John Lewis Would Have Been A Strong Biden Supporter
By: Floyd Mori
Tags: Elections, Politics, Congress, Racism, Civil Rights

John Lewis Would Have Been A Strong Biden Supporter

Congressman John Lewis (Image is author’s)

A giant working for civil rights

One of the real heroes of the civil rights movement was Congressman John Lewis of Georgia. Unfortunately, Lewis died on July 17, 2020, of pancreatic cancer at the age of eighty. He had served as a U.S. Congressman for the state of Georgia since 1987. He was born and raised in Georgia where he had gone to segregated schools. He experienced severe racism throughout his younger years. When he was eighteen years old, he became inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his work on civil rights. After writing to Dr. King, Lewis became involved with Dr. King in the civil rights movement.

Lewis was a member of the Freedom Riders. This group of twelve people, five Black, and seven White rode buses together throughout the south to challenge the lack or enforcing a ruling by the Supreme Court that segregated public bus rides were unconstitutional. They were regularly beaten and arrested.

As a student at Fisk University, Lewis was on the front lines of the civil rights movement. He led demonstrations against racial segregation. He organized sit-ins at segregated lunch counters. He participated with Dr. King at the March on Washington where he was the youngest speaker that day.

Brutally beaten by the police in Montgomery, Alabama, along with Dr. King as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma, Mississippi, on March 7, 1965, Lewis was lucky to have lived. Lewis had his skull fractured as he was beaten severely by the police. The event became known as “Bloody Sunday.” Dr. King always advocated for peaceful, non-violent protests. The police had a different idea that day.

Lewis attended a pilgrimage every year to honor those who marched that day in 1965. He was a key figure in the 50 year anniversary commemoration of the March in Selma. I had the privilege of attending that event as part of a group of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) who went from Washington, D.C. to join in the march to show our support for the fight for civil rights. These mostly young AAPI leaders are now diligently continuing the work for civil rights and equality. It was a great privilege to know Congressman John Lewis and to join him that day.

AAPI Group at 50 Year Anniversary (Image is author’s)

During a routine medical visit, it was discovered that Lewis had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He made a statement at that time: “So I have decided to do what I know to do and do what I have always done: I am going to fight it and keep fighting for the Beloved Community. We still have many bridges to cross.” He worked hard until his death.

Congressman John Lewis was a symbol of the civil rights movement and advocated for what he liked to call “good trouble” for more than 30 years while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. He considered the peaceful protests to bring attention to police brutality against black men after the killing of George Floyd as good trouble. He was known as the “Conscience of the U.S. Congress.”

“He loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise,” President Barack Obama said in a statement. “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.”

Lewis was often a critic of Donald Trump because he did not think Trump espoused the values of human decency and anti-racist goals which he deemed important. He was openly in opposition to many of Trump’s actions. Trump bullied Lewis and expressed disdain for him.

If Lewis had lived, he would surely have been campaigning hard for President-elect Joe Biden. He knew President Obama and Joe Biden very well. He would also be trying to help get the two Democratic candidates elected to the U.S. Senate from Georgia.

John Lewis was a tireless advocate for good and fair government. He fought against racism his whole life.

[Source: Wikipedia]