--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I will never forget the day in Washington…" description: "\"I will never forget the day in Washington when I met John Lewis by phone when he called me to ask about something. And the phone just shook in my hand...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a32/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_asks_i-will-never-forget-the-day-in-washingto_1175957.jpg" --- # I will never forget the day in Washington when I met John… ![“I will never forget the day in Washington when I met John Lewis by phone when he called me to ask about something. And the phone just shook in my hand. I couldn't believe that John Lewis was on the other end of the line.” quote by Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a32/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_asks_i-will-never-forget-the-day-in-washingto_1175957.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a32/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_asks_i-will-never-forget-the-day-in-washingto_1175957.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a32/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_asks_i-will-never-forget-the-day-in-washingto_1175957.jpg) > “I will never forget the day in Washington when I met John Lewis by phone when he called me to ask about something. And the phone just shook in my hand. I couldn't believe that John Lewis was on the other end of the line.” [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A memorable encounter with a civil‑rights leader left a lasting emotional impact. **In simple terms:** Meeting John Lewis was unforgettable. Key Takeaway Cherish meaningful connections. Themes history civil rights personal impact Mood reflective inspired Type historical personal When to use this quote - public speaking - mentoring - community events Key Concepts legacy inspiration empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can you honor that encounter in your daily life? - What lessons from John Lewis can you apply now? A Different Perspective The moment may be vivid, but lasting change requires action beyond admiration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Phones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phones/) ## Related quotes > [“I’ll be back,” he said and walked out the door without waiting for Margot’s response. He pulled out his phone and called Sebastian. Most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andria-large/i-ll-be-back-he-said-and-walked-out-the-door-without-waiting-for/) [Andria Large](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andria-large/) > [“I needed to call him or my parents. Immediately. I rolled my eyes. Couldn't have been that important, because you'd think one of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-lynn/i-needed-to-call-him-or-my-parents-immediately-i-rolled-my-eyes/) [J. Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-lynn/) > [My father-in-law saw me at a dance performance. 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It was great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-estrada/oh-my-god-i-worked-with-george-c-scott-way-before-chips-in-the-new/) [Erik Estrada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-estrada/) > [I was still 15 when I met John Lennon at a village fete in Woolton, in Liverpool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/i-was-still-15-when-i-met-john-lennon-at-a-village-fete-in-woolton-in/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [The most wonderful person I met was John Travolta. He's one of the ultimate movie stars of all time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sanderson/the-most-wonderful-person-i-met-was-john-travolta-he-s-one-of-the/) [Nikki Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sanderson/) > [It was there that, through a mutual friend, I met John Waters - proving what I've always said: you meet the best people on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mink-stole/it-was-there-that-through-a-mutual-friend-i-met-john-waters-proving/) [Mink Stole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mink-stole/) > [ We \[with John Logan\] started talking about The Searchers, and then he went on to tell me a story about when he first met… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-spiner/we-with-john-logan-started-talking-about-the-searchers-and-then-he/) [Brent Spiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-spiner/) > [I met John Lennon and he was with his wife in Tokyo. I met him there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-ferry/i-met-john-lennon-and-he-was-with-his-wife-in-tokyo-i-met-him-there/) [Bryan Ferry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-ferry/) > [I met Paul in 1967, Ringo in 1985, and I saw George Harrison in a nightclub somewhere in L. A. I never met John.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wilson/i-met-paul-in-1967-ringo-in-1985-and-i-saw-george-harrison-in-a/) [Brian Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wilson/) > [Belafonte sent his people to pick me up and I went back and shook his hand, then went back to my little flat. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/belafonte-sent-his-people-to-pick-me-up-and-i-went-back-and-shook-his/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) ## More by Lawrence O'Donnell > [All writers are forced to live within deadlines, and deadlines determine how good they can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/all-writers-are-forced-to-live-within-deadlines-and-deadlines/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [The question for the Republicans running the confirmation hearings in the United States Senate is whose rules are they going to use?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-question-for-the-republicans-running-the-confirmation-hearings-in/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Prosecutors have absolutely no control over what witnesses say when they leave the grand jury room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/prosecutors-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what-witnesses-say-when/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Because Republicans defected and voted with all the Democrats to reject Jeff Sessions' nomination when they discovered that when he was working as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/because-republicans-defected-and-voted-with-all-the-democrats-to/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [ In this case, the government will essentially be run by the people who are running it now. The top level \[Barack\] Obama appointees will… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/in-this-case-the-government-will-essentially-be-run-by-the-people-who/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [I've never understood the value of putting someone on television to lie, knowing that they're going to lie ahead of time, knowing that that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/i-ve-never-understood-the-value-of-putting-someone-on-television-to/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [The Trump view of immigration defies our history. Immigration is a transaction that has historically benefited the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-trump-view-of-immigration-defies-our-history-immigration-is-a/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [ I don't think anybody knows it was Russia that broke into the DNC. She \[Hillary Clinton\] is saying Russia, Russia, Russia. Maybe it was.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/i-don-t-think-anybody-knows-it-was-russia-that-broke-into-the-dnc-she/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [If a reader comes across a story that makes them cry, you can be sure that the writer felt every single thing that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/if-a-reader-comes-across-a-story-that-makes-them-cry-you-can-be-sure/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [National security advisors are not there to be advocates, generally. They're not there to be partisans, they're not there to be ideologues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/national-security-advisors-are-not-there-to-be-advocates-generally/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Never once has Republican world said hey, maybe we should look into how police officers are carrying out their solemn public responsibility to serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/never-once-has-republican-world-said-hey-maybe-we-should-look-into/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [When Ronald Reagan nominated Jeff Sessions for federal district court judgeship, the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected his nomination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/when-ronald-reagan-nominated-jeff-sessions-for-federal-district-court/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Show business comes with wonderfully long vacations, like the life of a college professor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/show-business-comes-with-wonderfully-long-vacations-like-the-life-of/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [It is amazing that Jeff Sessions is still in the job. Any self-respecting Attorney General of the United States would have publicly resigned as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/it-is-amazing-that-jeff-sessions-is-still-in-the-job-any-self/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Melania Trump's husband tweeted this: "Arianna Huffington is unattractive both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/melania-trump-s-husband-tweeted-this-arianna-huffington-is/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) [Explore all 214 Lawrence O'Donnell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) ## More Asks quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. 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