John Lewis, Towering Figure of Civil Rights Era, Dies at 80
Images of his beating at Selma shocked the nation and led to swift passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act; he was called the conscience of the Congress.
The New York Times
189d ago
Breaking News: John Lewis has died at 80. A towering figure in the historic struggle for racial equality, he carried a mantle of moral authority into Congress.
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“On the front lines of the bloody campaign to end Jim Crow laws...Mr. Lewis was a valiant stalwart of the civil rights movement and the last surviving speaker at the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963.”
“There will be no turning back,” Lewis said in June.
We’re on the Edmund Pettis Bridge, staring down the army of racism, as Lewis did years ago in Selma. To honor his legacy, let us never turn back. Let us keep marching in life and death like John Lewis.
“He saw those demonstrations, the largest protest movement in American history, as a continuation of his life’s work, though his illness had left him to watch from the sidelines.”
The story of John Lewis’s life and activism, told here by @kseelye, still shocks decades later. nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/… pic.twitter.com/moCQS1gMZ3
"He refused to take part in the 'Million Man March' in Washington in 1995, saying that statements made by the organizer, Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, were 'divisive and bigoted.'"
“When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something.”
RIP John Lewis, a son of sharecroppers and an apostle of nonviolence who was bloodied at Selma and across the Jim Crow South in the historic struggle for racial equality and then carried a mantle of moral authority into Congress. @kseelye
John Lewis, third from left, is seen here marching with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, on March 21, 1961.
Lewis, a towering figure of the Civil Rights movement, died on Friday at 80. Read more about his life here. nyti.ms/3eIbgv8 pic.twitter.com/phrwnttTcM
John Lewis, a son of sharecroppers and an apostle of nonviolence who was bloodied at Selma and across the Jim Crow South in the historic struggle for racial equality and who then carried a mantle of moral authority into Congress, died on Friday. He was 80.
We’ve rolled with a lot of bad news this year, but the death of John Lewis, a man this country barely deserved, is wrenching. ‘Where is our soul?’ He shouted on the House floor. We have to keep asking that question, in his honor. Travel safely, sir.
A giant. “John Lewis, a son of sharecroppers and an apostle of nonviolence who was bloodied at Selma and across the Jim Crow South in the historic struggle for racial equality & who then carried a mantle of moral authority into Congress, died on Friday.”
What an incredible life of service and what a good man. His name will surely grace bridges and buildings as well, but I can think of no tribute more fitting than to name and pass the legislation restoring the Voting Rights Act in his memory.
Two superb obituaries on the last 20th-century giant of Congress:
@kseelye meets the moment:
“an apostle of nonviolence who was bloodied at Selma and across the Jim Crow South in the historic struggle for racial equality...”
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John Lewis has died at 80. A towering figure in the historic struggle for racial equality, he carried a mantle of moral authority into Congress. Rest In Power 🙏🏾
A heartbreaking loss. Rep. John Lewis changed the course of this country, courageously working to ensure our nation lived up to its promise—and inspired the generations that followed to do the same. My thoughts are with his loved ones.
Congressman Lewis’s courage, commitment, and fierce kindness in the face of unimaginable adversity was so rare and so powerful. It was the honor of my life to testify in front of him, and may we all strive to follow his example in some small way.
“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.”
In the struggle for black equality, John Lewis truly was the bravest of the brave, whether in Selma or during the freedom rides. There might never have been a 1965 Voting Rights Act without him. His contribution was that heroic and immense.
John Lewis, Towering Figure of Civil Rights Era, Dies at 80 - In 1965 on a bridge in Selma, John Lewis gave his blood simply for black people to be able to vote-a right that is increasingly under assault today by the GOP. #BlackLivesMatter
What a towering life, devoted to justice and freedom. Rest in Power, John Lewis.
John Lewis embodied the greatest, highest idea of America.
nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/… pic.twitter.com/g8HOyvG5z2
“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”
“I have been in some kind of fight — for freedom, equality, basic human rights — for nearly my entire life. This feels and looks so different,” he said of the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
“There will be no turning back”
Sad day. John Lewis was a great American and a leader for social justice. nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/…
#BlackLivesMatter
“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.”
“When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something...To do something."
Thank you for your lifetime of leadership, @repjohnlewis.
“When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something.”
John Lewis pressed us, as a nation, to move beyond a history of racial oppression, reckon with our failings and fulfill our promise by working for justice and equity.
His voice calls each of us to march on in his footsteps. And that’s what we will do.
Rest in power, John Lewis. What a magnificent example he has given us of fiercely, peacefully, relentlessly pursuing justice. 🖤
A very good obituary in the New York Times; full and proper tribute to an exemplary life nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/… pic.twitter.com/3nV8zjCwWg
“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, RIP
“When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something,” he said on the House floor. “To do something. Our children and their children will ask us, ‘What did you do? What did you say?’ R.I.P Mr. Lewis.
John Lewis as a child baptized chickens when they were born and staged elaborate funerals when they died. He will be remembered most, rightly, for his life-long fight against white supremacy. But we can remember him too for this. nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/… #RIPJohnLewis #animals
“Representative John Lewis, a son of sharecroppers and an apostle of nonviolence who was bloodied at Selma and across the Jim Crow South in the historic struggle for racial equality and who then carried a mantle of moral authority into Congress....”
