Norcross: Remembering John Lewis
New Jersey Globe
July 31, 2020
This week we laid to rest Civil Rights hero Congressman John Lewis, the proud longtime representative of Georgia’s 5th Congressional District.
My heart is heavy as the world mourns an icon, who was my friend and colleague. John spoke softly but powerfully, he walked slowly but purposefully and he acted kindly but fought tirelessly for justice.
He devoted his life to making the world a better place, and he succeeded, inspiring millions to follow his lead along the way. It was my honor to serve with him in Congress and walk alongside him crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge 50 years after Bloody Sunday.
Rep. Lewis worked side-by-side with Dr. King during the civil rights movement of the 1960s and was a pivotal figure in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was originally signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, prohibiting racial discrimination in voting.
Sections of the legislation were struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013, and Lewis had been fighting since to restore the act in full, despite opposition from Republican party.