Rep. John Lewis, the conscience of the U.S. Congress, has passed.
July 18, 2020 7:04 AM Subscribe
John Lewis, a civil rights icon who went on to a career of more than three decades in Congress as a Democrat representing Atlanta, died Friday night. He was 80 years old and was in treatment for pancreatic cancer. (Roll Call) Americans from across the political spectrum and all walks of life honored Lewis, who died late Friday night at the age of 80. Lewis carved his place in history with a lengthy career advocating for civil rights, from being beaten to within an inch of his life on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., on “Bloody Sunday” to serving 17 terms representing an Atlanta-area district in Congress. (The Hill)
The Long View: John Lewis, congressman and civil-rights legend, will never lose hope (NY Mag)
The Long View: John Lewis, congressman and civil-rights legend, will never lose hope (NY Mag)
Neither the ups nor the downs much swayed his sense of optimism. Even its most recent test — the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and the protests, rioting, and often violent police crackdown that followed — engendered in Lewis abundant cause for hope. Just over a month before his death, Lewis spoke to New York about why he’d stayed the course for so long, even as timeworn political strategies seemed inadequate to fixing urgent social problems, and he openly feared waking up one day to find that American democracy had disappeared. This instinct to be vigilant, but stubbornly hopeful, was, for many, among his most inspiring traits. He remains in death an example of what can be won if one is willing to make, in his words, “good trouble.”Why John Lewis Kept Telling the Story of Civil Rights, Even Though It Hurt (Time Magazine)
You have to pull up on the best in the human spirit. You just say “I’m not going to be down.” You have what I call an executive session with yourself. You could say, “Listen self, listen John Lewis, you’re just not going to get lost in a sea of despair. You’re not going to be down. You’re going to get up.”Obama on his 'hero' Rep. John Lewis: 'I was only there because of the sacrifices he made' (NBC News)
Rep. John Lewis "loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise," former President Barack Obama said Friday night in paying tribute to one of his personal heroes.John Lewis left footprints across metro Atlanta (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
"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," Obama said in a statement.
Civil rights icon John Lewis first moved to Atlanta in 1963 when he assumed the chairmanship of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. By then, the Alabama native was already nationally famous for his civil rights activities in Nashville, during which time he worked with the Nashville Student Movement and became a Freedom Rider.
But it would be in Atlanta that Lewis would leave his largest footprints – as a private citizen, a local politician, a representative in Congress, and above all, a rabble-rouser.
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posted by cooker girl at 7:09 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by cooker girl at 7:09 AM on July 18, 2020
The Rev. C. T. Vivian, who was also there that day in Selma and who was considered Dr. King's first lieutenant, also died yesterday in Atlanta at the age of 95. Our city is mourning. Our city is dying of COVID in overflowing hospitals. Our city is still in the streets every day fighting for what Rep. Lewis and Rev. Vivian fought for. Good Trouble.
posted by hydropsyche at 7:12 AM on July 18, 2020 [39 favorites]
posted by hydropsyche at 7:12 AM on July 18, 2020 [39 favorites]
I was lucky enough to meet him a couple of times when I was in grad school, and I just sort of fangirled speechlessly; I think he might be the bravest man who ever lived.
I don't usually cry at famous people deaths even when they're a gut punch, but I sobbed for over an hour last night. I've just admired him so much for so long and the loss feels unfathomable. No one has done more for this country, over a longer period of time.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:12 AM on July 18, 2020 [26 favorites]
I don't usually cry at famous people deaths even when they're a gut punch, but I sobbed for over an hour last night. I've just admired him so much for so long and the loss feels unfathomable. No one has done more for this country, over a longer period of time.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:12 AM on July 18, 2020 [26 favorites]
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posted by Mouse Army at 7:23 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by Mouse Army at 7:23 AM on July 18, 2020
The Bridge, the Statues, yes, re-name them, erect them; but a true monument to Lewis would be a new federal Voting Rights Act.
posted by eustatic at 7:23 AM on July 18, 2020 [63 favorites]
posted by eustatic at 7:23 AM on July 18, 2020 [63 favorites]
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Pulling out my copy of March - which I highly recommend. Rest in power.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 7:27 AM on July 18, 2020 [6 favorites]
Pulling out my copy of March - which I highly recommend. Rest in power.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 7:27 AM on July 18, 2020 [6 favorites]
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We will have to finish the work for him.
posted by infini at 7:27 AM on July 18, 2020 [6 favorites]
We will have to finish the work for him.
posted by infini at 7:27 AM on July 18, 2020 [6 favorites]
I haven’t cried in a long time. I cried this morning.
