Memorializing the Honorable John Lewis

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, in our lives there are people and places we remember. I will always remember John Lewis.

There are some people that you feel especially honored to have met. You feel like you are one of the lucky ones who had the opportunity to hear their stories, to learn their convictions, and to feel their triumphs. I believe just about anyone who had the opportunity to meet John Lewis would agree that he is one of those people.

He was born the son of sharecroppers. He grew up on his family farm, and he attended segregated public schools in Alabama. He told the story often, and I remember him telling us this story, about how he used to preach to the chickens.

He went on from that humble beginning to be called one of the most courageous persons the civil rights movement ever produced, a title he rightfully deserved.

John Lewis dedicated his entire life to securing equality and justice for all people, while remaining a devoted advocate for nonviolence. It must have been an incredible blessing for him to see how his fight changed our Nation and the entire world with his own eyes.

For me, it was a blessing to know him. His office was over in the Cannon Building for many years, and my office was in the Cannon Building. And oftentimes, as we were walking over here, I would get to walk with him. I hung on every moment, on every word, just to have the opportunity to spend time with someone like John Lewis. I will always be grateful for those walks.

Many of my colleagues in the Georgia Delegation have mentioned the time that he invited us to dinner at his home here in Washington. What great stories he told that night; truly, one of the greatest experiences I have had while I have been up here in Washington, D.C.

John Lewis was a giant among men. He will be deeply missed, but his legacy will live on forever.

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