A gala celebration for U.S. Rep. John Lewis' 75th birthday is planned for March 28 at the Tabernacle, 152 Luckie St. in downtown Atlanta.
The event will feature performances by the Indigo Girls, the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, Demetria McKinney, the Morehouse College Glee Club, Jennifer Holliday, Regina Belle, Tichina Arnold and Gary Jeter.
Special appearances by singer Dionne Warwick and actress Terri J. Vaughn are planned as well.
Honorary chairs include business-philanthropic couple Michael and Lovette Russell; former Atlanta Mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young and his wife, Carolyn Young; CNN founder-environmentalist-author Ted Turner; and Turner's daughter and son-in-law, business-environmental couple Laura and Rutherford Seydel.
Lewis revisited the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., this month for the 50th anniversary of the "Bloody Sunday" attack by law enforcement officers on peaceful civil rights marchers. He was portrayed by actor Stephan James in the movie "Selma," which filmed largely in metro Atlanta.
“I cried at several places in the film,” Lewis told us during a recent interview. “It just made it so real.”
He remembers having to sit in the balcony during movies while growing up in Pike County, Ala.
“The little white children would sit downstairs,” Lewis said, recalling being told “That’s just the way it is,” and “Don’t make trouble,” when he questioned the disparity.
“To go from that to having someone play me in a movie, it says something about America and the progress that has been made,” Lewis said. “It’s almost too much to believe to see yourself in the theater.”
Despite the progress yet to be made, Lewis is hopeful.
“We will lay down the burden of racism,” he said. “Sometimes I feel like we should be doing better. But I feel like we should be grateful for the distances we have come. We will get there. We must be committed to the way of peace, love and nonviolence.”
Tickets for Lewis’ birthday celebration range from $25 for “young professionals” 35 and younger to $5,000 for premium VIP access for four at the “Federal PAC Donor Level.” The VIP reception starts at 6 p.m. with seated dinner to follow. Doors open for general admission seating for the program at 7:30 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m.
See johnlewis75.com for full details or to purchase tickets.
About the Author
