Intersected because my father returned from the march on washington and began raving about a speaker, young john lewis, who had electrified the crowd. So, imagine when i finally met him in atlanta in 1976, as a young law student. Hit was a transcendent moment, like meeting a figure like Thomas Jefferson or benjamin franklin, who wrote the declaration of independence, but yet, here is somebody who made america live up to those noble words. Along with dr. King and reverend abernathy, and a young, joseph lowery, ct vivian, another lion who we lost on the same day as john lewis. John had an incorruptible integrity, and ideological purity which was like a halo. Somehow this extended to everyone who was in his orbit, myself included. Thats the reason the nation has paused from pandemic and protest and politics to bid him farewell today. Virtually every News Organization has hailed john as a civil rights hero, but john was a womens rights hero. A gay rights hero. A Senior Rights hero. A workers rights hero. And immigrants hero. John wasnt on the right side of history, history was on the right side of john lewis. [applause] and, in his spare time, he introduced the legislation to create the africanamerican history museum, and he fought the bigots in congress for 15 years until he triumphed yet again against into menopause insurmountable odds. For those who wondered if perhaps his time had passed, with his body ravaged with cancer, so frail and fragile, that he needed a cane. What he surely would be his last public appearance, he summoned the strength to walk to the middle of black life spas in washington, d. C. , to express his solidarity and support for the young protesters who had begun to change america as john listed as young man. I declared today that the history of the 20th century, as it is written, john lewis will stand beside gandhi and king and mandela is one of the great transformative Freedom Fighters of humankind. [applause] while the nation mourns a great leader, i will miss the deer loving and loyal friend who allowed me the extraordinary privilege to walk along beside him, a living saint. Saint lewis. In the last days of his life, when we both knew that death was imminent, i desperately wanted to tell john about what he meant to the country. In a a solemn moment he whispered to me, everyone has o vote in november. Its the most important election ever. [applause] i promised him that, with every fiber in my body, i would tell everyone, if you truly want to honor this hero, make sure you vote. Corinthians tell us when john lewis was loved. Good night, sweet prince, and may flights of angels carry thee to that rest. Thank you. [applause] he would say to be particul particular. On behalf of the staff, i would like to thank john miles and the entire lewis family for the honor and the privilege of sharing the congressman and mrs. Lewis, who was his partner in life and in Public Service with generations of staff the last 33 years in celebration of his life and legacy. The congressman would want me to tell you today, in his favorite color, that you look good. You look fresh, you look clean, you look beautiful. Thank you. We are honored to serve you, and we were honored to serve him. We would also like to express our sincere and great appreciation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the majority leader, the majority whip, the clerks of the house of representatives, the office of employee assistance, the congressional black caucus, and all of your amazing staff for your patience and your guidance during this very difficult time. People always ask us, what was it like to work for congressman louis . What was he like up close . What was he like in real life . It is too difficult to explain, so our answer was always the same. He is just as you may imagine, but better. And that no day was ever the same. What you know about the congressman is true. He was a gentleman. He was truly of the people, and a peaceful soul. When he came into the office every single day, he would greet every staffer, every fellow, every intern with, good morning, sir. Or, good morning, maam. He would end every request, every successful speech, every hearing, every bill, every markup, with, thank you, young brother. Thank you, sister. Thank you, my child. Or, my dear. As staff we wanted to maintain a space where the congress could be completely and wholly himself. In college, we often say theres a freshman 15 you gain a little bit around, and in our office there was the john lewis 20, because he and michael would bring in the lunch and, far too often, dessert, or some cake or some pie or brown it would be calling to them in the grocery store, and they would want everyone to come together and sit down and share a meal. We were a little family, little enclave. A lot of drama, a lot of fun, and so much love. He broke down those work barriers, and he welcomed our parents, our spouses, our children, our grandchildren, our nieces and nephews, our godchildren, and our friends into the circle, making them feel equally in awe of his greatness. Sometimes the world got a glimpse of our