Remembering John Lewis, 'A True American Hero' Whose Mark In History Also Changed Lives In Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Tonight, we are remembering the legendary Rep. John Lewis. Lewis, a civil rights hero, died Friday after a six-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80 years old.
Lewis made a mark in history and also changed the lives in Philadelphia.
From the onset, Lewis was out to change life as he knew it.
"I wanted to make a contribution. I didn't like the signs that said 'white only, colored only,'" Lewis said.
Lewis became one of the original Freedom Riders and was assaulted by police while fighting for desegregation. He, along with Hosea Williams, led hundreds of Black voters on a 54-mile march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama, but didn't get farther than the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
"They came toward us, beating us with nightsticks, using tear gas and trampling us with horses," Lewis said.
Lewis' most recent walk was in 2015, hand-in-hand with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, marking the 50th anniversary of that day -- also known as "Bloody Sunday."
The congressman made a mark on many, including local leaders, who tweeted their condolences Saturday.
Rep. Dwight Evans wrote, "Congressman John Lewis was a true American hero. He has inspired me for decades. He and so many others sacrificed so much for our right to vote. He was not afraid to make what he called 'good trouble.'"
Congressman John Lewis was a true American hero. He has inspired me for decades. He and so many others sacrificed so much for our right to vote. He was not afraid to make what he called 'good trouble.'https://t.co/FK4FUBg7Wn
— Congressman Dwight Evans (@RepDwightEvans) July 18, 2020
State Sen. Sharif Street called Lewis' death a "significant loss as we still grapple w/ protests and demands for racial equality today."
We lost two champions of the civil rights era, Congressman John Lewis and Rev Condy Tindell, on Friday. A significant loss as we still grapple w/ protests and demands for racial equality today.We will carry the torch of liberty forward. Rest in Power God Bless. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/yB3GJ0OOLd
— Senator Sharif Street (@SenSharifStreet) July 18, 2020
Street says he will "carry the torch of liberty forward."
Lewis earned a reputation as the conscience of Congress and also was awarded the prestigious Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center in 2016.
On the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, Lewis urged Americans to do the right thing.
"When you see something that isn't right, or fair, or just, you have a moral obligation to say something, do something," Lewis said.
Lewis's death is been echoed across the nation as many of the inequalities that he fought for are still in question.