john lewis. [applause] to introduce them as the winner of the 2007 pulitzer prize for commentary in the atlanta journal-constitution. please welcome cynthia tucker haynes. [applause] cynthia: good evening. it is fitting on this evening devoted to the history of civil rights and social justice in america that we hear from my dear friend, john lewis. kind of prize, i wonder, does he deserve? let's put it this way, his life is a prize. down the precious metals of a pulitzer prize and a nobel peace prize and an oscar, and a medal of honor, and forged them to cement a prize, it would not do him justice. he was born the son of on february 21, 1940, outside of troy, alabama. he grew up on his family's farm and attended segregated public schools in pike county, alabama. he was inspired by the activism surrounding the montgomery bus boycott and the jr., of martin luther king which he heard on radio broadcast. he even read comic books were civil rights leaders were the heroes. moments, hevotal made a decision to become a part of the civil rights movement. while still a young man, john lewis became a nationally recognized leader. one of, he was dubbed the big six