nest during these impromptu gatherings, and certain videos may go viral. We were like a welloiled machine when it came to policy and casework. Although we were like that in public, he enjoyed stirring things up in the office. You might call him a little bit of instigator. He would get us in trouble with michael, try and corner us with questions, and stir things up. With time, you knew not to take the bait, and he would learn to say, oh, no, congressman, youre not going to get me today. And he would laugh. I think thats what im going to miss the most. Im going to miss his laugh. And not the one you see on television, but the one where he would be sitting back and shooting the wind, he would throw back his head, and he would just laugh from his heart, from his belly, from his soul. So many workers are often taught to be invisible. With mr. Lewis, he always saw you and made you feel special and worthy. Dr. King and rosa parks spent time with him as a teenager, and it changed the course of his life. I believe that he spent every waking moment paying it forward. He could be absolutely exhausted, but still take one more picture, spend one more moment, especially with young people. This meant that we were always, always, always behind schedule. So, the very first lesson in staffing the congressman was to learn to operate on john lewis time, which translates into late, but trusting that it would always work out. As he told everyone, he could out walk the entire staff. So, our duty was to keep up. When it was time to move, we did. But when it was time to be present, and the congressman needed a little bit of quiet, we would try to create that space. He would slow down to appreciate and absorb the majesty of the moment for his own mental archives. Just as we try to preserve the sanctity of his space, he allowed us to be our true and authentic selves, just the very best version. He found staff who were unique, and i think represented either a little bit of his personality or what he needed to complement it. We made our ways to mr. Lewis on very random paths, coincidences, somfor some believers, through divine intervention. He didnt hire based on a resume, but your energy, your being, your essence, your passion, and your potential. We were a motley group of musicians, air traffic controllers, dancers, social workers, entertainers, artists, historians, and every once in a while, an actual lawyer or a political scientist. He got all into our business. [laughter] and was there in spirit for the big moments. In the same ways he always took a call from mrs. Lewis or john miles, he let us drop everything in a family emergency. Generations of children have fond memories of hanging out in their office as their parents worked nearby. He let us be ourselves, especially when it came to civic participation. He let us organize, protest, testify, and always, always, always vote. We tried to absorb his energy and his lessons. To my knowledge, three staff served him for over 20 years. Ruth berg, hillary butler, and first cousin michael collins. [applause] may you please stand . [applause] and theres a whole generation of staff who were right behind them. At 19, at 15, at 17, at 12, at ten years, 14 years. [reading names] then where the staffers who could never really leave, like linda and jacob, whom he kept pulling back in as friends and confidantes. Although some of you and some people moved on, you couldnt really, because his spirit was in you forever. His voice was always in our head. Be kind, be mindful, be particular. Make it plain, make it simple, make it saying. Working for him was a little bit of a nightmare sometimes. Because, no matter how hard we worked, he always worked harder. Every single day he woke up at the crack of dawn, watched the news, and read the newspapers. His memory was like a living encyclopedia, which means he forgot nothing and could pull Something Back from ten years ago because he knew it was the same staff and we were still there. He expected us to be informed with facts from primary sources, not hearsay. When he walked into the office, he would ask what constituents were calling and writing about, and add that information to his endless archive. You learned the hard way, or the subtle way, because he was not direct. That when he asked your question, he usually knew the answer, but wanted to see whether or not you could represent him and his constituents. When preparing for a big vote where big speech, he would drop a subtle hint. Have you read this poem . Speech, a book, some scripture. Do you remember this painting . And then he would say, lets come back and talk about it later on. This little hint would prepare you for the aftermath of those executive sessions that he had with himself. After those sessions, we would learn how and in which direction the spirit moved him, and then we would have our marching orders. He would take the essence of the complicated policy and make it accessible and real to the people. The congressman love serving on the ways and means committee. He always showed up, and he hated to miss votes on the floor. Let me say that