Rest in power, sir.
posted by bookmammal at 7:29 AM on July 18, 2020
Rest in power, sir.
posted by bookmammal at 7:29 AM on July 18, 2020
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posted by GenjiandProust at 7:30 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:30 AM on July 18, 2020
Mr. Lewis has been my representative for 8 years, and I’m so proud to vote for him every time. It’s the only time I’ve been proud of my own elected official.
posted by a hat out of hell at 7:33 AM on July 18, 2020 [15 favorites]
posted by a hat out of hell at 7:33 AM on July 18, 2020 [15 favorites]
“Speech at The March on Washington” (28 August 1963)
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posted by dudemanlives at 7:37 AM on July 18, 2020 [26 favorites]
To those who have said, “Be patient and wait,” we have long said that we cannot be patient. We do not want our freedom gradually, but we want to be free now! We are tired. We are tired of being beaten by policemen. We are tired of seeing our people locked up in jail over and over again. And then you holler, “Be patient.” How long can we be patient? We want our freedom and we want it now. We do not want to go to jail. But we will go to jail if this is the price we must pay for love, brotherhood, and true peace.57 years later and those words are still relevant. He was in it for the long haul, and we should be too.
I appeal to all of you to get into this great revolution that is sweeping this nation. Get in and stay in the streets of every city, every village and hamlet of this nation until true freedom comes, until the revolution of 1776 is complete. We must get in this revolution and complete the revolution. For in the Delta in Mississippi, in southwest Georgia, in the Black Belt of Alabama, in Harlem, in Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, and all over this nation, the black masses are on the march for jobs and freedom.
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posted by dudemanlives at 7:37 AM on July 18, 2020 [26 favorites]
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Him dying during Trump's presidency and the BLM national uprising really puts Lewis's life in perspective; he did so much but we have so much more to do and the struggle never ends.
posted by octothorpe at 7:39 AM on July 18, 2020 [14 favorites]
Him dying during Trump's presidency and the BLM national uprising really puts Lewis's life in perspective; he did so much but we have so much more to do and the struggle never ends.
posted by octothorpe at 7:39 AM on July 18, 2020 [14 favorites]
I too don’t usually get too emotional in regards to well-known people’s deaths. But this man was an extraordinary human being who worked and suffered for others. He will be missed. My deepest sympathies for those who were privileged to know him. Rest well, sir.
posted by terrapin at 7:41 AM on July 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by terrapin at 7:41 AM on July 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
I knew this was coming, and I'm still fucking furious. I'm furious that we aren't closer to achieving the things he spent his whole life fighting for, and that so many of his victories are in peril. I'm furious that he's dead and worse people are still alive. It's dumb, but there you go.
So anyway, I'm going to channel that anger into finding some voting rights organizations to donate to and signing up for some volunteer shifts to make calls for Democratic candidates.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:42 AM on July 18, 2020 [10 favorites]
So anyway, I'm going to channel that anger into finding some voting rights organizations to donate to and signing up for some volunteer shifts to make calls for Democratic candidates.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:42 AM on July 18, 2020 [10 favorites]
We've lost an American giant. (Also, I love that he cowrote a graphic novel about the Selma march, he went to a Comicon and cosplayed his younger self)
For voting rights groups, the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund (LDF) does a lot of work on that and have (unfortunately) been doing it for a long time. I donate to them and encourage others to do so.
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posted by rmd1023 at 7:46 AM on July 18, 2020 [12 favorites]
For voting rights groups, the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund (LDF) does a lot of work on that and have (unfortunately) been doing it for a long time. I donate to them and encourage others to do so.
