John Lewis is more than a man and his legend will live on far beyond his lifetime. This week we have seen numerous people memorialize his accomplishments leading up to his funeral today where he will finally be laid to rest. But, he was far more than a leader of the civil rights movement and more than a governmental representative of the people. He was the embodiment of what we strive for in our achievements and a pillar of humanity.
May his voice never die and some of his most famous words live on in our hearts.
“You have to have the capacity and the ability to take what people did, and how they did, and forth and move on.”
“If you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to do something about it.”
“Be hopeful. Be optimistic. Never lose that sense of hope.”
“I believe that you something you want to get sone, you cannot give up, and you cannot give in.”
“Freedom is not a state, it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must so its part to create an even more fair, more just society.”
“You cannot be afraid to speak up and speak out for what you believe. You have to have courage, raw courage.”
“Sometimes you have to get in the way. You have to make some noise by speaking up and speaking out against injustice and inaction.”
“No one of us can rest, be happy, be at home, be at peace with ourselves, until we end hatred and division.”
“The vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have.”
“Get out there and push, and stand up, and speak out, and get in the way the same that my generation got in the way. Get in trouble. Good trouble. Necessary trouble.”