As a nod of respect, three former presidents will be attending funeral service for John Lewis in Atlanta on Thursday. With former US President Barack Obama paying tribute to the civil rights icon, along with George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, it is worth noting that Donald Trump will not be attending the funeral.
Former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton will attend the funeral Thursday for John Lewis, sources have confirmed to USA Today. The former presidents will be accompanied by another former POTUS, Barack Obama, who according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is slated to deliver a eulogy.
The service for Lewis, who succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 80 on July 17, will be held at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church Horizon Sanctuary at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta. Lewis was involved in organizing the March on Washington, D.C. along with King back in 1963.
Lewis left for his first journey earlier this week to Atlanta, where he was representing a major portion of the city and some suburbs in Congress since 1986. A large group of people cheered as Lewis' procession reached the Georgia Capitol, and grievers touted him as a personable leader who made sacrifices to achieve several rights that citizens enjoy today.
Before people filed by the casket, looking sadly at the still figure inside, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, a Republican, also described Lewis, who was a Democrat, as "a titan of the civil rights movement." Kemp went on to say that he was a beloved Georgian, and an American hero who was a friend to all who wanted to achieve a fairer, better, and more united society.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms described Lewis as an optimistic who never lost a sense of hope. Lewis' body lays in state at the Capitol in Alabama, where he was born to Capitol in Alabama, as well as the U.S. Capitol, where he served in Congress. Before the public viewing, a huge crowd of mourners gathered at the state Capitol in Atlanta.
Some mourners recalled meeting Lewis, who had a reputation for heartily greeting his supporters. With teary eyes, Heather Ribbs recalled meeting Lewis about three years ago when he visited her grandson’s school for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day program. Ribbs, 70, says she will never forget the moment when he hugged her.
“He was a giant of a man, and he meant so much to me,” Ribbs said. She went on to say that Lewis, who was dedicated to America, was an example of a great human being.