Three Rivers, Cassopolis to honor civil rights icon John Lewis in different ways Thursday

On Wednesday, July 17, the anniversary of civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis’ passing, the community in Three Rivers will join millions across the country in honoring his legacy with a free screening of the 2020 documentary John Lewis: Good Trouble at Riviera Theatre in downtown Three Rivers. 

Hosted by the local nonprofit *culture Is not optional in partnership with the theatre, the event aims to commemorate Lewis’ lifelong fight for justice, voting rights, and racial equality. The screening will begin at 6 p.m. and run until 7:30 p.m. The first 50 attendees will receive a “Get in good trouble” button — a nod to one of Lewis’s most well-known rallying cries.

“This is the first time we’ve hosted a screening of this film,” said organizer Rob Vander Giessen-Reitsma. “We wanted to mark the anniversary of Lewis’s passing with something that reminds us of his life’s work and why it still matters today.”

The 2020 documentary traces Lewis’s journey from a teenage activist to a central figure in the Civil Rights Movement and, later, a long-serving congressman from Georgia. It chronicles his involvement in the Nashville sit-ins, Freedom Rides, and the Selma to Montgomery marches — including the infamous Bloody Sunday attack on the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

“John Lewis means a lot to me personally,” Vander Giessen-Reitsma said. “Our family celebrates him every year, and my child is even partially named after him. His work remains deeply inspiring.”

The July 17 screening also takes place in the context of a broader national moment. Across the country, groups are organizing actions and trainings to defend democracy and carry on Lewis’s commitment to justice. 

Organizers hope the screening inspires attendees to reflect not only on John Lewis’s legacy, but also on how everyday people can carry forward the movement he helped build.

“In this moment, when so many of the things he fought for are once again under threat, we felt it was important to honor his legacy by sharing this film,” said Vander Giessen-Reitsma. “It’s a chance to remember the sacrifices made by those who came before us — and to consider what our own role should be now.”

The event is free and open to the public. 

Cassopolis to honor Lewis with courthouse protest

Community members in Cassopolis will also honor the legacy of Lewis in their own way by fighting back against “attacks on civil and human rights.”

The local action at the courthouse in Cassopolis is part of Good Trouble Lives On — a nationwide day of peaceful, nonviolent action rooted in the legacy of the civil rights movement and inspired by John Lewis’ call to make “good trouble, necessary trouble.”

“Participants will gather to demand an end to attacks on our freedom to vote, protest, and organize — and to stand united against efforts to criminalize our communities, roll back our rights, and slash vital public programs,” organizers said.

WHAT:

Rally with Music 

Part of the national Good Trouble Lives On Day of Action honoring John Lewis

WHEN:

Thursday, July 17, 2025

5:30 p.m – 7 p.m.

WHERE:

Cass County Historic Courthouse

120 N Broadway

Cassopolis, MI 49031

Najifa Farhat is a staff reporter with Watershed Voice.