NAACP statement on passing of Rep. John Lewis

The NAACP mourns the passing of Congressman John Lewis, a resounding civil rights giant. He fought harder and longer than anyone in our nation’s continuing battle for civil rights and equal justice.

Often called “one of the most courageous persons the Civil Rights Movement ever produced,” John Lewis dedicated his life to protecting human rights, securing civil liberties, and building what he calls “The Beloved Community” in America. By 1963, Lewis was dubbed one of the Big Six leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. At the age of 23, he was an architect and a keynote speaker at the historic March on Washington in August 1963.

Along with Hosea Williams, John Lewis led over 600 peaceful, orderly protestors across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on March 7, 1965. They intended to march from Selma to Montgomery to demonstrate the need for voting rights in the state. Despite more than 40 arrests, physical attacks, and serious injuries, John Lewis remained a devoted advocate of nonviolent philosophy.

John Lewis went on to become a United States Congressman and has served as U.S. Representative of Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District since 1986. Lewis was a member of the influential House Budget Committee and House Ways and Means Committee, where he served on the Subcommittee on Health until his death. Congressman Lewis served as Senior Chief Deputy Democratic Whip and sat in a direct line of succession to the number two Democratic leadership position in the House. John Lewis is the recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious Martin Luther King, Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize. He received the NAACP Spingarn Medal in 2002 and the NAACP Chairman’s Award in 2020.

If we know anything about our dear friend John Lewis, he wanted us to continue the battle for full participation in a democracy that he began long ago with other civil rights icons. On November 3, we can and must honor our beloved John Lewis by casting our ballot and ensuring that our vote is counted, up and down the ballot.

John Lewis was a national treasure and a civil rights hero for the ages. We are deeply saddened by his passing but profoundly grateful for his immense contributions to justice. He used every waking moment of his 80 years to push this country toward more representative democracy and left behind a remarkable model. It is up to us to pick up his mantle and carry on, and we urge the entire nation to join us. As people of all colors are in the streets seeking racial justice, we urge all that can to speak louder and stay a little longer to honor the best warrior for democracy our nation has ever known.

The NAACP extends our sincerest condolences to the family of Congressman Lewis and sends prayers of comfort and strength now and always.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Honors the Life and Legacy of Congressman John R. Lewis

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Honors the Life and Legacy of Congressman John R. Lewis

Mayor Bottoms Orders Lowering of City Hall Flags to Half-Staff 

ATLANTA—Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued the following statement upon the passing of Atlanta’s revered Congressman John Lewis.

“There are no words to describe the tremendous loss that Americans, Atlantans, and I personally feel upon learning of the passing of Congressman John Lewis,” said Mayor Bottoms. “America knew him as a Civil Rights Icon, Congressional Giant, and a moral compass, but I knew him as a friend. The people of Atlanta often called upon Congressman Lewis for counsel, guidance, and assistance with getting into good trouble. No matter how busy his schedule, or important his Washington duties were, he answered. We were privileged to be represented by a leader with both a pure heart and an unshakable commitment to human rights. As we persevere in the modern fight for social justice, we should honor his legacy by continuing to hold on to hope. I pray for his family, his constituents, and all who loved and were impacted by the life of Congressman John Lewis.”

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff immediately on all City of Atlanta facilities until further notice in honor of the late Congressman.

The City of Atlanta’s Congressman Lewis is an American hero and one of the pillars of the Civil Rights Movement. Congressman Lewis was also revered as the dean of the Georgia Congressional delegation whose passionate call to "make good trouble" became a generational rallying cry for nonviolent activism in the pursuit of social justice and human rights.

From his early days as a student activist, an original Freedom Rider, and a founder and leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, John Lewis became a symbol of perseverance and strength even as he endured physical violence and imprisonment. The sit-ins that he organized at segregated lunch counters and peaceful protests that he led, marching across the South, including "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, Alabama, became a beckon of hope in the pursuit of equal rights.

As one of the Civil Rights Movement's "Original Six," this son of an Alabama sharecropper, at age 23, was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. During that speech, he implored government leaders to wake up to the evils of segregation, closing with words that still resonate today: "We must say, 'Wake up, America! Wake Up! For we cannot stop and we will not and cannot be patient.”

John Lewis began his political career as a member of the Atlanta City Council and was re-elected 16 times to the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 5th Congressional District, where he became known as the conscience of the U.S. Congress. The City hopes his courage, sacrifice, and leadership continue to inspire the best in us and all that America has to offer. 

Rep. James Clyburn statement on the passing of Rep. John Lewis

Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC 6th District) released the following video statement on the passing of his friend and civil rights icon John Lewis:

Rep. Maxine Waters on the passing of civil rights icon John Lewis

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, issued a statement on the death of her dear friend and civil rights icon, Congressman John Lewis (GA-5):

“Today is a sad day in American history. We have lost my dear friend and colleague of nearly three decades, Congressman John Robert Lewis.

“John Lewis was a revered civil rights icon who dedicated his entire life to what became his signature mantra, making ‘good trouble.’ Despite being one of the youngest leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, John Lewis galvanized and inspired hundreds of his peers to join in the fight for equal rights. He was a founder and leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee; he organized and led countless marches and freedom rides across the Jim Crow South; and he worked alongside Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the struggle to secure the right to vote and end the demoralizing discrimination, unconscionable violence, and debilitating poverty facing Africans Americans.

“Very few people could have been harassed, arrested more than 40 times, beaten within inches of their lives, and still espouse Dr. King and Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings of nonviolence, peace, and love. However, these principles were core philosophies to John Lewis, and our nation is forever indebted to him for his humble sacrifices.

“It was John Lewis, clad in a trench coat and a backpack, who fearlessly led 600 people to march from Selma, Alabama across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to Montgomery, Alabama in support of voting rights. At the bridge John Lewis and the marchers were confronted by local police and Alabama State Troopers and ordered to turn around. When they refused, the police shot tear gas and began beating the nonviolent protesters. John Lewis’ skull was cracked open by a state trooper’s club, and this painful episode became known as ‘Bloody Sunday.’ John Lewis’ sacrifices and bravery on the Edmund Pettus Bridge absolutely led to the passage of the Voting Rights of 1965 shortly thereafter, and I am so proud to have joined him in Selma numerous times over the course of our careers to recognize his sacrifices on that bridge and the ongoing fight to protect the right to vote for African Americans and people of color.

“John Lewis was first elected to Congress in 1986, and he served 17 terms. He distinguished himself as an effective policymaker and true progressive who was relentless in his fight on behalf of the least of these. As a result, he earned the respect of not only his colleagues on both sides of the aisle, but elected officials and leaders around the world.

“It was the honor of my life to serve alongside such a kind, courageous, and persistent leader and public servant. I considered John and his late wife, Lillian, dear friends, and my heart is heavy with the magnitude of the loss of one of our nation’s most beloved sons. My sincere prayers and deepest sympathies are with his son, John Miles Lewis, family, friends, staff, and constituents during this difficult time.”

Sen. Kamala Harris statement on the passing of Rep. John Lewis

Senator Kamala Harris (D-California) released the following statement via Twitter on the death of civil rights icon John Lewis:

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.

My friend, thank you for showing the world what #GoodTrouble looks like. pic.twitter.com/cvG8nSJCW5

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 18, 2020