U. professor publishes book on John Lewis' life

David Greenberg, a professor in the Departments of History and Journalism and Media Studies, wrote a biography titled "John Lewis: A Life," which was published on Tuesday, according to a press release.

Greenberg told The Daily Targum that the book chronicles John Lewis' life from his young adulthood as a prominent civil rights activist in the 1960s to his later career as a U.S. Representative for Georgia. The book focuses on those two chapters of his life as well as the events in between the two eras.

"When I began the book, in fact, there was no biography of Mr. Lewis," he said. "There really is no other biography that has relied on this amount of research, either in archives or in interviewing."

Greenberg said it took approximately five years to gather and collect material about Lewis' life, interviewing more than 275 people and working in approximately 40 archives. He also said that compared to his other publications, this account is different because it is focused on a congressman rather than a president.

While Greenberg said that he has written articles about racial equality and civil rights in the past, he has never primarily written about a figure who helped lead the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.

John Lewis rose to prominence in the civil rights era by organizing a march on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, which is signified in history by the police violence that occurred in response.

"He seemed to be someone who embodied the best of America's democratic traditions, its highest aspirations, its loftiest values," Greenberg said. "And I thought it might be nice … working on someone who I really admire, who I can enjoy being with each day."

Greenberg told the Targum that he got Lewis' permission to write about his life. When Lewis was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during the pandemic, Greenberg said that there were not as many opportunities to interview him.

Aside from a few phone interviews with Lewis himself, he said he was also able to archive old newspapers and documents and interview people who were mentioned or present with Lewis during certain events. This allowed Greenberg to generate a scope around his life, especially since Lewis' life is part of recent history.

"If I were writing about someone from the 19th century, it would be all historical," he said. "If I were writing about some current events going on right now, it would be all journalistic, and this was nice for me because I was able to make use of both my skill sets."

Greenberg said that after interviewing Lewis and the people around him for the book, he realized that public figures are not what they seem like in the media and are more complex than their public image.

Greenberg said that he learned Lewis was a principled man who learned to be a good politician. Due to his experience in politics, Lewis believed in fighting for democracy, the right to vote and everyone being equal before the law.

Lastly, Greenberg said that those who write books know that there are times when it becomes difficult to continue writing, but for his biography, he gained motivation from doing something he was proud of.

"It was very rewarding and gratifying, and I consider myself lucky that I could enjoy this project so much," he said.