John Lewis documentary to screen on Capitol lawn

Lansing State Journal

In this Nov. 18, 2016, file photo, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., poses for a photograph under a quote of his that is displayed in the Civil Rights Room in the Nashville Public Library in Nashville, Tenn. Lewis announced Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, that he has stage IV pancreatic cancer, vowing he will stay in office and fight the disease with the tenacity which he fought racial discrimination and other inequalities since the civil rights era. Lewis died in July.

John Lewis, the U.S. congressman and civil rights leader who passed away from pancreatic cancer last month, will be honored in Lansing.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan and the East Lansing Public Library will be honoring Lewis by showing the documentary “John Lewis: Good Trouble.”

“We are excited for the opportunity to show this important film and pay tribute to one of our country’s staunchest defenders for voting rights,” Elaine Hardy, chairperson for the MLK Commission and diversity, equity and inclusion administrator for the city of East Lansing, said in a release.

The film chronicles Lewis' life and work and will be shown on the Capitol lawn at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.

To stay within the 100-person capacity for outdoor gatherings, community members are asked to register via the library’s website.

Those who attend are expected to follow federal health guidelines, including wearing a mask or face covering and practicing safe physical distancing by remaining at least 6 feet from others.

A second outdoor showing of the documentary is expected to take place at Cooley Law School Stadium on Aug. 16.

Contact LSJ reporter Kristan Obeng at KObeng@lsj.com or 517-267-1344. Follow her on Twitter @KrissyObeng.

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