Rep.
John Lewis has passed away at the age of 80 after fighting against stage 4 pancreatic cancer since December.
The congressman kept up the fight for civil rights and human rights even after receiving hospice care.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed his passing, calling the civil rights icon ‘one of the greatest heroes of American history.’
She said: “All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing. May his memory be an inspiration that moves us all to, in the face of injustice, make ‘good trouble, necessary trouble.”
In a statement, Lewis’ family said: “’He was honored and respected as the conscience of the US Congress and an icon of American history, but we knew him as a loving father and brother.
“He dedicated his entire live to non-violent activism and was an outspoken advocate in the struggle for equal justice in America. He will be deeply missed.”
It was in December 2019 when Lewis announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer. “I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now,” he said at that time.
Lewis was the last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The fallen icon was known for leading hundreds of demonstrators in the Bloody Sunday march in 1965.
Former president Barack Obama also paid tribute to Lewis and said: “’Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way. John Lewis did.
“When I was elected President of the United States, I hugged him on the inauguration stand before I was sworn in and told him I was only there because of the sacrifices he made.
“And thanks to him, we now all have our marching orders — to keep believing in the possibility of remaking this country we love until it lives up to its full promise.”
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Replaced!