Rep. John Lewis Remembered Through Memorials, Meaningful Actions

Mourners across America will pause this week to remember the life and work of civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, the last surviving member of the "Big Six" leaders of the 1960s civil rights movement.

Lewis died on July 17, seven months after he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He was 80 years old.

Widely regarded on Capitol Hill as the moral compass of the Democratic Party caucus, Lewis served as Georgia's 5th congressional district representative for more than 30 years. His death marks the passing of the mantle of the civil rights movement from a generation that defeated the discriminatory and segregationist policies of the Jim Crow era in America's Deep South.

One of the architects of the watershed 1963 March on Washington, Lewis was the sole surviving keynote speaker at the massive protest where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic "I Have A Dream" speech.

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.

At age 23, he was the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington.

READ: Civil Rights Titan, Georgia Congressman John Lewis Dead At Age 80

According to Lewis’ family, a series of events will start this Saturday in Lewis' home state of Alabama and will end days later with his interment in Atlanta, Lewis' adopted home and the city he helped represent in Congress.

Memorial Services

A public ceremony is planned Saturday afternoon at Troy University in Troy, Alabama, followed by a private service at Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church in Selma on Saturday night.

On Sunday, the processional will travel from Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church to the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. The processional is open for public viewing. Lewis will then lie in state at the Alabama State Capitol.

A special invitation-only ceremony will be held Monday morning in Washington, D.C. Lewis will then lie in state at the top of the East Front Steps of the U.S. Capitol for public viewing.

Services will conclude Wednesday and Thursday in Atlanta.

MORE: Rep. John Lewis To Lie In State In DC, Livestream Of Services

A military honor guard will accompany Lewis during all events, including when he crosses the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma and while he lies in state in Montgomery, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta.

Remembering A Leader

Of all the ways that Lewis influenced American life and politics, his indelible impact on young people may be among the most enduring. From student activist to elder statesman, Lewis continually encouraged the nation's youth to start “good trouble” — and modeled just how to do that.

He was arrested alongside millennial activists pushing for comprehensive reform of U.S. immigration laws in 2013. He led a sit-in in the House of Representatives over gun control following a mass shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando in 2016.

And when he was not protesting, he was helping young people understand history, as when he cosplayed as his younger self at San Diego’s Comic-Con to celebrate the release of his Selma, Alabama-themed graphic novel series in 2015.

Others who knew Lewis penned touching and heartfelt tributes in the week following his death.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said on "CBS Sunday Morning" that Lewis, who was savagely beaten on several occasions and suffered a skull fracture in the 1965 "Bloody Sunday" march over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, was "tough as nails."

While Lewis was dogged in his pursuit of civil rights, he was also "a very gentle man in many ways," Powell said. "He will always be remembered as a man who did all he could. It's all one country, all one people, and he helped pull it all together."

In 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."

READ: Rep. John Lewis Remembered As Gentle Soul Who Fought Racism

Vigil Honoring John Lewis Scheduled In Alabama

Others opted to memorialize him through big, meaningful actions.

In Springfield, Virginia, the Fairfax County School Board voted unanimously to rename Robert E. Lee High School after Lewis. The new name will go into effect for the 2020-2021 school year.

"Rep. Lewis was a champion of the Civil Rights movement, and our Board strongly believes this is an appropriate tribute to an individual who is a true American hero,” said School Board Chair Ricardy Anderson. “We will also honor his life's work by continuing to promote equity, justice, tolerance and service in the work that we do."