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posted by rmd1023 at 7:46 AM on July 18, 2020 [12 favorites]
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posted by nightrecordings at 7:59 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by nightrecordings at 7:59 AM on July 18, 2020
John Lewis: Photos From a Life Spent Getting Into Good Trouble (Alan Taylor, Atlantic)
posted by katra at 8:10 AM on July 18, 2020 [7 favorites]
During a commencement address in 2016, Lewis told Bates College graduates how he had been inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. to “get into trouble, good trouble,” and advised them that “you must find a way to get in the way and get in 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. You can do it. You must do it.”.
posted by katra at 8:10 AM on July 18, 2020 [7 favorites]
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I'm going to add my voice to the others recommending March, it is well worth a read.
posted by Darken Skye at 8:10 AM on July 18, 2020
I'm going to add my voice to the others recommending March, it is well worth a read.
posted by Darken Skye at 8:10 AM on July 18, 2020
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posted by cybrcamper at 8:13 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by cybrcamper at 8:13 AM on July 18, 2020
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posted by Faint of Butt at 8:38 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by Faint of Butt at 8:38 AM on July 18, 2020
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posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 8:43 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 8:43 AM on July 18, 2020
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This is a very fine post in his honor and great comments, too.
May he never be forgotten.
posted by mumimor at 8:43 AM on July 18, 2020
This is a very fine post in his honor and great comments, too.
May he never be forgotten.
posted by mumimor at 8:43 AM on July 18, 2020
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Rest in Power, Congressman. And may we all be inspired to make #goodtrouble
posted by pointystick at 8:45 AM on July 18, 2020
Rest in Power, Congressman. And may we all be inspired to make #goodtrouble
posted by pointystick at 8:45 AM on July 18, 2020
He did more good for the world by his early 20s than most of us will do in our whole lives.
Start some Good Trouble.
posted by benzenedream at 8:48 AM on July 18, 2020 [4 favorites]
Start some Good Trouble.
posted by benzenedream at 8:48 AM on July 18, 2020 [4 favorites]
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posted by ChuraChura at 8:49 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by ChuraChura at 8:49 AM on July 18, 2020
I know a decent amount of people who live and work in his district. Lewis would go to local theatre fundraisers or talk with his constituents about legislation. In addition to being a giant of civil rights, he was also a representative who was incredibly engaged with his community.
I've lived in many congressional districts over the past 20 years and I haven't seen anything like the memories I'm seeing this morning from those who lived and worked in John Lewis' district.
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posted by JustKeepSwimming at 9:03 AM on July 18, 2020 [10 favorites]
I've lived in many congressional districts over the past 20 years and I haven't seen anything like the memories I'm seeing this morning from those who lived and worked in John Lewis' district.
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posted by JustKeepSwimming at 9:03 AM on July 18, 2020 [10 favorites]
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posted by lalochezia at 9:11 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by lalochezia at 9:11 AM on July 18, 2020
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posted by Token Meme at 9:15 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by Token Meme at 9:15 AM on July 18, 2020
"Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble." - John Lewis, June 27, 2018.
Rest in Power, sir.
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posted by Frayed Knot at 9:16 AM on July 18, 2020 [9 favorites]
Rest in Power, sir.
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posted by Frayed Knot at 9:16 AM on July 18, 2020 [9 favorites]
Arizona US Rep Ruben Gallego on Twitter: “ There will be no offficial quote coming from me or my office right now about the passing about John Lewis. This just hurts too much.” Pretty much captures what a lot of us were feeling when we got the news.
posted by azpenguin at 9:20 AM on July 18, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by azpenguin at 9:20 AM on July 18, 2020 [5 favorites]
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posted by pyramid termite at 9:22 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by pyramid termite at 9:22 AM on July 18, 2020
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posted by Lawn Beaver at 9:28 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by Lawn Beaver at 9:28 AM on July 18, 2020
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posted by Halloween Jack at 9:36 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:36 AM on July 18, 2020
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posted by The Vice Admiral of the Narrow Seas at 9:38 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by The Vice Admiral of the Narrow Seas at 9:38 AM on July 18, 2020
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posted by Margalo Epps at 9:43 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by Margalo Epps at 9:43 AM on July 18, 2020
John Lewis is one of the best examples of bravery and true patriotism that America will ever have.
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posted by jabo at 9:44 AM on July 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by jabo at 9:44 AM on July 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
I did not fully appreciate the danger Representative Lewis and Reverend Vivian and others put themselves through until I watched Eyes on the Prize. It should be mandatory viewing for everyone. Every day they put themselves at risk in real and profound ways--every day they faced death--and all by choice, they were propelled by nothing but their convictions and moral courage. They could have stopped, they were tired, but they did the hardest thing and kept going. They were able to push through. They were incredible. They are a reminder of what is possible when we gather the fortitude and courage to take ourselves to our limits. From Rep. Lewis:
You must be able and prepared to give until you cannot give any more. We must use our time and our space on this little planet that we call Earth to make a lasting contribution, to leave it a little better than we found it, and now that need is greater than ever before.posted by Anonymous at 9:48 AM on July 18, 2020
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posted by sleeping bear at 10:07 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by sleeping bear at 10:07 AM on July 18, 2020
From the "not all superheroes wear capes" files [twitter]
"My favorite thing about John Lewis is that at ComicCon, he cosplayed as his younger self, wearing the same coat and backpack he wore at the March on Selma and led kids in a little march around the convention."
