Used President Barack Obama, lawmakers, and the entire country are for the time being mourning the death of civil rights icon John Lewis. The Georgia congressman died Friday, July 19, at the age of 80 after a six-month battle with Stage IV pancreatic cancer, in accordance to CNN.
The lawmaker used to be a survivor of Alabama’s “Bloody Sunday” massacre in 1965 and one of the most important final residing contributors of the “Mountainous Six” leaders of the civil rights circulate. In his life, he joined the Freedom Riders in hard segregated buses across the south and used to be a shut buddy and colleague of the leisurely Martin Luther King Jr.
Lewis used to be elected to Congress in 1986 and spent extra than three a few years fighting for equality, empowering formative years and minority communities, and animated activism in The usa. In 2011, Lewis used to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama, The usa’s first Murky president.
Over the years, Obama has credited Lewis for animated him to circulate into politics. Truly, on his Inauguration Day in 2009, Obama signed a message to the congressman, “Due to you, John.”
In a poignant assertion released following Lewis’ death, Obama honored the congressman’s life’s work and paid tribute to his legacy which is ready to “proceed, even in his passing, to encourage as a beacon in that lengthy dash in direction of a extra ideal union.”
“He cherished this country so great that he risked his life and his blood so as that it would per chance per chance are residing up to its promise,” Obama wrote. “And thru the a few years, he not finest gave all of himself to the motive at the again of freedom and justice, however impressed generations that followed to purchase a search for at to are residing up to his example.”
“In so many ways, John’s life used to be extra special,” the assertion continued. ”But he by no methodology believed that what he did used to be extra than any citizen of this country would per chance per chance close. He believed that in all of us, there exists the capability for ample courage, a longing to shut what’s correct, a willingness to fancy all folks, and to lengthen to them their God-given rights to dignity and appreciate. And it’s because he saw the finest in all of us that he will proceed, even in his passing, to encourage as a beacon in that lengthy dash in direction of a extra ideal union.”
Obama concluded his tribute with a call to action for the nation. “Not many of us web to are residing to search out our dangle legacy play out in one of these meaningful, excellent formulation. John Lewis did,” he wrote. “And because of him, we now all believe our marching orders — to withhold believing within the different of remaking this country we like till it lives up to its elephantine promise.”
You would per chance be ready to be taught Obama’s elephantine assertion, here.
Extra tributes to Lewis were pouring in from Lewis’ colleagues, fellow lawmakers, and public figures. Below are the remarks from presidential candidate Joe Biden, Stacey Abrams, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and extra.
RIP John Lewis, an wonderful hero.
