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February 15, 2011 - Obama presents John Lewis 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom ​

John Robert Lewis was born on February 21st, 1940 in Troy, Alabama. His parents were sharecroppers and didn’t earn very much money. This inspired him to fight for fair wages for all African Americans. Lewis graduated from the American Baptist Theological Seminary and went on to receive a bachelor's degree in Religion and Philosophy from Fisk University. As a student he was invited to attend nonviolence workshops held in the basement of Clark Memorial United Methodist Church where he became dedicated to the discipline and philosophy of non-violence which he still practices today. As the national chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, he was the youngest person to speak at the 1963 march on Washington. While participating in peaceful protests  for racial equality Lewis was repeatedly beaten and arrested. He played many key roles in the Civil Rights Movement and its actions to end legalize racial segregation. Lewis has been awarded numerous honorary degrees and is the recipient of many awards from national and international institutions including the Presidential Medal of Freedom which was  presented by President Barack Obama in 2011.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lewis_(civil_rights_leader)#Early_life and https://johnlewis.house.gov/john-lewis/biography
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