Stamp honoring late Rep. John Lewis unveiled at Capitol

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Democrats and Republicans came together Wednesday to posthumously honor one of their own at the Capitol.

At a special ceremony in Statuary Hall, Congressional leaders unveiled a forever stamp honoring the late Congressman John Lewis (D-Ga.).

“It is my honor to announce the United States Postal Service will issue a forever stamp celebrating the life and legacy of Congressman John Lewis,” said U.S. Postal Service Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.

Lewis spent more than 30 years representing Georgia. His congressional classmate, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said it is appropriate for Lewis to be memorialized with a stamp.

“I loved him dearly, personally. I admired him officially, and I’m proud to be his colleague and friend,” said Pelosi.

Lewis fought for equality, including the right to vote, his entire life. He was nearly beaten to death when he led black protesters as they marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. However, that day known as “Bloody Sunday” eventually led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

“John Lewis got into good trouble in order to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice,” said House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he will never forget the feeling of being on the Edmund Pettus Bridge and watching Lewis introduce President Barack Obama on the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday.”

“I got goosebumps, and I got tears, thinking how far we had come and thinking that John Lewis led the march on that bridge and led the introduction that day,” said McCarthy.

Lewis’ former Chief of Staff Linda Earley Chastang was emotional in thinking what the congressman would have thought in seeing both sides of the aisle coming together the way they did to honor him.

“This ceremony would fill Congressman Lewis with hope and reinforce his belief in the power of unity and collective action to make a difference and create lasting change,” said Earley Chastang.

Lewis is the latest civil rights hero to be honored with a forever stamp, joining Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks. The official dedication for the stamp will take place next month at a ceremony at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

Copyright 2023 Gray DC. All rights reserved.