Bidding Farewell to My Friend and Colleague John Lewis

Congressman John Lewis, a towering figure in American civil rights history and a respected member of Congress, was memorialized this week through official congressional ceremonies and a state funeral attended by sitting and former U.S. Presidents. Congressman Steve Cohen represented his constituents at both the Capitol Rotunda service on Monday, where Lewis's flag-draped casket lay in state, and at the funeral service held Thursday at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta—the historic sanctuary once pastored by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The funeral service drew prominent national figures, including Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and former President Jimmy Carter, who submitted a letter read at the ceremony. In his eulogy, President Obama described Lewis as "a good and kind and gentle man" and characterized him as "perhaps Dr. King's finest disciple," emphasizing Lewis's foundational role in the civil rights movement and his lifelong commitment to advancing liberty and justice. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Reverend James Lawson, and numerous civil rights icons participated in honoring Lewis's legacy.

Cohen's attendance at both ceremonies reflects the institutional and personal respect accorded to Lewis across party lines and throughout Congress. Lewis's nearly six-decade career in public service, culminating in his time as a U.S. Congressman, established him as the conscience of Congress and a living embodiment of the civil rights movement's principles. The selection of Ebenezer Baptist Church as the site for his funeral—the pulpit from which Dr. King once preached—underscored the continuity between Lewis's activism and the broader movement for racial justice and equality that defined his life's work. His passing marks a significant loss for Congress and the nation.