"the 1st time i heard MLK on the radio, his voice held me from the start. it was a strong deep voice, clearly well trained in the rythmic singsong, old-style tradition of black Baptist preaching we call whooping. there's a creative pacing, a cadence, with crescendos and dramatic pauses and drawing out of word endings as if holding a note in a song. its so much like singing. he really could make his words sing. but even more than his voice, it was his message that made me bolt upright with amazement. it was not enough for folks to be concerned with roads that are paved with gold, and gates to the Kingdom Of God. we need to be concerned with the gates of schools that were closed to black people and the doors of stores too. his message was one of love and the gospel, but he was applying those principles to the problems of today. every minister i heard talked about 'over yonder', where we'd put on the white robes and golden slippers and sit with the angels. but this man was talking about dealing with the problems people were facing in their lives right now, specifically blacks in the South. i was on fire with the words i was hearing. i felt that this man was speaking directly to me. " - John Lewis
"So you're John Lewis, the boy from Troy. you know, if you do this, something could happen to you or your family. are you sure you want to do this?" - MLK to Lewis. Lewis assured him he was all in. Lewis later bellowed: "I was exhilirated. i could have floated back home. the bus ride home that evening was like a dream. total darkness swallowed the fields outside and i was lost in a swirl of feelings. no thoughts. just sweet delicious feelings!"