China News Agency, Houston, July 30. The funeral of John Lewis, the leader of the American civil rights movement, was held in Atlanta on the 30th. At the funeral, former US Presidents Obama, Bush Jr., and Clinton called on people to follow the example of Lewis and continue to fight against racial and social injustice.
According to the Associated Press, U.S. civil rights leader and Democratic Congressman Lewis died late at night on the 17th at the age of 80. After a week of mourning, Lewis' funeral was held in the Ebenezer Church in Atlanta. Martin Luther King, the leader of the American black civil rights movement, preached here. Martin Luther King was Lewis's mentor in the civil rights movement and was assassinated in 1968.
That day, Lewis's coffin was placed in the church, covered with American flags. Obama, Bush Jr. and Clinton delivered eulogy at the funeral. Obama said that Lewis "is a gritty man who brought this country closer to our highest ideals"; Bush Jr. said Lewis "persisted in responding to hatred and fear with love and hope"; Clinton called on people to follow Lewis as an example. Continue to fight against racial and social injustice. The 95-year-old former US President Carter failed to attend the funeral. He sent a letter stating that Lewis' great contribution is a beacon to inspire future generations.
Lewis is a staunch supporter of nonviolent protest. The New York Times published an article written by Lewis before his death on the day of the funeral at the request of Lewis. The article urges people to defend their inner convictions, calls on the American people to unite for justice and equality, encourages people to follow the wind, and let the spirit of peace and eternal love be the guide. Lewis wrote, "In my life, I have tried my best to prove that peace, love and non-violence are better ways (to defend racial and social justice)."
Lewis is African-American, born in February 1940 in a peasant family in Alabama in the southern United States. In the United States’ anti-apartheid movement in the 1960s, he served as the chairman of the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee. In August 1963, he organized the march to Washington with Martin Luther King, the leader of the black civil rights movement in the United States. activity. Lewis was elected to the Democratic House of Representatives in Georgia in 1987 and was re-elected until his death. In 2011, Lewis became the first African-American to be awarded the Medal of Freedom by the President of the United States.
In December 2019, he was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer.
According to Reuters, the funeral of Ebenezer Church is not open to the public considering the seriousness of the new crown epidemic in Atlanta. On that day, more than a thousand people gathered outside the church to mourn Lewis. After the funeral, Lewis was buried in the South View Cemetery in Atlanta. Martin Luther King also sleeps here. (Finish)