again, he could not stand to miss votes. The boy dog voice messages i have from him about the votes he was about to miss are still on my phone to this day. This is the reason we are so thankful that congressman kildee and his staff are willing to serve and help us cast his ballots during this pandemic. And to serve as his proxy. The congressman would walk the halls or sit on committee, or sit in the office, and he loved the beauty of the house of representatives. He love the closeness to the people. And the complicated reflection of the status of our nation. Every visitor to our office received a full dose of southern hospitality. The offer of a georgia coke, some peanuts, a brief tour of his office, and sometimes our beloved balcony, with its stunning view of the u. S. Capitol. While he loved it his country ad all its people, the record should be clear on his immense pride in representing georgias 5th Congressional District. He was so proud to represent Metro Atlanta. All of its cities, all of its counties, and all of its people. He was on a mission to serve, to make them feel heard, respected, and represented, regardless of where they fell on the political spectrum. The constituents where our caucus, and the congressman worked around the clock to find solutions to their challenges. When it came to Public Service and public policy, his name did not need to be on the headlines or on the front lines. It was the action and the results that mattered. Not every problem needs a bill, and he could always find compromise without compromising his values or his principles when the challenge presented itself. He played the long game, and he knew every trick in the book. He expected the staff to fight in the nonviolent manner for the people. When constituents were concerned about the rights of soviet jew jewry, he took action. He advanced technical changes to reduce the cost and increase health care services, especially for the issues that affected communities of color, like Kidney Disease and copd. When workers faced pension issues, he found ways to give them security. When families were separated by immigration policies, he worked around the clock to reunite them. When people couldnt get their Social Security checks, he fought, sometimes for years, to make that happen. When taxpayers and workers struggled with an outdated bureaucracy at the irs, he worked to modernize the entire agency. When he heard from frustrated veterans, he fought for their respect, their earned benefits, and their care. When he saw an alarming increase in abusive relationships, he developed strategies to stop the cycle before it began. When some tried to eliminate the u. S. Institute of peace, he found a way and build a coalition to keep that building and the prospect and the hope of peace still alive. When he was worried about the state of our globe for generations yet unborn, he introduced the Environmental Justice act. When looking at the rights of marginalized communities around the world, he worked to diversify the state of our diplomacy and insert empathy and standards into our global policies. And when people complained about immovable lines to vote, he cowrote the Voter Empowerment act. The list is too long to recognize his legislative and policy successes, and the impact he had on people across the nation and around the world. So, i ask you, as we sit in this historic space, and as you drive through Metro Atlanta and you see and feel the greatness of his legacy, the Historic Preservation and civic education, i ask that you hold that in your heart and your soul and your spirit. He felt that we needed to know and study our history to make sure we never repeated it. He was both human and divine. It is so difficult to explain the magnitude, the genius, the gentle grace of this man. I would ask you at this moment for the staff to take a stand, please, so that you can see and know just a sample of who we are. [applause] former staff . Thank you. A few years ago we had a reunion, and we realize there arent that many staff. We have a lot of interns and a lot of fellows, but the congressman held us close. I dont think there are many offices where you have the opportunity to hold your boss hand until its time to tell every person you love them. He created the space. He created the family. As a staff, we are heartbroken. We are lost. But we know that the work continues. The fight remains, and we cannot, we must not get lost in the sea of despair. So, if asked how you may honor the congressman, i will echo the words of the great who stood here before. You can make sure that his work, his sacrifice, his message lives on, and that there are actions that every person can do regardless of their age or their station in life. Be kind, be mindful. Recognize the dignity and the words of every human being. Be the best version of yourself. Be informed. Stay engaged. Even though the work is hard. If you are of age, and eligible, for the love of god, please vote. Thank you. [applause] good afternoon, everyone. My name is sheila obrien, and i am the sixth niece of congressman john lewis. To each distinguished