John Robert Lewis has died. He served in Congress, representing Georgia's 5th district, from January 3, 1987 until yesterday. He was a life-long fighter for freedom, justice, and equality.
Lewis was only 17 when he met Rosa Parks. A year later he met Martin Luther King, Jr. During his college years, Lewis organized protests and boycotts in Nashville. He was one of the thirteen original Freedom Riders and at times was beaten with baseball bats, stones, chains, and lead pipes. He was also one of the founding members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and served for a time as chairman. Lewis worked for the Field Foundation in New York City, had a position in President Jimmy Carter's Administration, and served on the Atlanta City Council. All of this was before being elected to the US House of Representatives. John Lewis was one busy man.
Lewis fought for justice not only based on race. He was a champion of LGBTQ rights as well. Just last month he said "I fought too long and too hard to end discrimination based on race and color, to not stand up against discrimination against our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters."
He was reelected to his House seat an impressive sixteen times, and always by a wide margin. His Congressional achievements are really too numerous to mention here. At the time of his death, he was serving on the House Committee on Ways and Means and the United States Congress Joint Committee on Taxation. He did not attend the inaugurations of either George W. Bush or Donald Trump, saying in both cases that he believed them not legitimately elected presidents.
John Lewis was awarded more than 50 honorary degrees and received numerous awards, and rightly so. His work and his life earned him that. What will always stand out in my mind, is when President Barack Obama awarded him the highest civilian honor of the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
America lost a giant yesterday. I only scratched the surface on the many things he did in his lifetime. May we all draw on his strength and example. Thanks for making a difference John Lewis! Rest in peace.
Lewis fought for justice not only based on race. He was a champion of LGBTQ rights as well. Just last month he said "I fought too long and too hard to end discrimination based on race and color, to not stand up against discrimination against our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters."
He was reelected to his House seat an impressive sixteen times, and always by a wide margin. His Congressional achievements are really too numerous to mention here. At the time of his death, he was serving on the House Committee on Ways and Means and the United States Congress Joint Committee on Taxation. He did not attend the inaugurations of either George W. Bush or Donald Trump, saying in both cases that he believed them not legitimately elected presidents.
John Lewis was awarded more than 50 honorary degrees and received numerous awards, and rightly so. His work and his life earned him that. What will always stand out in my mind, is when President Barack Obama awarded him the highest civilian honor of the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
America lost a giant yesterday. I only scratched the surface on the many things he did in his lifetime. May we all draw on his strength and example. Thanks for making a difference John Lewis! Rest in peace.