Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation

A civil rights pioneer who risked everything for what’s right encourages us to do the same.

“Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation” is the last book that the Civil Rights Movement activist and congressman John Lewis wrote before his death in 2020; in it, Lewis imparted lessons from his life as an activist to those wishing to make a difference in the world today. He discussed issues such as the importance of mentors and heroes, issues of character like patience and humility, everyday life topics like friendship and money, and specific political issues like the environment and voting. Despite its wide breadth of topics, “Carry On” is a short and easily digestible book cut up into several small sections; at just two and a half hours, the audiobook is a very doable listen. “Carry On” is full of great wisdom, such as, ““What can you do to get into good trouble? There is a light inside of you that will turn on when you get into good trouble. You will feel emboldened and freed. You will realize that unjust laws cannot stop you. These laws cannot stop the truth that is in your heart and soul.” So many of us know there is something right that we should be doing or saying but are afraid to do or say; “Carry On” is a great book for motivating readers to do what is right, from someone who risked it all and suffered to do just that.