guests, member of clergy, family, and friends, on behalf of the lewis family, we would like to say thank you from the very depths of our hearts for the outpoured love, support, words of encouragement, and prayer. The honor, the respect, the camaraderie that has been bestowed upon the lewis family, will never be forgotten. We would also like to take this opportunity to give a heartfelt thanks to the chief of staff, michael collins, who has now become first cousin. And to each staff member. [applause] two each staff member that has worked tirelessly with and for congressman lewis, especially during this time. Words are not enough to express how grateful we are for all that you have done, especially for our cousin, john miles. I am here today to pay tribute to a man that was largerthanlife. To the world, he is known as the honorable congressman john lewis, but to his siblings, he is affectionately known as robert. To his many nieces and nephews, he is known as uncle robert. If you would permit me to just call him uncle robert right now, i would be grateful. Uncle robert loved his family, and we, as you can tell, loved him. He was the son to our grandparents, eddie lewis, who we called granddaddy buddy, and willie mae lewis, who we called mom. He was the father to one son, our cousin, john miles, and the brother to a lot of siblings. Too many to name right now, we dont have time. [laughter] while we knew how important he and his work was to the world, when we were with him, we saw uncle robert. We saw the man that enjoyed spending time with his family, reminiscing about days gone by, catching up on family dynamics, enjoying a good meal, sharing laughter and love. We, like the world, knew that John Robert Lewis that personified hope, courage, bravery, and sheer humanitarianism. As we all know, before he was chosen for congress yes, i say chosen, because the word of god tells me many are called but few are chosen. His first call was to that of the civil rights movement. For the last 50 years, as a nonviolent civil rights activist, he was the voice for those that could not speak, to speak for those that could not walk, and the champion of justie for those that couldnt fight. He, along with many other civil rights icons, became the change agents that the world so desperately needed. As a member of congress, he was known as a constant in congress. For over 40 years he stood in solidarity with the fifth Congressional District of georgia. He has been recognized, revered, and held to the highest esteem for the work he has done to build a better community. He broke barriers. He tore down walls. He defied stereotypes, and refused to be moved from his stance on injustice, liberty, and freedom. He made time for everyone, and was always pictureready. He did not miss an opportunity for a photo op or to just take a few moments to talk to his constituents, or to those that reviewed him. His love was contagious, and it could be felt each time you were in his presence. Over the last several days, listening to the numerous accomplishments, some of which he labored for years over, it is evident why his life is being celebrated at this magnitude. He truly made an impact, not just on america but on the world. So, today, we celebrate the life of congressman john lewis, our uncle robert, the man who labored, the man who talked, walked, fought, knelt, sat, held hands with both black and white, lead, lifted his voice, bend his knees, and was willing to give up his life for a righteous cause. Lets continue this celebration of life by taking up the baton that he has now laid down and endeavored to get into trouble. Good trouble. Necessary trouble. Lets not give up. Lets not give in. Lets never give out. Lets keep the faith, keep our eyes on the prize. Rest in power, uncle robert. May your legacy lives on and never die. We believe you have heard the words from the heavenly father, well done, thou good and faithful service. Well done. Joy comes in the morning. Guess what . Its morning time. [applause] a few years ago, congressman john lewis attended the inauguration of an american president. Although he had seen many president s, he made a beeline to this president and asked him to sign his program. He signed the program in this way. Because of you, john. It is my steamed honor to welcome back to the ebenezer pulpit, 44th president of the United States of america, barack obama. Before he comes, Jennifer Holliday will come once again. Take my hand, precious lord. Lead me on. Precious lord take my hand lead me on let me stand i am tired i am weak i am worn through the storm through the night lead me on to the light take, take my hand precious lord and lead me on th home when my way groweth drear precious lord, linger near when my light when my light is almost gone hear my cry hear my call hold my hand lest i fall take my hand, precious lord and lead me home [vocalizing] when the darkness appeared and the night draws near and the day has passed and gone [vocalizing] at the river, i stand i need you, lord please, take my hand take my hand, precious lord and lead me home [vocalizing] oh, lord, we