Good Trouble: “I’m Not Afraid To Be The Only Vote”
Council member Dickens reflects on Congressman Lewis
As an Atlanta native, it’s no surprise City Council member Andre Dickens felt heartbroken and devastated when he heard the news of the passing of John Lewis. It was particularly poignant given that Dickens holds the City Council seat Lewis once held in the early 1980s, and that he had worked many long hours to honor the civil rights icon and long-serving Congressman.
“I knew it meant that there was a real hole in the country with his passing and I wasn’t sure that the hole would be filled easily or soon,” Dickens said about the passing of Lewis.
However, he was fortunate enough to talk with him only a few days before he passed away.
“In our conversation, he said ‘good to see you, brother’ and told me to keep up the good fight,” Dickens said, noting that he felt special, but knew Lewis was very generous with his mentorship and encouragement to hundreds of people. “I told him I loved him and that he was a such a huge figure in my life and in the life of this country. I said God had his soul in his hands and that he was going to be okay — that all was going to be well with him.”
As a civil rights hero and revered “conscience of the Congress,” Lewis gained a widely recognized reputation as a guiding light to many, including Dickens.
“He didn’t have any selfish motivations. His actions were guided by his faith and his commitment to service to others. He would communicate that verbally and, in his deeds,” Dickens said.
He also carries with him advice from Lewis that was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to “get into trouble, good trouble” to make progress.
“Good trouble to me is that I’m not afraid to be the only vote or to have legislation where people tell me that’s going to be too tough or too difficult to do — and I still say it’s worth it, it’s still worth the fight. That’s when I start thinking about good trouble — when the odds of success in most people’s minds seem low.”
In 2017, Dickens introduced legislation that was unanimously approved by the Council to create a task force to determine an appropriate manner to honor Lewis. Those efforts culminated in Freedom Parkway being renamed for him, as well as a tribute wall being erected in his honor at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
“We had to go over to the airport for numerous meetings to plan how we were going to do it. So, one time, we wanted Congressman Lewis to come down to see the renderings and take a look at the potential of what we were looking to do. I took MARTA down to the airport, but Congressman Lewis drove his car. He drove his own car there and on the way back, we actually drove him back,” Dickens said referring to himself and his staff. “We also had lunch at his house. He personally took us around his house, which is like a museum — all of these photos, artwork and awards throughout his life. For someone who has been awarded and respected with so many honors, he was so pleased and thankful for the honors we gave him as well.”
In terms of his early thoughts on Lewis, Dickens said he quickly became familiar with his history as a civil rights icon, but it wasn’t until later that he learned of his local impact, including his time serving on the Atlanta City Council.
“John Lewis was somebody that I really admired, particularly because he was one of the younger people in the civil rights movement,” Dickens said. “I wasn’t born yet when Dr. King was still alive so I could identify very well with this young John Lewis. Growing up in Atlanta, I knew we had streets and schools named after significant civil rights leaders. We were telling the story of the civil rights movement through our streets and our schools.”
Dickens hopes to continue to serve in the model of Lewis and tackle the issues with his same tireless energy.
“His inspiration is such that you can’t be tired on the Atlanta City Council. Even though it’s a lot of work, you can’t be tired when you’re sitting in the seat of someone who’s been beaten, shed blood and sent to jail over and over for the freedom and opportunity of people. You just can’t be tired.”
He also hopes to continue in the legislative spirit of Lewis as he continues his service on the Council.
“The big thing is fighting voter suppression, especially in our upcoming presidential election, as well as increasing wages of working-class people, standing up to bigotry and hatred, and building affordable housing.”
