Description John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020)was an American civil rights leader and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. Representative for Georgia's 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death in 2020 and the dean of the Georgia congressional delegation. The district he served includes the northern three-fourths of Atlanta.  Lewis, who as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was one of the "Big Six" leaders of groups who organized the 1963 March on Washington, played many key roles in the civil rights movement and its actions to end legalized racial segregation in the United States.