Barack Obama: Former President delivers moving funeral speech

John Lewis (1940-2020) will be buried on Thursday (July 30, 2020) at the South View Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. At a funeral service, numerous people, including several former US presidents, commemorated the late civil rights icon. Lewis made public in 2019 that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.

In addition to his family and many other mourners, three former US presidents were also present, according to US media reports – Bill Clinton (73), George W. Bush (74) and Barack Obama (58), who delivered a moving funeral speech. Jimmy Carter, 95, was not present in person, but had a letter read during the ceremony in which he honored Lewis.

Love and hope instead of hate

"More than anyone else in our history, he brought this country closer to its highest ideals," said Obama, among other things. "Let's honor him by revitalizing the law he wanted to give his life for (…) but John wouldn't want us to stop there." The former US president listed ways to give all US citizens fair access to elections, including making Election Day a national holiday and implementing automatic registration. Lewis was considered an important leader of the civil rights movement and campaigned for the right to vote many years ago.

Bush and Clinton also had their say. According to Bush, Lewis "always insisted that love and hope should be used to respond to hatred and fear." Because of Lewis, the Americans lived in a better country today. Meanwhile, Clinton described Lewis as "a man I have loved for a long time". Lewis's mission in the world was to stand up for civil rights. Carter explained that Lewis "had a remarkable life" and was "a blessing to countless people". The deceased will be an inspiration for many generations to come.

At the beginning of the funeral service at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the bells had been rung there 80 times and in many other churches in the country. Lewis died on July 17 at the age of 80.