Congressman John Lewis Death : Obama, Clinton, Pelosi, Muriel Bowser, Luther King111, Kamala Harris and other biggies react
Congressman John Lewis Death
WASHINGTON – Lawmakers, world leaders, organizations and celebrities reacted Friday night to news that Rep. John R. Lewis, D-GA, the civil rights icon whose fight for racial justice began in the Jim Crow south and ended in the halls of Congress, died.
Lewis, an organizer of the March on Washington in 1963 along with Martin Luther King Jr., had been battling Stage IV pancreatic cancer since December. The congressman was 80.
His family said in a statement Friday night Lewis, who represented Georgia, “was honored and respected as the conscience of the US Congress and an icon of American history but we knew him as a loving father and brother. He was a stalwart champion in the on-going struggle to demand respect for the dignity and worth of every human being.”
Here is a look at how he is being remembered:
Former President Barack Obama
“In so many ways, John’s life was exceptional. But he never believed that what he did was more than any citizen of this country might do,” Obama wrote in lengthy tribute to Lewis. On his Inauguration Day in 2009, Obama signed a message to him “Because of you, John.”
The statement continued, “He believed that in all of us, there exists the capacity for great courage, a longing to do what’s right, a willingness to love all people, and to extend to them their God-given rights to dignity and respect. And it’s because he saw the best in all of us that he will continue, even in his passing, to serve as a beacon in that long journey towards a more perfect union.
“Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way. John Lewis did. And thanks to him, we now all have our marching orders — to keep believing in the possibility of remaking this country we love until it lives up to its full promise,” the statement concluded.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
“Today, America mourns the loss of one of the greatest heroes of American history.
“John Lewis was a titan of the civil rights movement whose goodness, faith and bravery transformed our nation,” the statement continued. “Every day of John Lewis’s life was dedicated to bringing freedom and justice to all. As he declared 57 years ago during the March on Washington, standing in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial: ‘Our minds, souls, and hearts cannot rest until freedom and justice exist for all the people.’
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“How fitting it is that even in the last weeks of his battle with cancer, John summoned the strength to visit the peaceful protests where the newest generation of Americans had poured into the streets to take up the unfinished work of racial justice.”
The Congressional Black Caucus
“The world has lost a legend; the civil rights movement has lost an icon, the City of Atlanta has lost one of its most fearless leaders, and the Congressional Black Caucus has lost our longest serving member.
“A fighter for justice until the end, Mr. Lewis recently visited Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington DC. His mere presence encouraged a new generation of activist to “speak up and speak out” and get into “good trouble” to continue bending the arc toward justice and freedom,” the statement continued.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
“We have lost a giant. John Lewis gave all he had to redeem America’s unmet promise of equality and justice for all, and to create a place for us to build a more perfect union together.”
Mayor of Washington, D.C. Muriel Bowser
Bowser, who was joined by Lewis a little more than a month ago at Black Lives Matter Plaza in D.C. in what would be his last public appearance, tweeted, “We have more work to do but we would not be where are without John Lewis. May he rest in power, and may we humbly and boldly walk in his footsteps.”
Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Lewis “is an American hero and a giant. And we are all better for the “good trouble” he made.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY.
“Congressman Lewis’ place among the giants of American history was secure before his career in Congress had even begun.
“The Senate and the nation mourn the loss of Congressman John Lewis, a pioneering civil rights leader who put his life on the line to fight racism, promote equal rights, and bring our nation into greater alignment with its founding principles,” the statement reads.
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Martin Luther King III
“John Lewis was an American treasure. He gave a voice to the voiceless, and he reminded each of us that the most powerful nonviolent tool is the vote. Our hearts feel empty without our friend, but we find comfort knowing that he is free at last,” King tweeted. His father and Lewis were close friends.
Lewis remained the last surviving member of the Big Six, which included King, James Farmer, A. Phillip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, and Whitney Young.
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.
“John Lewis was an icon who fought with every ounce of his being to advance the cause of civil rights for all Americans. I’m devastated for his family, friends, staff—and all those whose lives he touched.”
Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP
“He was the moral center of the civil rights movement,’’ Johnson said Friday. “He was the conscience of the Congress and he lived the life he spoke of.”
Johnson said honoring Lewis at the NAACP Image Awards in February for his life’s work was just one way to salute the civil rights legend.
Stacey Abrams
God has welcomed @repjohnlewis home. Defender of justice. Champion of right,” Abrams, the Democrat who narrowly lost her race for Georgia governor in 2018, tweeted. She continued Lewis was “Our conscience, he was a griot of this modern age, one who saw its hatred but fought ever towards the light.”
House Republican Whip Steve Scalise, R-La.
“John Lewis was a legend who helped pave the way for so many of the victories achieved throughout the civil rights movement. As accomplished and revered as he was, he never stopped working to advance the cause of equality and justice for all, even in his final days as he was battling for his own life.
“I was proud to call John Lewis a friend, and he will be deeply missed. America is a more perfect union because of the blood, sweat, and tears sacrificed by the great John Lewis,” his statement concluded.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
“John Lewis was an extraordinary man. He suffered for this nation, enduring what would have easily broken other men, so that future generations could enjoy the full blessings of freedom. Racism, segregation, and discrimination were not history for him; they were everyday life. But John wasn’t just a patriot on sunny days. His patriotism urged him forward to fight for America with nonviolence and defend it with peacefulness. We are a better nation because of John Lewis.
“It was a true privilege to call John a friend. I admired him and will miss him. His life and legacy of patriotism will endure for as long as America does.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
“John Lewis was a true American hero and the moral compass of our nation. May his courage and conviction live on in all of us as we continue to make good trouble for justice and opportunity. Rest in power, John.”
Alphonso David, Human Rights Campaign president
“Congressman John Lewis is a hero and civil rights icon who pushed our country closer to the promise of a more perfect union.
“Future generations will learn how he faced down discrimination with courage and defiance, boldly challenging the United States to envision a future where every person, no matter their race, sexual orientation or gender identity, has an equal chance at the American Dream,” the statement continued.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-MI.
“We learned from civil rights giant Congressman John Lewis that we have “a moral obligation, a mission and a mandate, to speak up, speak out and get in good trouble. In honor of his legacy, we will continue on this path of good trouble.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-MN
“John Lewis was a giant. A civil rights legend. A leader in the halls of Congress. And a moral voice for the whole nation.”
“Having the opportunity to serve with him was one of the great honors of my life,” she continued.
