SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Legendary civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis was visiting the Bay Area on Wednesday, talking about the social justice movements of today, his new book, and a lot more.
On Wednesday, Pam had a chance to sit down with him and the collaborators on the latest addition to his trilogy of books called, “March.”
One issue they talked about was the role of social media in today’s movement, including the June sit-in he led on the floor of the U.S. Congress calling for a vote on gun safety.
“Social media is a powerful, powerful tool, instrumental” Lewis said. “Sometimes, I wish if we’d had social media when we were sitting in, and going on the Freedom Ride marching from Selma to Montgomery, what we would have been able to accomplish. When people cut off C-SPAN and cut off the mike, the young, smart gifted members of Congress use social media to communicate to the rest of America and around the world.”
That sit-in by congressional Democrats was a first for the U.S. Capital. When Congress reconvenes in September, Lewis says, a bipartisan committee is slated to look at the issue together.
Watch the above video to see Pam’s full interview.