When we speak of John Lewis, it will be about what we gained as a country, not lost.

As a young man, John defied the establishment to join the Freedom Rides in the Deep South. He marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday taking a blow to his skull for the equal rights we have today. The nation bore witness to the violence that was directed at the Black community and President Johnson implored Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

John was committed to non-violence and believed in the good in people. He forgave his aggressors, understanding they were victims of a system that rewarded oppression.

He was a soft-spoken leader and a fighter for justice. The longest-standing Congressman in Georgia, John was revered as the “Conscience of the U.S. Congress” fighting for social justice, voting rights, economic empowerment, quality education and health care for all. He was an unapologetic liberal who owned his values and commitment to human rights.

His legacy will forever be sewn into the moral fabric of our country. He was our guiding light in the darkest of times. And we need that guiding light today.

The best way that we can honor his legacy is to embrace his methods, listen to his words, and continue to build on his progress.

Rest in power, Congressman Lewis.

– New Jersey Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver