Congressman John Lewis, one of the protagonists of the 1960s civil rights movement and an advocate for health care reform, will speak at the Pearl River Hilton on April 8 at 6p as part of the Nyack NAACP’s Freedom Fund Dinner.
Lewis became nationally known during his prominent role in the Selma to Montgomery marches, where he marched side-by-side with martyred Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Martin Luther King. During the first march, Lewis and other peaceful protesters were beaten mercilessly by the notoriously racist Alabama police. Lewis’s skull was fractured and his wounds are still visible today.
In 1986, Lewis was elected to Congress where he serves as a lion of civil liberties. He was the first member of Congress to call for the impeachment of George W. Bush and he is a staunch opponent to the Iraq War. Lewis has been one of the strongest proponents of health-care reform in Congress.
Just yesterday, Lewis made a short, but compelling statement that Congress must act now on healthcare reform. In his speech, Lewis said:
The time is always right to do what is right. And that time is now. The spirit of history is upon us. We must pass healthcare. There are those who have told us to wait. They have told us to be patient. We cannot wait, we cannot be patient.
The American people need health care, and they need it now. Will we stand with the American people? Or will we stand with the big insurance companies? We have a moral obligation to make health care a right and not a privilege. We cannot wait a moment longer. We must pass health care and we must pass it now.
Also honored at the dinner will be several local educators, NAACP mentors and the Haverstraw Town Board. More details to come soon.
