--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I speak to students about the Civil…" description: "\"When I speak to students about the Civil Rights Movement, I say that it is impossible to stop a determined movement that is captivating the American co..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/254/john-lewis-1310_candidacy_when-i-speak-to-students-about-the-civil_2939442.jpg" --- # When I speak to students about the Civil Rights Movement… ![“When I speak to students about the Civil Rights Movement, I say that it is impossible to stop a determined movement that is captivating the American consciousness. I think the candidacy of Sen. Obama represents the beginning of a new movement in American political history that began in the hearts…” quote by John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/254/john-lewis-1310_candidacy_when-i-speak-to-students-about-the-civil_2939442.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/254/john-lewis-1310_candidacy_when-i-speak-to-students-about-the-civil_2939442.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/254/john-lewis-1310_candidacy_when-i-speak-to-students-about-the-civil_2939442.jpg) > “When I speak to students about the Civil Rights Movement, I say that it is impossible to stop a determined movement that is captivating the American consciousness. I think the candidacy of Sen. Obama represents the beginning of a new movement in American political history that began in the hearts and minds of the people of this nation. And I want to be on the side of the people, on the side of the spirit of history.” [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A powerful movement cannot be halted when it captures the nation's collective awareness, and new leadership can spark fresh historic change. **In simple terms:** Strong movements persist when widely embraced; new leaders can ignite fresh change. Key Takeaway Support popular, recognize collective momentum. Themes civil rights leadership history movement politics Mood inspired determined hopeful Type motivational historical When to use this quote - activism - community organizing - voting - public speaking - education Key Concepts collective consciousness social change political momentum Questions to Reflect On - How can individuals sustain momentum in large movements? - What role does leadership play in shaping historic change? A Different Perspective Movement may face opposition and internal division. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-consciousness-2424211/) [Candidacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidacy/) [Captivating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/captivating/) [Civil Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-right/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Civil rights movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights-movement/) [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Determined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determined/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heart and mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-and-mind/) [Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Movement American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement-american-2375470/) [Movement Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement-say-1066758/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Obama Represents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama-represents-1435307/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-history/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Rights movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights-movement/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [I don't want to directly confront great powers, which we cannot defeat on their terms. They have more money, more clout, more airtime. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-don-t-want-to-directly-confront-great-powers-which-we-cannot-defeat/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Obama represents one-world government, a.k.a. Neocolonialism. Presidents don't change anything locally - they only deal with foreign policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prodigy/obama-represents-one-world-government-a-k-a-neocolonialism-presidents/) [Prodigy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prodigy/) > [For me, Barack Obama represents grace, respect, betterment and community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-epps/for-me-barack-obama-represents-grace-respect-betterment-and-community/) [Omar Epps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-epps/) > [It's essential that we build a grassroots movement and we say to Trump to the president-elect, stop, you can't go over this line again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrod-brown/it-s-essential-that-we-build-a-grassroots-movement-and-we-say-to/) [Sherrod Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrod-brown/) > [This is a movement to say we're more than just our dresses. ... It's hard being a woman in Hollywood or any industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/this-is-a-movement-to-say-we-re-more-than-just-our-dresses-it-s-hard/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [I'm coming to a sense of a women's movement which was extraordinarily important in the struggle for freedom in Ireland and immediately afterwards, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/i-m-coming-to-a-sense-of-a-women-s-movement-which-was-extraordinarily/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [“The Irish had tough times, but little compares to the experience on our soil of black Americans. That experience should be part of every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/historica-press/the-irish-had-tough-times-but-little-compares-to-the-experience-on/) [Historica Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/historica-press/) > ['A Talk to Teachers' is emblematic of Baldwin's proclivity for candor over political appeasement and, like much of his work, focusses on history and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/a-talk-to-teachers-is-emblematic-of-baldwin-s-proclivity-for-candor/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [“We saw a pale echo of what is now possible in 1990-1991, when Saddam Hussein, the autocrat of Iraq, made a sudden transition in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-saw-a-pale-echo-of-what-is-now-possible-in-1990-1991-when-saddam/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [It is not sex by itself that interests me, but its particular role in American consciousness, and in my own life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerzy-kosi-ski/it-is-not-sex-by-itself-that-interests-me-but-its-particular-role-in/) [Jerzy Kosinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerzy-kosi-ski/) > [Quite often, the people who do leave their own nation and come to an unknown destination, like the United States, are inherently adventurous, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/quite-often-the-people-who-do-leave-their-own-nation-and-come-to-an/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [Fashion is not just about trends. It's about political history. You can trace it from the ancient Romans to probably until the '80s, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-guinness/fashion-is-not-just-about-trends-it-s-about-political-history-you-can/) [Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-guinness/) > [On the eve of the Civil War, James Parton could write that 'the political history of the United States, for the last thirty years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-parton/on-the-eve-of-the-civil-war-james-parton-could-write-that-the/) [James Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-parton/) > [Political history is largely an account of mass violence and of the expenditure of vast resources to cope with mythical fears and hopes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-edelman/political-history-is-largely-an-account-of-mass-violence-and-of-the/) [Murray Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-edelman/) > [“The political history of the twentieth century is the story of greater and more direct political participation. And success kept expanding democracy's scope. Whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/the-political-history-of-the-twentieth-century-is-the-story-of/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) ## 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. 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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/) [Explore all 258 John Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) ## More Candidacy quotes > [The possibility of my presidential candidacy emerged spontaneously in public opinion polls. 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I've not done any of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/if-you-re-running-for-president-you-ve-got-to-do-a-lot-of-things-to/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [There has always been a thawing-out-of-something-frozen quality to a potential Joe Biden candidacy, an understanding that the man himself might be out of step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-wagner/there-has-always-been-a-thawing-out-of-something-frozen-quality-to-a/) [Alex Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-wagner/) > [Fifteen dollars an hour minimum wage. That was one of the reasons why so many people flocked to Bernie Sanders candidacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/fifteen-dollars-an-hour-minimum-wage-that-was-one-of-the-reasons-why/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. 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