protest for your right to vote.

This portion of the book made me feel a good variety of emotions, but I think that hope ended up prevailing even with all of the horrible things like beatings and discrimination. The confession near the start was extremely powerful and made me hopeful that more people would sympathize with your struggle, and hopefully, that would lead to more action.

Reading through I was left with a few questions. Why did the president want people not to see her story? Was it because he was afraid of losing votes for not appearing like he was doing enough? That also brings me to the question, was he doing enough, and if he wasn’t why wouldn’t he do more.

The only solution I see to the issues presented in these pages is to continue to push the issue, continue to make people see what is happening, the abuse and hatred, wake people up to the reality of racism.

Sincerely, Zachary Seeley