Local groups celebrate civil rights activist John Lewis at Alamo Drafthouse

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Around the nation, over 70 events were held today honoring U.S. House Representative and civil rights activist John Lewis, who died four years ago Wednesday.

One of those events took place right here in Springfield.

Members of Springfield’s NAACP, Paws to the Polls and the League of Women’s Voters gathered at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema to watch a documentary highlighting Lewis’s work.

At these events, the organizations involved will call on Congress to pass legislation protecting the freedom to vote.

“Our concern right now is that there are areas in state, many states where some things are being made more difficult for folks to be able to vote,” said League of Women Voters member Joan Gentry. “And so we’re here to promote easy access to voting.”

At tonight’s showing of the John Lewis documentary titled “Good Trouble”, viewers were asked to write a letter to their legislators in Washington D.C. saying how important voting rights are.

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