Lewis was among the nonviolent demonstrators who were beaten
on Bloody Sunday in 1965 as they attempted to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in
Selma, Alabama. The protest helped lead to the passage of the Voting Rights Act
later that same year.
Now the representative for the Fifth Congressional District
of Georgia, Lewis urged the FAMU students in attendance to exercise the voting rights
that were achieved through the struggle that cost many activists their lives.
The event, which took place in front of Lee Hall, also
featured live music and food to complement the ongoing homecoming week
activities. Along with Lewis, FAMU Student Body President Tonette Graham and Dream
Defenders Director Phillp Agnew (a former FAMU student body president) also
addressed the audience.
After the rally, trolleys shuttled students to the early voting site at the Smith Williams Center next to campus.
The early voting rally is a continuation of the massive
voter mobilization campaign the Dream Defenders began in 2013 after holding a 31-day sit-in in Gov. Rick Scott’s office to protest Florida’s Stand Your
Ground law. In August of that year, the organization marched to the Florida
Governor’s Mansion to serve Scott with an eviction notice. They have spent the
last ten months working to register new voters and get them to the polls to
vote against Scott’s reelection bid.