Funeral services for Congressman John Lewis

Ahead of the start of Lewis’ funeral, mourners have begun to take their seats inside of Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. President Bill Clinton has arrived. 

Among those in attendance are Democratic Senators Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey, Congresswoman Val Demings of Florida and 2018 Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.

As services began to get underway, the bells at Ebenezer Baptist Church and churches around the country rang 80 times to mark Lewis’ 80 years.

In an op-ed written by Lewis shortly before his death and published by the New York Times the day of his funeral, the civil right icon delivered a final message to young Americans as the nation faces a reckoning sparked by the death of George Floyd in late May.

“Though I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe,” Lewis wrote in his op-ed. “In my life I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring.”

The late congressman wrote that in the final days of his life, he was “inspired” by the protests against racial injustice and police brutality that were spurred by Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, and said that movement is what drove him to visit Black Lives Matter Plaza in downtown Washington, D.C., even though he was admitted to the hospital the day after his visit on June 7.

“Emmett Till was my George Floyd. He was my Rayshard Brooks, Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor,” Lewis wrote, noting that “[Till] was 14 when he was killed, and I was only 15 years old at the time.”

The late congressman reflected on the lessons he learned from Martin Luther King Jr. and encouraged young Americans to exercise their right to vote, writing “the vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society.”

“When historians pick up their pens to write the tory of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war,” Lewis wrote. “So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.”

Lewis dedicated his life to fighting for civil rights and equality. He grew up in an era of racial segregation in the Deep South, attending seminary in Nashville, where he helped organize sit-ins at segregated lunch places. He was arrested during those demonstrations but continued his commitment to the movement. 

From here, inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., he continued working for civil rights as a Freedom Rider, challenging racial segregation at interstate bus terminals, a practice that had been deemed illegal by the Supreme Court, but persisted. 

In 1965, Lewis was among hundreds of activists who marched for voting rights from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery. At one point, the marchers were stopped by 150 Alabama state troopers and other officials who ordered the peaceful protesters to disperse. Barely one minute after a two-minute warning was announced, the authorities descended on the protesters with clubs, tear gas and bullwhips. Lewis suffered a skull fracture as a result. That day became known as “Bloody Sunday,” and it encouraged the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. 

Even after King’s assassination, Lewis continued to work to ensure minorities could exercise their right to vote. In Congress, he was widely respected by members on both sides of the aisle for his pivotal role in making the nation more equal. 

Lewis remained an advocate for civil rights through the end of his life, telling “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King in June he believed the nationwide protests after the death of George Floyd were a tipping point.

“This feels and looks so different. It is so much more massive and all-inclusive. To see people from all over the world taking to the streets, to the roadways, to stand up, to speak up, to speak out, to do what I call ‘getting in trouble,'” Lewis said. “And with a sense of determination and commitment and dedication, there will be no turning back. People now understand what the struggle was all about. It’s another step down the very, very long road toward freedom, justice for all humankind.”

Lewis also said he hoped the recent protests would show “we are on our way to greater change.”

“It is my hope that we are on our way to greater change. To respect the dignity and the worth of every human being, and it doesn’t matter the color or their background or whether they’re male or female, gay or straight,” Lewis said. “We have come to a point, and said ‘We are one people. We’re one family.’ We all live in the same house — not just American house, but the world house.”

Members of Congress held a memorial service for Lewis at the U.S. Capitol on Monday, after his funeral procession passed landmarks including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House and the Supreme Court.

Those who paid their respects to Lewis at the Capitol included presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, as well as Vice President Mike Pence.

“Under the dome of the U.S. Capitol, we have bid farewell to some of the greatest Americans in our history,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of the man she called the “conscience of Congress.” “It is fitting that John Lewis joins this pantheon of patriots resting upon the same catafalque as President Abraham Lincoln.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recalled Lewis speaking at the March on Washington in 1963 and the violence he endured in the fight for civil rights. 

“John Lewis lived and worked with urgency because the task was urgent,” McConnell said.