John Lewis' great-nephew: My uncle was 'my hero' and 'it's up to us to keep his legacy alive', Here are details of civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis' memorial ceremonies this weekend, renewed calls to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the 55th anniversary of the historical march. He always thought of preaching the gospel in word and in deed, insisting that hate and fear had to be answered with love and hope.". "Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble," he tweeted in 2018.

On March 21, led this time by SCLC President Rev. Congressman John Lewis died in July 2020, calls rose to rename the bridge after him,[20][21] though Lewis – in an editorial with Representative Terri Sewell – had previously voiced opposition to renaming the bridge, stating: "Keeping the name of the Bridge is not an endorsement of the man who bears its name but rather an acknowledgement that the name of the Bridge today is synonymous with the Voting Rights Movement which changed the face of this nation and the world. Patrice Houston holds a picture of Lewis outside the church ahead of his funeral. The horse-drawn carriage moves across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. It was on that bridge that a 25-year-old Lewis and other marchers were met by heavily armed state and local police who attacked them with clubs. CNN's Kevin Bohn, Veronica Stracqualursi, Devan Cole, Suzanne Malveaux, Lauren Fox, Faith Karimi, Brandon Griggs, Jim Acosta and Haley Byrd contributed to this report. Thousands of people in Alabama crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma into Montgomery on Sunday to recreate a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement on its 52nd anniversary. DOT). A military honor guard lowers Lewis' casket during his burial service at the South-View Cemetery in Atlanta. Named after U.S. As word spread of the shooting and of Jackson's condition the case alarmed civil rights activists, including Martin Luther King, Jr. and SCLC's Director of Direct Action James Bevel.

"To take a little walk to try to dramatize the need for the rights of all our people to be able to participate in the democratic process. An Alabama state trooper salutes Lewis' casket in Selma. The bridge has a total of 11 spans. [6], Because of Pettus' role in supporting slavery and racism in the United States, there have been efforts to rename the bridge, including one coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches in 2015. Televised images of the attack presented Americans and international audiences with horrifying images of marchers left bloodied and severely injured, and roused support for the Selma Voting Rights Movement. [18] When Young spoke at the Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church as part of the torch ceremony, he said, "We couldn't have gone to Atlanta with the Olympic Games if we hadn't come through Selma a long time ago. [14] In all, 17 marchers were hospitalized and 50 were treated for lesser injuries; the day soon became known as "Bloody Sunday" within the African-American community. [10], An earlier bridge was built in 1885 by the Milwaukee Bridge & Iron Works one block east of the current bridge to carry traffic over the river at the foot of Washington Street. Senator and KKK Grand Dragon Edmund Pettus, the bridge replaced a previously existing two lane mule bridge that accommodated the traffic of U.S. Route 80, also known as the Dixie Overland Highway (Slate, U.S. Washington, DC (CNN)The late US Rep. John Robert Lewis made his final journey on Sunday across the famous bridge in Selma, Alabama, where the towering civil rights figure helped lead a march for voting rights in 1965 that came to be a key part of his legacy. A security guard peers into the Capitol rotunda. "John Lewis was a walking rebuke to people who thought: 'Well, we ain't there yet and we have been working a long time. The marchers crossed the bridge again on March 21 and walked to the Capitol building. [15], Since 1965, many marches have commemorated the events of Bloody Sunday. A memorial service is held for Lewis as he lies in state at the US Capitol on Monday. On March 9, Martin Luther King, Jr. led more than 2,000 marchers to the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Darryl Caldwell speaks as Lewis lies in repose during a service in Troy, Alabama, on Saturday. [18] Andrew Young, a Bloody Sunday organizer who went on to become a U.S. Fraternity members sing in front of Lewis' casket at the service in Troy. Brian Kemp and Georgia first lady Marty Kemp wait for Lewis' casket at the steps of the Georgia Capitol on Wednesday.