Remarks from three former president s, george w. Bush, bill clinton, and barack obama. Live coverage is here on cspan3. Amen. This is john lewis favorite poem, invictus. Out of the night that covers me, black as a pit from pole to pole, i think whatever god may be to my inconquerable soul. In the fell clutches of circumstance, i have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeons of chance, my head is bloody, but im bound. Beyond this place looms but the horror of the shade. And yet menace of the years finds and shall find me unafraid. It matters not how straight the gate, how charged with punishment the scroll, im the master of my fate. Im the captain of my soul. John lewis was my hero and my friend, lets honor him by getting in good trouble. [ applause ] only the inconquerable spirit and the magnanimous soul of john lewis could summon all of us together in this place at this time. Only john lewis could compel three living american president s to come to this house of god. To celebra
That john lewis got as a 4yearold kid and took through a lifetime, to keep moving, and keep moving in the right direction, and keep bringing other people to move, and to do it without hatred in his heart, with a song, and be able to sing and dance. As johns brother freddie said in troy, keep moving to the ballot box even if its a mailbox. And keep moving to the beloved community. John lewis was many things. But he was a man, a friend in sunshine and storm, a friend who would walk the stoney roads that he asked you to walk, that would brave the chastening rods he asked you to be whipped by, always keeping his eyes on the prize, always believing none of us will be free until all of us are equal. I just loved him. I always will. And im so grateful that he stayed true to form. Hes leftis wi ius with marchin orders. I suggest, since hes close enough to god to keep his eye on the sparrow and us, we salute, suit up, and march on. [ applause ] good day. Im not sure, morning, afternoon, whateve