With a heavy heart, we honor two civil rights legends today.
Civil rights icon and 17-term Georgia congressman Rep. John Lewis has died at the age of 80. Representative Lewis was a leader of the civil rights movement, champion of peaceful resistance, and a leading voice across America for over 30 years.
Civil rights veteran, Rev. C.T. Vivian has died at the age of 95. An associate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in 1965 he was beaten by a segregationist sheriff in Selma while trying to register Black voters – a moment that helped spark the march that pressured Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act.
Both John Lewis and C.T. Vivian dedicated their lives to building a more equitable and just America. We at the NAACP, thank and honor them for their impact and contribution to push for the rights and advancement for the rights of Black people across this country. Their lives, and their loss, will be felt for generations.
