Freedom Writers: A tribute to John Lewis + 4 Actions
Freedom Writers - National - 7/19/25
Hello, Freedom Writers National! We’re so glad you’re here!
In Today’s Post:
John Lewis 2/21/1940 - 7/17/2020
Action 1 >> Stop the Politicization of the DOJ
Action 2 >> Protect FEMA from Elimination
Action 3 >> Protect the Affordable Care Act
Action 4 >> Join the Weekly Indivisible Call - Thurs 3-4 pm EDT
INFO SHEETS - For Your Information
A Tribute to John Lewis
On 7/17/25, Indivisible groups across the country came out to honor the 5th anniversary of John Lewis’ death (7/17/20) by protesting under the name of “Good Trouble Lives On!”
Who was John Lewis, and why did we celebrate his life?
Warning >> History Lesson, coming up … : )
In 1940, John Lewis was born the son of sharecroppers near Troy, Alabama. In 1961 he was one of the original members of the “Freedom Riders,” (not to be confused with our group, the “Freedom Writers”). The Freedom Riders were organized by the Fellowship of Reconciliation to protest segregation on interstate buses. Lewis was one of 7 black and 6 white Freedom Riders who rode on interstate buses from Washington, D.C. to New Orleans to peacefully challenge these unfair laws. They were met with many violent attacks, but they also generated a lot of national coverage on the issue. Public education was critical to eventually eliminating these oppressive laws.
By 1963, Lewis was one of the "Big Six" civil rights icons, i.e., the leaders of the 6 groups that led the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on Aug 28, 1963. I was 5 years old when my parents loaded me and my 5 siblings and fellow church members onto a bus in Chicago, and we all traveled to DC to attend that march. That was the day MLK delivered his “I Have a Dream Speech.”
A few years later, on March 7, 1965 – aka "Bloody Sunday" – John Lewis, and over 600 activists, marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama to advocate for fair voting rights. At the end of the bridge, Alabama State Troopers pummeled them with tear gas and beat them with nightsticks. Lewis's skull was fractured, but he escaped. He bore scars on his head from that incident for the rest of his life.
“Freedom is not a state; it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society.” - John Lewis
In 1981, Lewis was elected to his first seat in government as a member of the Atlanta City Council in Georgia. He won that seat with 69% of the vote. From there, in 1986, he became a US Representative for GA where he remained in office until his death on July 17, 2020 at the age of 80. At the time of his death, Lewis was the final surviving member of the "Big Six."
In March of 2025, in honor of Lewis’ life of dedication to civil and civic rights, Congress introduced the John R. Lewis Voting Right Advancement Act of 2025 (H.R. 14) which is currently in the House Committee on the Judiciary. The purpose of this bill is to restore parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that were reversed by the Supreme Court decision, “Shelby County v. Holder” in 2013.
Basically, the 1965 law said if a state unfairly restricts voting rights, it will have to seek federal approval for any further changes, but the Supreme Court’s reversal of 2013 said, no, actually, nobody will hold a state accountable for unfairly restricting voting rights. The state will be able to do as it pleases. The proposed law of 2025 (H.R. 14) is trying to codify the pieces that were struck down in the 2013 Supreme Court ruling, thereby nullifying the ruling.
In the current GOP majority congress, however, H.R. 14 doesn’t have much of a chance to pass. It’s a tiny fish in Trump’s ocean of thundering sea monsters.
But let that NOT deter us.
Remember: “Freedom is not a state; it is an act.” In fact, it is continuous action. … So let’s get to work on today’s actions!
Thank you for helping us save our democracy,
EBFreed
Action 1 >> Stop the Politicization of the DOJ
Pam Bondi has no right to protect Trump’s interests over the interests of the American people.
This is a 5 Calls Action to call your 2 Senators and 1 US Representative about the DOJ’s over reach.
Click HERE to take the action online, or HERE for information on how to download and use the 5 Calls app on your phone.
Action 2 >> Protect FEMA from Elimination
Trump plans to shift the financial burden of disaster recovery to the states where disaster recovery operations would have to be duplicated per state, and they would only be used once a decade, instead of keeping them consolidated at the federal level, where they are needed every year. Trump is making us less efficient, not more efficient.
This is a 5 Calls Action to call your 2 Senators and 1 US Representative about the DOJ’s over reach.
Click HERE to take the action online, or HERE for information on how to download and use the 5 Calls app on your phone.
Action 3 >> Protect the Affordable Care Act
The premium protections will be expiring soon. We need to act now to protect people from hikes!
This is a 5 Calls Action to call your 2 Senators and 1 US Representative about the DOJ’s over reach.
Click HERE to take the action online, or HERE for information on how to download and use the 5 Calls app on your phone.
Action 4 >> Join the Weekly Indivisible Call - Thurs 3-4 pm EDT
Sign up to attend the Weekly Meeting: What’s the Plan? A Weekly Discussion with Indivisible’s Co-Founders
INFO SHEETS - For Your Information
If you’re new to the Freedom Writers, WELCOME! Check out these INFO SHEETS with lots of great background information:
INFO SHEET: Get Started - Taking Action with Indivisible - Get the most up-to-date information about what is happening in your area through a local Indivisible group!
INFO SHEET: Keeping Your Cool Under the Trump Regime - Access reliable, free news when it counts the most!
INFO SHEET: How to Contact Your Elected Officials - Find out why we act the way we act.
Three AOC Videos About the Importance of Phone Calls Now - Don’t let the MAGAts win the calling our elected officials game.
5 Calls App - Set Up Instructions - This beautiful instruction sheet was written by 3 people who are all over 70 years old. If they can do it, you can do it.