STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE
Gaston County advocacy groups will salute the legacy and “good trouble” advocacy of the late civil rights champion John Lewis on July 17 at the county courthouse in Gastonia.
The legacy of “good trouble” and civil rights advocate John Lewis will be remembered in Gastonia.
Community advocacy groups will gather July 17 from 6-8 p.m. outside the Gaston County Courthouse to reflect on the fifth anniversary of Lewis’ death as part of a “Good Trouble Lives On” National Day of Action. The gathering is among events across the country.
The courthouse is located at 325 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Gastonia. Parking is available.
Sponsoring groups are Dorothy’s Daughter, North Carolina Black Alliance, EbonyFest, Advance Carolina, Hunter Huss Alumni Association and Indivisible Gaston.
Lewis (1940-2020) is best known for his advocacy in the Civil Rights Movement as a leader with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the 1963 March on Washington. He also participated in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches, including the “Bloody Sunday” procession in which Lewis and fellow advocates were beaten by Alabama law enforcement officers. Lewis represented Georgia in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987-2020.
The gathering includes refreshments and networking, which organizers say is to connect people who work for civil rights, democracy and community across Gaston.
The program includes prayer, and reflections from faith traditions and advocacy organizations, capped by a candle-lighting and moment of silence.