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posted by mark k at 10:12 AM on July 18, 2020 [12 favorites]
"My favorite thing about John Lewis is that at ComicCon, he cosplayed as his younger self, wearing the same coat and backpack he wore at the March on Selma and led kids in a little march around the convention."
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posted by mark k at 10:12 AM on July 18, 2020 [12 favorites]
Really didn't need this as part of 2020, but here we are. Such a presence being gone will leave a giant hole. I'm a bit numb from everything, but this has my heart weeping.
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posted by hippybear at 10:13 AM on July 18, 2020 [3 favorites]
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posted by hippybear at 10:13 AM on July 18, 2020 [3 favorites]
I really wish John Lewis had lived to see the end of the Trump presidency. Rest in power, kind and noble sir.
posted by carmicha at 10:16 AM on July 18, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by carmicha at 10:16 AM on July 18, 2020 [5 favorites]
This is not the news I wanted to wake up to this morning, but I hope we can all do right by his legacy in the coming months and years.
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posted by May Kasahara at 10:21 AM on July 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by May Kasahara at 10:21 AM on July 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
Lay your burden down and dance with the angels, sir. RIP.
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posted by Silverstone at 10:24 AM on July 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by Silverstone at 10:24 AM on July 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:27 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:27 AM on July 18, 2020
The vote I cast for him when I lived in Atlanta is the proudest vote I've ever cast. This one hurts.
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posted by biogeo at 10:56 AM on July 18, 2020 [3 favorites]
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posted by biogeo at 10:56 AM on July 18, 2020 [3 favorites]
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posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:56 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:56 AM on July 18, 2020
Rest in power, sir. You've inspired generations to go out and get into some of that Good Trouble.
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posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 10:58 AM on July 18, 2020
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posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 10:58 AM on July 18, 2020
As others have already said, I wish John Lewis could have lived through the end of 2020 to see the defeat of the current white supremacist president. After all he went through to fight racism, it is obscene that the last president he served under was such a racist pig.
The world is poorer today, having lost an irreplaceable treasure of a man, who gave us more than he was ever given. Go in peace, Congressman Lewis.
posted by orange swan at 11:05 AM on July 18, 2020 [10 favorites]
The world is poorer today, having lost an irreplaceable treasure of a man, who gave us more than he was ever given. Go in peace, Congressman Lewis.
posted by orange swan at 11:05 AM on July 18, 2020 [10 favorites]
"Be hopeful. Be optimistic" - another quote against the sea of despair, from Heather Cox's Letters from an American:
We can all do something to move the world toward that hope.
PBS is once again streaming the documentary Get in the Way (previously).
I'm glad so much of his life is preserved for us, things we can return to again and again to draw strength and inspiration to keep working toward a better world. We have his words, we have his books, we have the legacy of all his hard work in Congress (like his speech on the floor of the House in favor of marriage equality in 1996).
He showed me how to live a life of love and non-violence while never ceasing to work for justice and equality.
I will always be grateful for him.
posted by kristi at 11:16 AM on July 18, 2020 [9 favorites]
In June, reporter Jonathan Capehart asked Representative Lewis “what he would say to people who feel as though they have already been giving it their all but nothing seems to change.” Lewis answered: “You must be able and prepared to give until you cannot give any more. We must use our time and our space on this little planet that we call Earth to make a lasting contribution, to leave it a little better than we found it, and now that need is greater than ever before.”He said it again and again.
“Do not get lost in a sea of despair,” Lewis tweeted almost exactly a year before his death. “Do not become bitter or hostile. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble. We will find a way to make a way out of no way.”
We can all do something to move the world toward that hope.
PBS is once again streaming the documentary Get in the Way (previously).
I'm glad so much of his life is preserved for us, things we can return to again and again to draw strength and inspiration to keep working toward a better world. We have his words, we have his books, we have the legacy of all his hard work in Congress (like his speech on the floor of the House in favor of marriage equality in 1996).
