Late Friday, Democratic Congressman John Lewis of Georgia passed away after a battle with cancer. Lewis was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement; he spoke at the very same event at which Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Lewis also, among many other milestones, was a “Freedom Rider” who rode buses across the South in an effort to desegregate public transportation. Lewis was a mentor to many, including former President Barack Obama, who spoke out early Saturday with a carefully crafted message honoring the late Civil Rights leader and longtime Congressman.
Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way. John Lewis did:https://t.co/KbVfYt5CeQ
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 18, 2020
On a personal note, Obama notes that he first met Lewis while in law school. At the time, Obama says, he “told [Lewis] then that he was one of my heroes.” After Obama was eventually elected to the U.S. Senate, he “told [Lewis] that I stood on his shoulders,” the former president shares. Obama adds:
‘When I was elected President of the United States, I hugged him on the inauguration stand before I was sworn in and told him I was only there because of the sacrifices he made. And through all those years, he never stopped providing wisdom and encouragement to me and Michelle and our family. We will miss him dearly.’
On a broader note, Obama also notes that Lewis’s impact continues to reverberate across society as more and more people fight for a better, more just tomorrow for Americans. Obama writes:
‘[Lewis] loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise. And through the decades, he not only gave all of himself to the cause of freedom and justice, but inspired generations that followed to try to live up to his example… 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.’
Obama explains that the last time that he and Lewis participated in the same public event, they were speaking at a virtual town hall event with activists who have recently helped lead nationwide protests against police brutality. Obama writes that Lewis “could not have been prouder of their efforts — of a new generation standing up for freedom and equality, a new generation intent on voting and protecting the right to vote, a new generation running for political office.” Could anyone imagine Trump ever saying anything of the sort?
Check out Twitter’s response to Obama’s statement below:
