“You filled me with hope for the next chapter in great American history when you used your power to make a difference in our society,” he wrote. “Millions of people motivated simply by human compassion imposed the burdens of division. Across the country and the world, you leave race, class, age, language, and nationality aside to demand respect for human dignity.” .
Born in Troy, Alabama, and the son of sharecroppers, Lewis began civil rights activism at a young age. He helped lead a voting rights march on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on March 7, 1965, at the age of 25. That day, which became known as “Bloody Sunday,” he and other protesters were brutally attacked by police who fractured his skull. The images from that day shocked the nation and galvanized support for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was enacted by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was also arrested more than 40 times during his days of activism.
He passed away earlier this month at age 80 after a six-month battle with cancer.
He wrote that when he was young, like other young people, “he was looking for an exit, or some might say a way to enter” until he heard the voice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the radio. Reflecting on King’s calls not to tolerate injustice, Lewis said, “When you see something that is not right, you must say something.”
“You must do something,” he wrote. “Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we call the Beloved Community, a nation and a world society at peace with itself.”
He also said: “Voting and participating in the democratic process is key,” adding that he is “the most powerful non-violent agent of change he has in a democratic society” and for everyone to “use” it.
At the end of the essay, Lewis asked everyone to “continue to build the union between movements that span the globe because we must put aside our will to exploit the exploitation of others. And echoing King’s words, he said that it is now up to the United States to resort to “letting freedom ring.”
“Although I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest call of your heart and stand up for what you really believe,” he wrote. “In my life I have done everything possible to demonstrate that the path of peace, the path of love and non-violence is the most excellent way. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring.”
“When historians pick up their pens to write the history of the 21st century, let them say that it was their generation that finally imposed the heavy burdens of hatred and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war. So I tell you to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of eternal love be your guide. “
.
