Congressman John Lewis was a dear friend . I was privileged to meet him during his first congressional campaign shortly after I graduated from law school and moved to Atlanta . I remembered being one of the few young lawyers who volunteered to work on his campaign . I was so impressed with his strong work ethic . Congressman Lewis was such a giant in the civil rights movement and a truly courageous man !
-Hon . Yvette Miller , Court of Appeals of Georgia
John Lewis was a good friend and a hero of mine for almost 40 years . Not long ago , I got to take the Atlanta Civil Rights Bus Tour with John as we visited wellknown Civil Rights Movement sites and others not so well known across the City . It was a joy to hear him describe events that he was involved in at famous and not-so-famous sites of the Civil Rights Movement . Among the stories he shared that day included the SNCC Exec . Comm . meeting that was held at the small Frazier ’ s Café Society near Paschal Brothers Restaurant the night before Bloody Sunday , in which he said he was going to Selma , even if SNCC would not be officially participating in the March . He said it was up to the people in Selma to decide if they wanted to march , and that he and SNCC should support them . As was true of his entire career , these are just examples of when John stood for what was right , fair , and just . He stood with the LGBTQ community . He stood with the oppressed Black citizens of Selma , in spite of the political pressure that was placed on him not to take those actions . As Bill Campbell said at John ' s Home Going Service at historic Ebenezer Baptist Church , “ John was not just a civil rights hero . He was a women ' s rights hero , a gay rights hero , a worker ’ s rights hero , a senior rights hero , and an immigrant rights hero !” AMEN and AMEN !
-Charles Huddleston , Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough , LLP
I interned with John Lewis in the summer of 2004 and was fortunate to stay in touch with one of his staffers in the years since . I was very honored when she reached out and asked me to sit vigil with him in the Capitol , alongside other former interns , staffers , and members of his Youth Council . He had an impact on so many in major ways – from his inspirational leadership in the Civil Rights Movement to the policies he supported in Congress – but it was evident in sitting with his mourners that he also touched people on a very individual level by inspiring them to be their own agents of change and make “ good trouble .”
-Darcy M . Meals , Georgia State University College of Law
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