need you right now we need you, right now weve got a world thats in sorrow we dont know whats gonna happen tomorrow [vocalizing] oh, take my hand hold my hand, lord we need you, lord we dont know which way to g go [vocalizing] hold us hold us in your hold us in your Unchanging Hand oh, we need you lord we need you, lord, yes we do yes, we do yes, we do take my hand, precious lord and lead lord, we need you lord, we need you right now [vocalizing] [applause] [cheers and applause] james wrote to the believers, consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. It is a great honor to be back at Ebenezer Baptist church, and the pulpit of its greatest pastor, dr. Martin luther king jr. , to pay my respects to perhaps his finest disciple. An american whose faith was tested again and again to produce a man of pure joy and unbreakable perseverance. John robert lewis. To those who have spoken, to president s bush and clinton, madam speaker, reverend warnock, reverend king, johns family, his friends, his beloved staff, mayor bottoms, i have come here today because i, like so Many Americans, owe a great debt to john lewis and his forceful vision of freedom. This country is a constant work in progress. We are born with instructions, to form a more perfect union. Explicit in those words is the idea that we are imperfect. That what gives each new generation purpose is to take up the unfinished work of the last, and carry it further than any might have thought possible. John lewis, first of the freedom riders, head of the student nonviolent coordinating committee, youngest speaker at the march on washington, leader of the march from selma to montgomery, member of congress, representing the people of this state, and the district, for 33 years. Mentor to young people, including me, at the time. Until his final day on this earth. He not only embraced that responsibility, but he made it his lifes work. Which isnt bad for a boy from troy. John was born into modest means. That means he was po. [laughter] in the heart of the jim crow south, the parents who picked somebody elses cotton. Apparently he didnt take to farm work. On days when he was supposed to help his brothers and sisters with their labor, he would hide under the porch and make a break for the school bus when it showed up. His mother, willie mae lewis, nurtured that curiosity in this shy, serious child. Once you learn something, she told her son, once you get something inside your head, no one can take it away from you. As a boy, john listened through the door after bedtime to his fathers friends complaining. One sunday, as a teenager, he heard dr. King preached on the radio. As a College Student in tennessee, he signed up for jim lawsons workshops on the tactic of nonviolent civil disobedien disobedience. John lewis was getting something inside his head, an idea he couldnt shake. It took hold of him. That nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience were the means to change laws, but also change hearts and change minds, and change nations. And change the world. So, he helped organize the Nashville Campaign in 1960. He and other young men and women sat at a segregated lunch counter, welldressed, straightbacked, refusing to let a milk shake port on their heads were a cigarette extinguished on their backs, or a foot aimed at their ribs, refuse to let that dented their dignity and their sense of purpose. After a few months, the Nashville Campaign achieved the First Successful desegregation of public facilities in any major city in the south. John got a taste of jail for the first, second, third. Well, several times. [laughter] but he also got a taste of victory, and it consumed him with righteous purpose. He took the battle deeper into the south. That same year, just weeks after the Supreme Court ruled that segregation of interstate bus facilities was unconstitutional, john and Bernard Lafayette bought two tickets, it climbed aboard a greyhound, sat up front, and refused to move. This was months before the First Official freedom rides. He was doing a test. The trip was unsanctioned. If you knew what they were up to few knew what they were up to. At every stop, apparently the driver stormed out of the bus and into the bus station. John and bernard had no idea what he might come back with, or who he might come back with. Nobody was there to protect them. There were no camera crews to record events. You know, sometimes we read about this and we kind of take it for granted. Or, at least, we activists, it was inevitable. Imagine the courage of two people malias age, younger than my oldest daughter, on their o own, to challenge an entire infrastructure of oppression. John was only 20 years old, but he pushed all 20 of those years to the center of the table, betting everything, all of it, that his example could challenge centuries of convention, and generations of brutal violence and countless daily indignities suffered by africanamericans. Like john the baptist, preparing the way. Like those Old Testament prophets, speaking truth to kings. John lewis did not hesitate, and he kept on, getting on board