John Lewis
Lewis is the narrator and protagonist. He's a congressman in 2009, but he has been an active member of the Civil Rights Movement since its inception. As he recalls memories of the fight for equality and freedom, he tells his listeners about participating in several momentous historical events. Since childhood, he was an avid learner. He encountered a lot of roadblocks and decided to make the path easier for those to follow him.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. King is the figurehead of the Civil Rights Movement. He uses his position as minister to mobilize communities in nonviolent protests against discrimination and segregation. As such a prestigious person, he is the primary influence in John Lewis' life. At one point they even meet to discuss publicly suing the state of Alabama for Lewis' admission into an all-white college.
President Barack Obama
It is President Obama's inauguration in 2009 which sparks Lewis' trip down memory lane. The election of the nation's first black president is not only momentous but represents the culmination of generations of people's hard work to systematically eliminate racism and oppression.
Otis Carter
Uncle Otis invites Lewis up to Buffalo, in New York, for a visit when he's a boy. Lewis had never before seen an integrated community, and it shocks him. Uncle Otis recognizes a fire in his nephew which he hopes to kindle through this trip, and he does.
