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Rep. John Lewis marks 53 years since release from prison

It's a day Rep. John Lewis will surely never forget.

The civil rights leader was released from Parchman Penitentiary on this day, 53 years ago, after being arrested in Jackson, Mississippi, for using a white restroom. 

The Georgia congressman marked the occasion by posting a photo on his Facebook page. It showed Lewis being arrested in suit and tie.

Lewis was chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and played a key role in the struggle to end segregation. Lewis, a member of the Democratic Party, has represented Georgia's 5th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1987. The district encompasses almost all of the city of Atlanta.

He was present on the stage during the inauguration of President Barack Obama, as the only living speaker from the rally at the March on Washington.