Final answer:
John Lewis encapsulated the Civil Rights Movement with the word 'love', emphasizing peaceful protest and nonviolent resistance. He was a key figure in the movement, participating in significant events like the March on Washington and advocating for justice throughout his life as part of the SNCC and in Congress.
Step-by-step explanation:
John Lewis, a profound leader in the Civil Rights Movement, often summarized the ethos of the movement with the word 'love'. He spoke of nonviolence and the importance of loving individuals, even those who fail to love back. In his message regarding the AIDS Memorial Quilt collection at the Library of Congress, Lewis reminisced about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. advising to 'just love everybody'. This concept was at the heart of their peaceful protests and fight for justice.
Beyond the romanticized ideal of love, the Civil Rights Movement was a complex, multifaceted struggle involving grassroots activism. The success of the movement was due to local people's relentless pursuit of first-class citizenship, with vocal leaders like Medgar Evers and Fannie Lou Hamer in the frontlines of this struggle. They, along with thousands of unnamed individuals, engaged in voter registration drives, bus boycotts, and education to dismantle racist institutions.
John Lewis himself was instrumental in manifesting this philosophy of love and nonviolence into tangible actions. As a member of the Big Six and chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Lewis risked his life and freedom by participating in sit-ins, marches, and voter registration drives. His legacy includes being a keynote speaker at the March on Washington and a lifelong commitment to 'good trouble', as advised by Rosa Parks, advocating for equal rights and justice in the spirit of love and nonviolence.