One of the twentieth century‘s greatest heroes has left us. What a legacy he left.
John Lewis outlived his original @nytimes obituary writer. nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/… pic.twitter.com/yh7w3JGBQ3
John Lewis, Towering Figure of Civil Rights Era, Dies at 80
Images of his beating at Selma shocked the nation and led to swift passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
He was later called the conscience of the Congress.
“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.”
“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.”
“On the front lines of the bloody campaign to end Jim Crow laws, with blows to his body and a fractured skull to prove it, Mr. Lewis was a stalwart of the civil rights movement and the last surviving speaker at the historic March on Washington in 1963.” 🙌🏽
“When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something”
May we all find the determination to give 80 years of ourselves to making this world a better place. Rest in power, Congressman.
Now, here's an heroic American who changed the arc of history #BlackLivesMatter
John Lewis, Towering Figure of Civil Rights Era, Dies at 80
Hopefully we all heed Rep. John Lewis' example, "...an American who knew that change could not wait for some other person or some other time." John Lewis, Towering Figure of Civil Rights Era, Dies at 80
Rest his righteous soul, a giant of my time
John Lewis, Towering Figure of Civil Rights Era, Dies at 80
I awoke this morning to the news of the death of John Lewis, and read this fine obit by @kseelye to refresh my memory of all that he had done.
What a man! What a life!
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Sad to wake up with the news of the death of John Lewis. I remember watching him speak, capturing the audience, standing firm on the moral high ground.
This is a time when the U.S., and the rest of the world, needs a John Lewis. Many John Lewises.
➡️ ow.ly/9snO30qZapF pic.twitter.com/noIMrPylCX
John Lewis, Towering Figure of Civil Rights Era, Dies at 80 via @NYTimes
You’ve fought a good fight @repjohnlewis. May you Rest In Peace 💔
Saddened to hear of the passing of John Lewis. Few have done more to shape a healthier, more just world. nyti.ms/32BhXNv v @nytimes
"Our children and their children will ask us, ‘What did you do? What did you say?’"
No one has a better answer to these questions than he did.
RIP The Honorable @repjohnlewis “Never be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble “ #goodtrouble via @nytimes
“On the front lines of the bloody campaign to end Jim Crow laws, with blows to his body and a fractured skull to prove it, Mr. Lewis was a valiant stalwart of the civil rights movement and the last surviving speaker at the historic March on Washington.”
#CCC19 #oncoalert John Lewis, Towering Figure of Civil Rights Dies nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/… @NicoleKuderer @COVID19nCCC Rep John Lewis an apostle of nonviolence bloodied at Selma & across South in struggle for racial equality-carried a mantle of moral authority into Congress.
Giant. Superhero. Patriot. We love you and will miss you @repjohnlewis. America and humanity are better b/c of him. May we forever embody his courage & [email protected] - now more than ever. #goodtrouble #BelovedCommunity
“Some leaders, even the toughest, would occasionally finesse a situation where they knew they were going to get beaten or jailed. John never did that. He always went full force into the fray.” via @NYTimes
While I am sad to hear of the passing of John Lewis, I am also so grateful for his life. He will remain an inspiration to everyone struggling toward a better future.
An inspiring life, built on unbending moral principle, propelled by “good trouble.” We are all in your debt, #JohnLewis. May you Rest In Peace.
@RoseAnnDeMoro @ozy @DanielPMalloy @nick4iezos @AaronRegunberg @DemSocialists @michelleinbklyn @Eugene_Robinson @RepMoira_Jayne @SummerForPA @Fiedler4Philly @Innamo @PhillyDSA @MRanglinVassell @RIChapterWMW @RIDemParty @thejusticeameer @ariellecohen @pghDSA @GinaRaimondo @TedNesi @paulkrugman @swingleft @PublicSeminar @CoreyRobin @craigjcalhoun @kathrynfcohen @macfound @RevDrBarber @GetOutMovie @AshleyAlese @taylorswift13 @TheRevAl @Morning_Joe @LeahRigueur @MichaelEDyson @AriMelber @JasonIsbell @JahanaHayes @Deb4CongressNM @AyannaPressley @MikieSherrill @RashidaTlaib @MrAcostruth @RachelRI @NicholsUprising @Michael_Nutter @JoyAnnReid @avitale With reverence for #JohnLewis. nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/…. With inspiration to carry forward his spirit.
RIP John Lewis: "When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something. To do something. Our children and their children will ask us, 'What did you do? What did you say?'"
“If not us, then who? If not now, then when?” #RIPJohnLewis
John Lewis, Towering Figure of Civil Rights Era, Dies at 80
John Lewis, Towering Figure of Civil Rights Era, Dies at 80
'Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.' RIP Mr. Lewis.
John Lewis, Towering Figure of Civil Rights Era, Dies at 80
Images of his beating at Selma shocked the nation and led to swift passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act; he was called the conscience of the Congress. via @NYTimes #HistSAHE
John Lewis, Towering Figure of Civil Rights Era, Dies at 80 - The New York Times
The police officers who beat John Lewis have been long forgotten. He will be remembered. John Lewis, Towering Figure of Civil Rights Era, Dies at 80