Activists — in their many forms and with their varied causes — have long challenged and reshaped our social and political consciousness. But why do certain people choose to become activists? At a time of deep division around the country, ten activists from across the political spectrum reveal the stories of what has sustained them on their journeys and how they — or how any of us — can heed the call to make a difference.  

Ever wonder how and why John Lewis, Dolores Huerta, Harry Belafonte, Jenny Beth Martin, Ralph Nader, Grover Norquist, Leah Greenberg, Ezra Levin, Jeanne Mancini and Alicia Garza became activists?

Congressman John Lewis (D-Ga.), 77, was a student leader in the civil rights movement,
organizing sit-ins and serving as one of the original 13 Freedom Riders.
From 1963 to 1966, Lewis was chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
He has served in Congress since 1987. In 2011 Lewis received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

“…[Y]ou cannot be at home with yourself when you see something that you know is not right. You have to do something. You have to say something.”

“There’s something I call the spirit of history: Sometimes you’re tracked down by a force, and you cannot turn away.”

“…[T]here’s so much work to be done. And you never know how much time you have. And you have to use your time wisely.”

Read this article online in The Washington Post Magazine.