How sadly ironic that this book releases the day after Georgia was gerrymandered to make the election of Blacks, women, and other underrepresented groups nearly impossible. It underscores the fact that the work of activists like John Lewis is never done.

This collection of interviews show the trajectory of John Lewis’s career, from a Civil Rights activist in college, to a long-term Congressman for Atlanta, still fighting for voting rights until his death.

This brief, quick read gives background for those who know only of John Lewis’s recent accomplishments, and whets the appetite for more reading. #JohnLewisTheLastInterview #NetGalley

This book contains four interviews with John Lewis spanning 55 years (1965-2020) from the time he was a civil rights activist to his last interview when he was a U.S. Representative serving Georgia's 5th Congressional district.

The first interview in 1965 (Williams v. Wallace) was actually a deposition. Lewis was a plaintiff in the case. This interview is a good example of a primary source about the Selma March which according to Lewis was about voting rights and police brutality, that second objective I believe gets lost or downplayed when Selma is usually discussed.

The second interview took place in 1979 between Lewis and the documentarian/filmmaker Henry Hampton. It was while reading this interview that I came to the conclusion that Lewis's recollections of his involvement in the movement have mostly been consistent over time.

The third interview occurred in 2012, between Lewis and CSPAN's Brian Lamb for the show Q&A. Lewis was on the show promoting his book Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America. In it he recounts what he said during the Selma march, which mirrors what he said in the 1965 deposition (the first interview).

The fourth and Lewis's last interview occurred in 2020, 39 days before his passing with Zak Cheney-Rice from New York Magazine. In it, Lewis reflects on his legacy and the summer protests after the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. I did notice echoes from the previous two interviews.

Overall, this short book is good but I wanted more context on the interviews. Why were these interviews picked, what's the significance of each one? I thought this would have been included in the book's introduction but it wasn't. Fans of John Lewis will enjoy reading his words. You will still learn some new facts even if you know alot about Lewis.

John Lewis: The Last Interview and Other Conversations Melville House 2021

Thank you, Net Galley and Melville House, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

I have longed to know more about this remarkable man since seeing one of the MNSBC anecdotes about ‘who they are’ including commentary on John Lewis and his reference to ‘good trouble’. The footage includes reference to the march in Selma, Alabama when John Lewis, accompanied by black and white activists attempted to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Until he died in 2020 John Lewis and supporters of his ideals rallied at the Bridge. John Lewis, Congressman, is shown at the Bridge and recalls John Lewis, student activist from the 1960s. The original footage from the carnage enacted upon the marchers was instrumental in influencing policy makers, culminating in the 1965 Voting Rights Act, enacted during President Lyndon Johnson’s Presidency.

Jelani Cobb, introduces the collection which includes Williams V. Wallace with the interaction between John Lewis, Peter Hall and others during the court case in March, 1965; interviews with Henry Hampton, America They Loved You Madly…, Brian Lamb, C-Span, and The Last Interview by Zac Cheney-Rice, June 2020; and John Lewis speeches, ‘I Saw All Around Me The System, ‘When I was Arrested and ‘I Felt Free’ and ‘The Long View’. There are useful notes about the authors.

I really enjoyed getting to know this formidable fighter for the cause of Black Americans, equality, and democracy. His attitudes towards the issues he supported and campaigned upon are made apparent through the selection chosen for this collection. John Lewis’s honesty in explaining why he voted for Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries is a key to the way in which he observed the issues of friendship, politics, support for Black Americans and commitment to democracy. His ‘good trouble’ phrase resonates throughout the book. Crucial to his philosophy is that of non- violent demonstration against segregation and discrimination. John Lewis explains that his study and discipline in being non-violent ‘helped make me stronger, wiser, gave me a greater sense of determination’. When asked about observers’ response to the cruelty enacted on peaceful marchers John Lewis is so wonderfully optimistic about the goodness of people, their capacity to understand that such events should not be part of a democracy, that things will change for the better. He gives other people, such as Martin Luther King Jnr, James Lawson, ‘wonderful, wonderful colleagues, students, the young people…’ the credit for his resilience. This humility, and once again I must mention that splendid phrase ‘good trouble’, contributes to the power within the collection as well as the man.

The Last Interview and Other Conversations with John Lewis is particularly pertinent reading at this point in American political history. With states enacting discriminatory voting legislation, the Republican Senators refusing to support even the voting bill crafted between some of them and Senator Joe Manchin, and obtuse support of the state legislators whose only aim is to prevent voting equality this is an important read. The collection adds to understanding the challenges faced by student, organiser, friend, speechmaker, leader, and Congressman John Lewis. It also demonstrates the power that such a decent and thoughtful person can have in making at least some differences despite the obstacles. His followers have the opportunity to contribute to further change by endorsing legislation to protect voting rights. The publication and strength of this book is another contribution to effecting such change.