Former presidents, members of Congress and numerous celebrities expressed their condolences and respect for Georgia representative John Lewis, a monumental figure in the nation’s civil rights movement who passed away on Friday.
Barack Obama praised Lewis, 80, for the physical and emotional sacrifices he made for the United States as original Freedom Rider, March organizer in Washington and leader of the “Bloody Sunday” demonstration from Selma to Montgomery, during which a police officer broke Lewis’ skull during a beating.
“He loved this country so much that he risked his life and blood so that he could fulfill his promise,” Obama wrote in a statement published on Medium.
“And over the decades, not only did he give himself entirely to the cause of freedom and justice, but he inspired the generations that followed to try to live up to his example.”
Bill Clinton also praised the late Democrat, tweeting that Lewis “gave everything he had to redeem America’s broken promise of equality and justice for all, and create a place for us to build a more perfect union together.”
“In doing so, he became the consciousness of the nation.”
Lewis, often referred to as the “Conscious of Congress”, inspired the reverence of Democrats and Republicans alike during his more than three decades as Georgia’s elected official.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Lewis as a “pioneering civil rights leader who risked his life to fight racism, promote equal rights, and align our nation with its founding principles.”
“Congressman Lewis’s place among the giants of American history was assured before his career in Congress had begun,” added McConnell.
“This son of sharecroppers in segregated Alabama helped found and lead the mid-century civil rights movement.”
“Selma” actor Wendell Pierce said Lewis “changed the United States.”
“There is blood in that ballot box that was spilled to protect our rights for future generations,” Pierce tweeted.
Lewis “was a titan of the civil rights movement whose kindness, faith, and courage transformed our nation,” wrote Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. “Every day of his life he dedicated himself to providing freedom and justice to all.”
Lewis, who was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in December last year, was among the most liberal Democrats in Congress, defending the Iraq war and defending immigrant children.
Lewis said he had been arrested 40 times in the 1960s and five more after becoming a congressman.
Andrew McCutchen, a Philadelphia Phillies outfielder and one of the most prominent black stars in baseball, thanked.
“Thank you for your courage, your sacrifice and your leadership,” she tweeted with a photo of Lewis.
Rest in paradise #JohnLewis. May we continue to honor your legacy and be a voice for the voiceless. “
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