Vigil Honoring John Lewis Scheduled In Alabama

MONTGOMERY, AL — The death of U.S. representative, civil rights leader and Alabama native John Lewis last week has prompted a bevy of tributes to the man who played a key role in securing voting rights for Black Americans. Those wishing to remember the legacy Lewis left behind may do so Sunday in Montgomery.

Mayor Steven L. Reed of Montgomery invites the public to join him at 1 p.m. as they line the sidewalks on Dexter Avenue to greet the arrival of Lewis’ procession along the last leg of the Selma-to-Montgomery Voting Rights Trail.

At the Capitol, Lewis will lie in state, allowing members of the public to pay homage and bid farewell from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. A vigil will be held afterward at Bicentennial Park.

Lewis, who died July 17, was born in 1940 outside Troy in Pike County. At age 23, he was front and center in the battle for civil rights in the 1960s, as he was the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington.

He is also well known for his participation in the Selma March across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965, where white law enforcement officers beat Lewis and other peaceful protesters, breaking his skull.

A petition was started by civil rights activist Michael Starr Hopkins to change the name of the Edmund Pettus Bridge to the John Lewis Bridge. Thus far, more than 500,000 people have signed the petition.

Alabama politicians and community leaders took to social media all week to pay respects to Lewis and what his life meant to the civil rights movement, including Rep. Terri Sewell, Apple CEO and Alabama native Tim Cook and Sen. Doug Jones.

"Our country has lost one of its most beloved Civil Rights leaders," Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement. "I join my fellow Alabamians & the nation in mourning the death of Rep. John Lewis. He dedicated his life to serving his community & advocating for others. We’ll forever remember his heroism and his enduring legacy."

SEE ALSO:

Rep. John Lewis Remembered As Gentle Soul Who Fought Racism

GA Democrats Name Nikema Williams To Replace John Lewis On Ballot

MA Leaders React To Death Of Civil Rights Icon John Lewis