He showed me how to live a life of love and non-violence while never ceasing to work for justice and equality.
I will always be grateful for him.
posted by kristi at 11:16 AM on July 18, 2020 [9 favorites]
He was my Congressman. Between losing him and CT Vivian yesterday, our idiotic governor suing our Mayor and out of control Covid numbers, it’s been a rough few days in Atlanta. Rest in Power, Sir.
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posted by pearlybob at 11:19 AM on July 18, 2020 [5 favorites]
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posted by pearlybob at 11:19 AM on July 18, 2020 [5 favorites]
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posted by mstokes650 at 11:50 AM on July 18, 2020
posted by mstokes650 at 11:50 AM on July 18, 2020
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posted by crepesofwrath at 12:10 PM on July 18, 2020
posted by crepesofwrath at 12:10 PM on July 18, 2020
Ms matter and I found ourselves near the front of the Atlanta March for Our Lives in 2018. It took a while to get the crowd moving - the organizers were very careful. John Lewis and some Parkland shooting survivors were holding a banner right at the front. We got going, and marched for just a minute or two when the fluorescent-vested logistics volunteers called out to stop. To find out why, I worked my way to the very front, among the photographers walking backwards ahead of the marchers.
"Why'd we stop?"
Pointed at John Lewis, who was looking at a young man crouching to his left. "That kid's shoe is untied. He wanted to make sure that he marched safely."
He embodied caring, in ways large and small. Bless him, bless us, and let us all continue the work he showed us how to do.
posted by conscious matter at 12:12 PM on July 18, 2020 [17 favorites]
"Why'd we stop?"
Pointed at John Lewis, who was looking at a young man crouching to his left. "That kid's shoe is untied. He wanted to make sure that he marched safely."
He embodied caring, in ways large and small. Bless him, bless us, and let us all continue the work he showed us how to do.
posted by conscious matter at 12:12 PM on July 18, 2020 [17 favorites]
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posted by Sparky Buttons at 12:26 PM on July 18, 2020
posted by Sparky Buttons at 12:26 PM on July 18, 2020
"Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant. Lean toward the whispers of your own heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates... Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won. Choose confrontation wisely, but when it is your time don't be afraid to stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice. And if you follow your truth down the road to peace and the affirmation of love, if you shine like a beacon for all to see, then the poetry of all the great dreamers and philosophers is yours to manifest in a nation, a world community, and a beloved community that is finally at peace with itself."
posted by robbyrobs at 2:00 PM on July 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by robbyrobs at 2:00 PM on July 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by bunnysquirrel at 2:02 PM on July 18, 2020
posted by bunnysquirrel at 2:02 PM on July 18, 2020
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posted by They sucked his brains out! at 2:10 PM on July 18, 2020
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 2:10 PM on July 18, 2020
A civil rights giant passes the baton - Michele L. Norris, Washington Post
He took the billy club they beat him with at Selma and turned it into a baton, a relay man running toward that promise in our founding documents that says all men are created equal when the word “all” really meant some and not others.posted by ZeusHumms at 2:29 PM on July 18, 2020 [10 favorites]
[...] a relay man always relies on someone else to finish the work. That billy club that became a baton is now in our hands. The work is now ours to do. The race is ours to win.
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posted by dannyboybell at 3:01 PM on July 18, 2020
posted by dannyboybell at 3:01 PM on July 18, 2020
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posted by double bubble at 3:03 PM on July 18, 2020
posted by double bubble at 3:03 PM on July 18, 2020
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posted by Joe in Australia at 3:20 PM on July 18, 2020
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:20 PM on July 18, 2020
Just grateful that John Lewis lived long enough to see Obama elected, witness recent awakenings to racial injustices, and watch the removal of so many despicable monuments to they Confederacy. So much more to be done.
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posted by haiku warrior at 3:53 PM on July 18, 2020 [4 favorites]
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posted by haiku warrior at 3:53 PM on July 18, 2020 [4 favorites]
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posted by Johnny Wallflower at 5:06 PM on July 18, 2020
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 5:06 PM on July 18, 2020
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posted by Mister Bijou at 5:25 PM on July 18, 2020
posted by Mister Bijou at 5:25 PM on July 18, 2020
Here’s a twitter thread by student activism historian Angus Johnson about John Lewis’ speech at the 1963 March on Washington, and how he had to change it at the last minute. I found it affecting to read, because it gave me a window on the messy humanness of a major historic event.