buses, and sitting at lunch counters. Got his mug shot taken again and again. Marched again and again, on a mission to change america. Spoke to a quarter Million People at the march on washington when he was just 23. Helped organize the freedom summer in mississippi when he was just 24. At the ripe old age of 25, john was asked to lead the march from selma to montgomery. He was warned that the governor had ordered troop troopers to ue violence. But he, jose williams, others, led them across that bridge anyway. Weve all seen the film, and the footage, and the photographs. President clinton mentioned the trenchcoat, the knapsack, the book to read, the apple to eat, the toothbrush. Apparently jails werent big on such creature comforts. [laughter] and you look at those pictures, and john looks so young. And he is small in stature. Look, in every bit that shy child his mother raised, and yet he was full of purpose. God put perseverance in him. We know what happened to the marchers that day. Their bones were cracked by billy clubs, their eyes and lungs choked with tear gas. They knelt to pray, which made their heads easier targets, and john was struck in the skull. And he thought he was going to die, surrounded by the sight of Young Americans gagging and bleeding, trampling. Victims and their own country of statesponsored violence victims in their own country of statesponsored violence. The thing is, i imagine initially, that day, the troopers thought they had won the battle. [audience reacting] you can imagine the conversations they had afterwards. [applause] you can imagine, yeah, we showed them. They figured they had turned the protesters back over the bridge, that they kept, that they preserved a system that denied the basic humanity of their fellow citizens. Except, this time, there were some cameras there. This time, the world saw what happened. They bore witness to black americans who were asking for nothing more than to be treated like other americans. Who were not asking for special treatment, just equal treatment promised to than a century before. And almost another century before that. When john woke up and checked himself out of the hospital, he would make sure the world saw a movement that was, in the words of scripture, hard pressed on every side, but not crushed. [applause] perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not abandoned. Struck down, but not destroyed. [audience reacts] they returned to brown chapel, a battered tribe. Bandages around his head. He said, more marchers will come now. And the people came, and the troopers parted, and the marchers reached montgomery. Their words reached the white house, and lyndon johnson, son of the south, said, we shall overcome. And the Voting Rights act was signed into law. The life of john lewis was, in so many ways, exceptional. It vindicated the faith in our founding, redeemed that faith. That most american of ideals, the idea that any of us ordinary people without rank, or wealth, or title, or fame, can somehow point out the imperfections of this nation, and come together, and challenge the status quo, and decide that it is in our power to remake this country that we love until it more closely aligns with our highest ideals. What a radical idea, what a revolutionary notion, this idea that any of us ordinary people, a young kid from troy, can stand up to the powers and principalities and say, no, this isnt right, this isnt true, this isnt just. We can do better. On the battlefield of justice, americans like john, americans like the reverence, and ct vivian, two other patriots that we lost this year, liberated all of us. What Many Americans came to take for granted. America was built by people like them. [applause] america was built by John Lewi John lewises. He, as much as anyone in their history, brought this country a little bit closer to our highes. Someday, when we do finish that long journey toward freedom, when we do form a more perfect union, whether its years from now, or decades, or even if it takes another two centuries, john lewis will be a founding father of that fuller, fairer, better america. [applause] and yet, as exceptional as john was, heres the thing. John never believed that what he did was more than any citizen of this country can do. I mentioned in the statement the day john passed, the thing about john was just how gentle and humble he was. And despite this storied, remarkable career, he treated everyone with kindness. And respect. Because it was innate to him. This idea that any of us can do what he did. If we are willing to persevere. He believed that in all of us there exists the capacity for great courage. And in all of us there is a longing to do whats right. That in all of us there is a willingness to love all people and extend to them their godgiven rights to dignity and respect. So many of us lose that sense. Its taught out of us. We start feeling as if, in fact, we cant afford to extend kindness or decency to other people. That we are better off if we are above other people. And looking down on them. And so often, thats encouraging our culture. But john al