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Maxwell VanHoeij, a Tallahassee resident, attended Cobb Middle School. An accomplished violinist and musician, VanHoeij has performed with master violinist Itzhak Perlman, served as concertmaster of the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra, and won numerous national violin competitions. He also took trumpet lessons from Scotty Barnhart. Barnhart's family has known Congressman John Lewis and his family since the 1960s. Barnhart connected VanHoeij with Congressman Lewis.
John Robert Lewis, born on February 21, 1940, outside of Troy, Alabama, was a congressman and civil rights leader. He attended the American Baptist Theological Seminar and received a bachelor's degree from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. While attending college, he organized sit-ins and participated in civil rights activities as part of the Nashville Student Movement. In 1961, Lewis was one of the original 13 Freedom Riders who rode from Washington D.C. to New Orleans. He was chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963 to 1966 and was one of the "Big Six" leaders of groups who organized the 1963 March on Washington. Lewis also helped organize the Selma to Montgomery (Alabama) marches. On March 7, 1965, which became known as "Bloody Sunday," Lewis and fellow activist Hosea Williams led over 600 marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. The group was attacked as they crossed the bridge; Lewis's skull was fractured during the march. Lewis served in the United State House of Representatives from 1987 until 2020. He passed away on July 17, 2020.
Florida History Day (FHD), sponsored by the Museum of Florida History, is an annual statewide activity that enhances the teaching and learning of history in middle and high schools. FHD is an affiliate of National History Day (NHD), along with all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and international schools in East and South Asia. NHD promotes history in the classroom by offering students the resources and support to do original research about people, ideas, and events of the past.
Summary:
This collection consists of an oral history interview with Congressman John Lewis conducted by Maxwell VanHoeij, an 8th grader at Cobb Middle School (Tallahassee). On December 12, 2016, VanHoeij conducted the telephone interview with Congressman Lewis, focusing on his personal accounts of the civil rights movement and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr. Congressman Lewis referred to Dr. King, Sr., as "Daddy King" and one of the original founders of the Civil Rights movement. The interview was part of VonHoeij's project for the 2016-2017 Florida History Day (FHD) competition. The FHD theme was "Taking a Stand in History."
Lewis, John, 1940-2020. King, Martin Luther, 1899-1984.
Museum of Florida History.
Civil rights Florida Civil rights demonstrations. Race relations. Youth Florida Education Florida African Americans United States. Black Americans United States. African American.
Electronic records (digital records). aat Oral histories. aat
for detailed listing.