It’s easy to forget that people like John Lewis, and few were like him, had regular day-to-day lives, and that even when they were in the middle of making history, they had to negotiate the waters of human flux and hardness to achieve truly transcendent things.
I’m used to thinking of John Lewis as a person who made history, bent the moral arc of the universe towards justice. Getting a glimpse of the process he participated in, how it was such a fragile machine made of egos and feelings, and yet achieved so much, is a reminder that it is human beings who make history.
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posted by Kattullus at 5:54 PM on July 18, 2020 [7 favorites]
It’s easy to forget that people like John Lewis, and few were like him, had regular day-to-day lives, and that even when they were in the middle of making history, they had to negotiate the waters of human flux and hardness to achieve truly transcendent things.
I’m used to thinking of John Lewis as a person who made history, bent the moral arc of the universe towards justice. Getting a glimpse of the process he participated in, how it was such a fragile machine made of egos and feelings, and yet achieved so much, is a reminder that it is human beings who make history.
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posted by Kattullus at 5:54 PM on July 18, 2020 [7 favorites]
Rest in power, sir.
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 6:52 PM on July 18, 2020
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 6:52 PM on July 18, 2020
In Rubio's defense, he might not have realised they were different people.
posted by Joe in Australia at 8:04 PM on July 18, 2020
@Rob_Flaherty
Marco Rubio is honoring John Lewis by making his profile picture a photo of him with Elijah Cummings
posted by Joe in Australia at 8:04 PM on July 18, 2020
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posted by limeonaire at 8:14 PM on July 18, 2020
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posted by longdaysjourney at 8:19 PM on July 18, 2020
posted by longdaysjourney at 8:19 PM on July 18, 2020
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posted by Belle O'Cosity at 8:33 PM on July 18, 2020
posted by Belle O'Cosity at 8:33 PM on July 18, 2020
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posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 8:42 PM on July 18, 2020
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 8:42 PM on July 18, 2020
Zeushumms, thank you for posting that absolutely beautiful piece of writing. I needed that.
posted by FallibleHuman at 10:14 PM on July 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by FallibleHuman at 10:14 PM on July 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
Glad that he got to see Obama... sad that he got to see Trump too, at least without the hopefully tossing out of the trash.
posted by drewbage1847 at 11:36 PM on July 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by drewbage1847 at 11:36 PM on July 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by Chrysopoeia at 1:12 AM on July 19, 2020
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posted by RandomInconsistencies at 6:37 AM on July 19, 2020
posted by RandomInconsistencies at 6:37 AM on July 19, 2020
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posted by djinn dandy at 1:08 PM on July 19, 2020
posted by djinn dandy at 1:08 PM on July 19, 2020
He came to Vermont this past October because we all read March as our One Book last year. As someone on the board of the Vermont Humanities Council (the group who brought him in) I watched the complicated negotiations to get him to be here, the last minute "will he or won't he?" concerns (he had health problems but also was a working Congressman) and making sure he could be happy and comfortable. We had a (free) ticketed show in the evening at one of the larger non-sports venues in the state, and, at his request (I think?) we added a show earlier in the day so that he could speak to students, a more intimate program though in the same large space.
Vermont is a very white state, though Burlington has a fairly diverse population relative to the rest of it. And still we saw so many families coming in who weren't the usual leftie "public speaker" audiences. So many families with kids just losing it because he was a huge big deal and was here in their small state, a small state that doesn't get a lot of huge big deal people, especially ones who look like them and are speaking for free and are Huge Damned Heroes.
It was such a graceful thing he did. It was the first really big program for our new VHC director. He did his intro with a land acknowledgment to the Abenaki Nation, who never ceded their land to Vermont (getting some ire from the old timer members of the board to which I say "Bring it!"). Just an incredibly special time and a reminder that he brought his whole history with him into every present day moment, made it relevant, made it important. A kid asked him what the modern day Pettus Bridge is and he said "The White House" You can see the whole evening program here. Rest in power John Lewis, it was bullshit that you couldn't get a library card.
posted by jessamyn at 3:44 PM on July 19, 2020 [19 favorites]
Vermont is a very white state, though Burlington has a fairly diverse population relative to the rest of it. And still we saw so many families coming in who weren't the usual leftie "public speaker" audiences. So many families with kids just losing it because he was a huge big deal and was here in their small state, a small state that doesn't get a lot of huge big deal people, especially ones who look like them and are speaking for free and are Huge Damned Heroes.
