Governor DeWine Issues Statement on the Death of Congressman John Lewis

Statement

Today Governor Mike DeWine issued the following statement on the death of Congressman John Lewis.

"Fran and I were very saddened to learn this morning of the death of our friend Congressman John Lewis.

"John Lewis changed America.

"In 2004, when I was in the U.S. Senate, Congressman Lewis led a small group of lawmakers to Tennessee and Alabama and showed us history. He opened our eyes with first-hand accounts of the abuse and prejudice he experienced. He told us about his time as a Freedom Rider, when he and fellow activists were badly beaten while riding buses throughout the South to protest segregation.

"He took us to the Rosa Parks Museum and the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, where Reverend King had been pastor and preached hope and perseverance. We also walked with him to the Civil Rights Memorial, as he led us in singing "We Shall Overcome."

"John also took us across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL, where on March 7, 1965 -- known as Bloody Sunday -- he and so many other civil rights protesters were attacked and beaten as they peacefully marched.

"Fran and I had taken our two youngest children, Mark and Anna, with us, and we will all be forever grateful to John for what he taught us on that journey.

"John Lewis was an extraordinary leader, teacher, and role model for us all. He left a legacy for which we all have a responsibility now to carry on."

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