Good Trouble Lived On Thurs, July 17 in the Chippewa Valley

John Lewis “Good Trouble” Eau Claire Presentation
UWEC, Centennial Hall Rm 1704, 12pm
Good Trouble Day Commemoration
In recognition of a community-wide event, Good Trouble Day, Drs. David M. Jones and Selika Ducksworth-Lawton will facilitate a lunch-hour program discussing the life and legacy of John Lewis, renowned civil rights advocate and legislator. Congressman Lewis developed the idea of “good trouble” based on his boyhood in segregated conditions in the American South. His elders warned him not to “get in trouble” because of the dangers involved in challenging Jim Crow. Lewis, however, was inspired by Rosa Parks’ refusal to leave the “whites only” section of a Montgomery city bus in 1954. For Lewis, this was an example of “good trouble,” saying or doing something to challenge injustice.
As a high school senior in 1957, Lewis was denied admittance to Troy College in Alabama because of his race. Lewis wanted to sue the college for racial discrimination, but his parents did not support filing a lawsuit because of the risk of retaliation. Instead, Lewis wrote to Martin Luther King Jr., who had helped lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and with Dr. King’s support, Lewis was introduced to the methods of nonviolent direct action being practiced in the Civil Rights Movement. Throughout his adult life, Lewis would support voting rights, equality under the law, and economic justice using these methods.
The program will provide a short introduction to Lewis’ life and discuss the connections between “good trouble,” the civil rights movement, and today’s political crises.
Drs. David Jones and Selika Ducksworth-Lawton will draw from their scholarship in African American Studies and American Cultural History in developing this presentation.

Good Trouble Rally to honor John Lewis in Chippewa Falls
Peace Circle Roundabout, River & Bridge, 4pm
Come join us as we rally in to honor the extraordinary life of Representative John Lewis. Signs will be available for use.