It was such a graceful thing he did. It was the first really big program for our new VHC director. He did his intro with a land acknowledgment to the Abenaki Nation, who never ceded their land to Vermont (getting some ire from the old timer members of the board to which I say "Bring it!"). Just an incredibly special time and a reminder that he brought his whole history with him into every present day moment, made it relevant, made it important. A kid asked him what the modern day Pettus Bridge is and he said "The White House" You can see the whole evening program here. Rest in power John Lewis, it was bullshit that you couldn't get a library card.
posted by jessamyn at 3:44 PM on July 19, 2020 [19 favorites]
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posted by The Great Big Mulp at 4:39 PM on July 19, 2020
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 4:39 PM on July 19, 2020
He was a giant. and thank you filthy light thief, for a well-crafted tribute.
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posted by theora55 at 4:56 PM on July 19, 2020
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posted by theora55 at 4:56 PM on July 19, 2020
Marco Rubio is honoring John Lewis by making his profile picture a photo of him with Elijah CummingsJunior senator, super genius, and all-around credit to the great state of Alaska Dan Sullivan managed to do the same thing.
posted by Nerd of the North at 7:51 PM on July 19, 2020 [3 favorites]
John Lewis Was an American Founder - "Without activists like Lewis and C. T. Vivian, America would remain a white republic, not a nation for all its citizens." (viz. cf. "America needs a third founding.")
posted by kliuless at 9:33 PM on July 19, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by kliuless at 9:33 PM on July 19, 2020 [2 favorites]
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posted by wicked_sassy at 8:43 AM on July 20, 2020
posted by wicked_sassy at 8:43 AM on July 20, 2020
I didn't find out about this until this morning and the tears are flowing.
Rest your beautiful soul, Honorable John Lewis, rest your beautiful soul. Once again walking with the wind.
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posted by BigHeartedGuy at 9:04 AM on July 20, 2020
Rest your beautiful soul, Honorable John Lewis, rest your beautiful soul. Once again walking with the wind.
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posted by BigHeartedGuy at 9:04 AM on July 20, 2020
According to the Washington Post [Georgia Democrats choose Nikema Williams to replace the late John Lewis on the November ballot], on Monday, the Democratic Party’s executive committee voted for Nikema Williams, a state senator and the chairwoman of the state party, to replace Lewis. Per state law, the Georgia Democrats were required to pick a replacement candidate on the first business day after Lewis’ death. In remarks given to the committee after being nominated, Williams said that she was still grieving the loss of Lewis, calling him “a personal hero, friend and mentor.”
“Nobody could possibly fill the shoes of Congressman Lewis,” Williams said while highlighting her resume of fighting injustice, much like Congressman Lewis. “It would be the honor of my life to serve as the voice of the 5th Congressional District,” she added. (TheRoot.com, July 20, 2020)
From the WaPo link: Early Monday afternoon, the U.S. House honored Lewis with a moment of silence and a bereavement resolution. A visibly emotional Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) presided over the chamber. Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (D-Ga.), dean of the Georgia delegation, called Lewis “our hero, our colleague, our brother, our friend.”
"Even at 80, John Robert Lewis had the heart and fiery soul of a young protester for a righteous cause, an organizer for the community and country he served,” [Majority Leader Steny] Hoyer said. “Every day of his life, John marched for justice, civil rights, peace and equality. On every step on his journey, he brought all of us and this country he loved with him.” [...] Pelosi said Monday that “the appropriate way to honor John Lewis is for the Senate to take up the Voting Rights Act and name it for John Lewis.”
Dems eye voting rights package to honor John Lewis (Politico, July 20, 2020) The effort would renew and expand the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and could reach the floor before the August recess. "It should be the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2020. That's the way to do it. Words may be powerful, but deeds are lasting." -- House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, to Jake Tapper on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday.
posted by Iris Gambol at 7:05 PM on July 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
“Nobody could possibly fill the shoes of Congressman Lewis,” Williams said while highlighting her resume of fighting injustice, much like Congressman Lewis. “It would be the honor of my life to serve as the voice of the 5th Congressional District,” she added. (TheRoot.com, July 20, 2020)
From the WaPo link: Early Monday afternoon, the U.S. House honored Lewis with a moment of silence and a bereavement resolution. A visibly emotional Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) presided over the chamber. Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (D-Ga.), dean of the Georgia delegation, called Lewis “our hero, our colleague, our brother, our friend.”
