--- title: "8 Inspired Quotes By John Lewis" description: "8 Inspired quotes by John Lewis. Plus more from John Lewis and more Inspired sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c4/john-lewis-1310_age_i-heard-of-martin-luther-king-jr-when-i_671853.jpg" --- > [I heard of Martin Luther King Jr. when I was 15 years old. I heard of Rosa Parks. And I met Dr.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-heard-of-martin-luther-king-jr-when-i-was-15-years-old-i-heard-of/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c4/john-lewis-1310_age_i-heard-of-martin-luther-king-jr-when-i_671853.jpg) > [ I met Rosa Parks when I was 17. I met Dr. \[Martin Luther\] King when I was 18. These two individuals inspired… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-met-rosa-parks-when-i-was-17-i-met-dr-martin-luther-king-when-i-was/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/john-lewis-1310_dr-martin-luther-kin_i-met-rosa-parks-when-i-was-17-i-met-dr_936190.jpg) > [I was so inspired by Dr. King that in 1956 with my brothers and sisters and first cousins, I was only 16…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-was-so-inspired-by-dr-king-that-in-1956-with-my-brothers-and/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de3/john-lewis-1310_book_i-was-so-inspired-by-dr-king-that-in-195_1034446.jpg) > [When growing up, I saw segregation. I saw racial discrimination. I saw those signs that said white men, colored men. White women,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/when-growing-up-i-saw-segregation-i-saw-racial-discrimination-i-saw/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/john-lewis-1310_racial-discriminatio_when-growing-up-i-saw-segregation-i-saw_1166236.jpg) > [Listening to Dr. King on the radio inspired me. Coming under the influence of Jim Lawson inspired me to think that I,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/listening-to-dr-king-on-the-radio-inspired-me-coming-under-the/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/017/john-lewis-1310_communication_listening-to-dr-king-on-the-radio-inspir_1944434.jpg) > [The action of Rosa Parks, the words and leadership of Dr. King inspired me. I was deeply inspired. I wanted to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/the-action-of-rosa-parks-the-words-and-leadership-of-dr-king-inspired/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/john-lewis-1310_action_the-action-of-rosa-parks-the-words-and-l_2493863.jpg) > [I was so inspired by Dr. King that in 1956, with some of my brothers and sisters and first cousins - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-was-so-inspired-by-dr-king-that-in-1956-with-some-of-my-brothers/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/574/john-lewis-1310_books_i-was-so-inspired-by-dr-king-that-in-195_2756486.jpg) > [It is our hope that when people read "March" - Book One, Book Two, and Book Three - that they will understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/it-is-our-hope-that-when-people-read-march-book-one-book-two-and-book/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b7/john-lewis-1310_book_it-is-our-hope-that-when-people-read-mar_2853739.jpg) ## Other authors on Inspired ## 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/inspired/john-lewis/#itemlist", "name": "8 Inspired Quotes By John Lewis", "numberOfItems": 8, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I heard of Martin Luther King Jr. when I was 15 years old. I heard of Rosa Parks. And I met Dr. King in 1958 at the age of 18. I met Rosa Parks ... 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