TIME shows John Lewis at age 23, in May 1963, as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), in Clarksdale, Miss.
Why it matters: Born in Alabama to the son of sharecroppers, Lewis went on to dedicate his life toward fighting the racial injustices that labeled him as a second-class citizen. He became the chair of the SNCC in 1963 and went on to become the youngest person to speak at the March on Washington that August.
What to watch: The magazine goes on sale Friday.
Go deeper: Tom Houck discusses his longtime friend, Rep. John Lewis