"Even at 80, John Robert Lewis had the heart and fiery soul of a young protester for a righteous cause, an organizer for the community and country he served,” [Majority Leader Steny] Hoyer said. “Every day of his life, John marched for justice, civil rights, peace and equality. On every step on his journey, he brought all of us and this country he loved with him.” [...] Pelosi said Monday that “the appropriate way to honor John Lewis is for the Senate to take up the Voting Rights Act and name it for John Lewis.”
Dems eye voting rights package to honor John Lewis (Politico, July 20, 2020) The effort would renew and expand the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and could reach the floor before the August recess. "It should be the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2020. That's the way to do it. Words may be powerful, but deeds are lasting." -- House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, to Jake Tapper on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday.
posted by Iris Gambol at 7:05 PM on July 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
Robert E. Lee High School in Virginia to be renamed after John Lewis (The Hill, July 23, 2020)
he Fairfax County,Va., School Board in an unanimous vote on Thursday afternoon decided to give Robert E. Lee High School a new namesake: late Congressman John Lewis (D-Ga.), who died at the age of 80 last Friday.posted by filthy light thief at 7:27 PM on July 24, 2020 [3 favorites]
The school board initially agreed on renaming the high school in June and then held a virtual hearing on Wednesday night to hear from the community, including students and alumni.
“The Board heard from students, teachers and staff members, families, and the community about the old name,” chair of the board Ricardy Anderson said. “It was important for us to be mindful of these comments and to select a name that reflected the diversity and multiculturalism that currently exists at the school and in our community."
Anderson also lauded Lewis as "a champion of the Civil Rights movement," and a "true American hero."
The school's current namesake, Robert E. Lee, was a general of the Confederacy during the Civil War.
"The name Robert E. Lee is forever connected to the Confederacy, and Confederate values are ones that do not align with our community,” board member Tamara Derenak Kaufax, who originally proposed the name change, said.
“Our schools must be places where all students, staff, and members of the community feel safe and supported. I believe that John Lewis’ extraordinary life and advocacy for racial justice will serve as an inspiration to our students and community for generations to come.”
Incredible image: John Lewis crossing the bridge in Selma, where he nearly died marching for voting rights 55 years ago, one last time
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:27 AM on July 26, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:27 AM on July 26, 2020 [3 favorites]
After we flipped our district, the first thing my wife asked of our new Congressman Josh Harder was that he get John Lewis to sign her copy of March. When he brought it back signed, he thanked my wife, because he was so excited to ask Lewis for the favor. She says Josh was almost giddy.
posted by ogooglebar at 12:16 PM on July 27, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by ogooglebar at 12:16 PM on July 27, 2020 [4 favorites]
Listening to live streaming coverage of John Lewis' funeral on NPR (coverage and feeds).
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:10 AM on July 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:10 AM on July 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
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posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 2:17 PM on July 31, 2020
posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 2:17 PM on July 31, 2020
Read Barack Obama’s Eulogy for John Lewis (Atlantic, Jul. 30, 2020)
posted by katra at 9:08 PM on August 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
And yet, as exceptional as John was, here’s the thing: John never believed that what he did was more than any citizen of this country can do. I mentioned in the statement the day John passed, the thing about John was how gentle and humble he was. And despite this storied, remarkable career, he treated everyone with kindness and respect because it was innate to him, this idea that any of us can do what he did—if we’re willing to persevere. He believed that in all of us there exists the capacity for great courage. That in all of us, there’s a longing to do what’s right. That in all of us there’s a willingness to love all people, and extend to them their God-given rights. So many of us lose that sense. It’s taught out of us. We start feeling as if, in fact, we can’t afford to extend kindness or decency to other people. That we’re better off if we’re above other people and looking down on them, and so often that’s encouraged in our culture. But John always said he always saw the best in us, and he never gave up and never stopped speaking out because he saw the best in us. He believed in us even when we didn’t believe in ourselves.Obama delivers eulogy for John Lewis, makes impassioned call for voting rights (CBS News YouTube)
posted by katra at 9:08 PM on August 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by merriment at 7:07 AM on July 18, 2020 [3 favorites]