⁍ As news of Rep. John Lewis’ death rocked the nation, tributes to the civil rights leader and longtime Georgia politician poured in from activists and politicians alike.
⁍ Lewis was the son of sharecroppers who survived a brutal beating by police during a landmark 1965 march in Selma, Alabama.
⁍ He ultimately became a towering figure of the civil rights movement and a longtime US congressman.
– Civil rights icon and Georgia Rep. John Lewis has died at the age of 76, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. According to CNN, he suffered a heart attack Friday morning at his home in Atlanta. Lewis had been admitted to a local hospital Thursday for respiratory issues. He had been in poor health for the past few weeks. Lewis was a prominent figure in the civil rights movement during the 1960s and went on to represent Georgia in Congress for more than 30 years. “John Lewis was an American treasure. 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,’ tweeted Martin Luther King III. Former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed tweeted: “Thank you for it all, Congressman John Lewis. You will be remembered beyond all of the tomorrows. Another one of our Great Men has left us. #RestInPeaceJohnLewis.” Civil rights activist the Rev. Jesse Jackson tweeted: “John Lewis is what patriotism and courage look like. He sacrificed and personifies a New Testament prophet.”
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/15/business/bunkers-new-zealand-intl-hnk/index.html