- Rep. John Lewis of Georgia died late Friday at the age of 80, according to multiple reports.
- Lewis was a decorated US civil rights icon. He was the last surviving speaker of the March on Washington and one of the original Freedom Riders.
- He rose to national prominence after leading more than 600 peaceful demonstrators across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama on "Bloody Sunday."
- Lewis served in the House of Representatives since 1987 and was one of the most progressive lawmakers to represent a southern district. Throughout his tenure, he developed a reputation for stirring up what he referred to as "good trouble."
- Activists, lawmakers, journalists, and other prominent figures expressed deep sadness and paid tribute to Lewis after news of his death broke.
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Rep. John Lewis of Georgia died late Friday at the age of 80, according to multiple reporters.
He was a decorated civil rights icon and served in the House of Representatives since 1987. Before entering US politics, Lewis championed desegregation and was one of the original Freedom Riders, a group of civil rights activists who rode interstate buses through the South to demonstrate against segregated bus terminals.
Lewis was also the last surviving speaker of the 1963 March on Washington. Two year later, on March 7, 1965, Lewis led over 600 peaceful protesters across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. The day later became known as "Bloody Sunday" after Alabama state troopers violently subdued the demonstrators with tear gas and batons when they reached the end of the bridge.
Throughout his tenure in Congress, Lewis became one of the most progressive lawmakers to represent a southern district and developed a reputation for stirring up what he referred to as "good trouble."
"I was inspired to get in trouble. I was inspired to get in the way," Lewis said during a commencement address to Bates College's Class of 2016. He added that Martin Luther King Jr. inspired him to "stand up, to spea up, and speak out."
"And I got in the way, I got in trouble," Lewis said. "Good trouble, necessary trouble."
"You have a moral obligation, a mission and a mandate, when you leave here, to go out and seek justice for all," he added. "You can do it. You must do it."
Lewis revealed that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in a statement in December 2019.
In the statement, he said he learned about his diagnosis during a routine medical visit that month. He added that he would continue to serve his constituents in Georgia's 5th Congressional District while undergoing treatment.
Activists, lawmakers, journalists, and other prominent figures expressed deep sadness and paid tribute to Lewis after news of his death broke on Friday.
"John Lewis was an American treasure," wrote Martin Luther King III, the oldest son of Martin Luther King, Jr. "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."
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar said Lewis was "a giant" and "a civil rights legend."
"A leader in the halls of Congress," she wrote on Twitter. "And a moral voice for the whole nation. Having the opportunity to serve with him was one of the great honors of my life."
"The news hits deep," tweeted the veteran reporter Dan Rather. "And to the core. John Lewis dead. Can it really be? He had strength, courage, and heart enough for many lifetimes. We were young once. So many memories. So much distance traveled. So much further to go. Farewell my friend. We shall overcome someday."
"A light has gone out of the world tonight," tweeted Virginia Rep. Don Beyer. "The grief of losing this great soul is beyond words. But we have been greatly blessed — our world is so much better for having had John Lewis in it."
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