--- title: "4 Alabama Quotes By John Lewis" description: "4 Alabama quotes by John Lewis. Plus more from John Lewis and more Alabama sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-lewis-1310_alabama_i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama-126_1267305.jpg" --- > [I grew up very poor in rural Alabama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-lewis-1310_alabama_i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama-126_1267305.jpg) > [When I was growing up in rural Alabama, as a young child, about 50 miles from Montgomery, and we would visit the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/when-i-was-growing-up-in-rural-alabama-as-a-young-child-about-50/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e5/john-lewis-1310_alabama_when-i-was-growing-up-in-rural-alabama-a_1421473.jpg) > [In 1965, the attempted march from Selma to Montgomery on March 7 was planned to dramatize to the state of Alabama and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/in-1965-the-attempted-march-from-selma-to-montgomery-on-march-7-was/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/john-lewis-1310_alabama_in-1965-the-attempted-march-from-selma-t_1442508.jpg) > [I don't have any extraordinary gifts. I'm just an average Joe who grew up very poor in rural Alabama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-don-t-have-any-extraordinary-gifts-i-m-just-an-average-joe-who-grew/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/john-lewis-1310_alabama_i-don-t-have-any-extraordinary-gifts-i-m_1631308.jpg) ## Other authors on Alabama ## More by John Lewis > [ I happen to believe that this election year \[2016\] is...one of the most important elections that we're going to face in a very long… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-happen-to-believe-that-this-election-year-2016-is-one-of-the-most/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [If you're not hopeful and optimistic, then you just give up. You have to take that long hard look and just believe that if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/if-you-re-not-hopeful-and-optimistic-then-you-just-give-up-you-have/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [The reward for playing jazz is playing jazz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/the-reward-for-playing-jazz-is-playing-jazz/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [I am very, very hopeful about the American South - I believe that we will lead America to what Dr. King called 'the beloved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-am-very-very-hopeful-about-the-american-south-i-believe-that-we/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [ \[Donald Trump's inauguration\] will be the first one that I miss since I've been in Congress. You cannot be at home with something that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/donald-trump-s-inauguration-will-be-the-first-one-that-i-miss-since-i/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [To question the legitimacy of the next United States president, you know, and you're worried about a tweet that says, hey, why don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/to-question-the-legitimacy-of-the-next-united-states-president-you/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [We are tired of being beaten by policemen. We are tired of seeing our people locked up in jails over and over again. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/we-are-tired-of-being-beaten-by-policemen-we-are-tired-of-seeing-our/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [Now we have black and white elected officials working together. Today, we have gone beyond just passing laws. Now we have to create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/now-we-have-black-and-white-elected-officials-working-together-today/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [“For me, the nomination of Barack Obama as a candidate for president and his inauguration in Washington represents a brief glimpse at the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/for-me-the-nomination-of-barack-obama-as-a-candidate-for-president/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [Too many people struggled, suffered, and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/too-many-people-struggled-suffered-and-died-to-make-it-possible-for/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [The vote is precious. It's almost sacred, so go out and vote like you never voted before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/the-vote-is-precious-it-s-almost-sacred-so-go-out-and-vote-like-you/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [My position is very, very simple. That I fought too long and too hard against discrimination based on race and color, not to stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/my-position-is-very-very-simple-that-i-fought-too-long-and-too-hard/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [Many of us in Nashville accepted nonviolence as a way of life, a way of living, not simply as a technique or a tactic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/many-of-us-in-nashville-accepted-nonviolence-as-a-way-of-life-a-way/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [Right now, what my job is - pardon me? Those are just words. Right now, what my - my job is right now going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/right-now-what-my-job-is-pardon-me-those-are-just-words-right-now/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [ Donald Trump has made it clear that certainly over the last few years that President \[Barack\] Obama was born in Hawaii. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/donald-trump-has-made-it-clear-that-certainly-over-the-last-few-years/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alabama/john-lewis/#itemlist", "name": "4 Alabama Quotes By John Lewis", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I grew up very poor in rural Alabama.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Lewis" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-lewis-1310_alabama_i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama-126_1267305.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-lewis-1310_alabama_i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama-126_1267305.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-lewis-1310_alabama_i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama-126_1267305.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I grew up very poor in rural Alabama.” — John Lewis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was growing up in rural Alabama, as a young child, about 50 miles from Montgomery, and we would visit the little town of Troy, or visit Montgomery or Tuskegee, I would see the signs that said, \"WHITE MEN - COLORED MEN,\" \"WHITE WOMEN - COLORED WOMEN.\"And I would come home and say to my mother and father and my grandparents, \"Why?\" \"Why this?\" \"Why that?\" And they would just tell me, \"That's just the way it is! 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