To live a life of purpose, joy, and consequence — this is the challenge of the ages. John Robert Lewis is the perfect exemplar.
He was an inspiration for this writer in my teen years and the coming of age during Jim Crow in the Arkansas Delta. I had read and heard about his participation in the Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, and the “Bloody Sunday” march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, all before his 26th birthday. And I knew that he bore physical scars from some of those efforts.
Years later, when I had my first up-close and personal interaction with Mr. Lewis, as the Arkansas representative to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday Commission, I was struck first and foremost by his grace, humility and his unyielding resolve to make America a more perfect union. And years later, as U. S. Secretary of Transportation, I was privileged to join Congressman Lewis during a commemorative walk across the Pettus Bridge.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Today, I am proud to join all Americans in celebrating the unveiling of the U.S. Postal Service commemorative stamp in honor of a true American hero.
The John Lewis postage stamp is a testament to a life of service to our country and the ideals of freedom and justice that are enshrined in our Constitution. It symbolizes our unity in celebrating the courageous efforts of Congressman Lewis and so many others who devoted their lives in the righteous fight for equal rights and democracy in America and around the world.
John Lewis was the ultimate patriot. He believed in an American future that was better than its past. And, throughout his life, he understood that every American, young and old, had a role to play in our long march to freedom.
He especially believed in this new generation of freedom fighters. He was confident that he was passing the baton to a generation that has all it needs to continue the work he and so many others started. He once said, “What I try to tell young people is that if you come together with a mission, and it’s grounded with love and a sense of community, you can make the impossible possible.”
This generation faces new battles and new struggles that can only be met by embracing the duties of civic engagement and practicing civility when advocating, petitioning, inspiring, or educating other members of society. That doesn’t mean diluting our passion. It means that when we share the arena of debate with our adversaries, we must follow the Congressman’s example of nonviolent protest. Congressman Lewis showed us what it means to have grace in the face of confrontation, restraint in the face of ignorance and harmony in the face of disparity. He understood that diligence is the cost of liberty. We must continue to honor him and pay homage to his remarkable legacy by working to build one America.
Congressman John Lewis gifted us with his powerful example of determination and dignity. It is fitting that we honor his legacy of courage, activism and leadership with a U.S. postage stamp. But we honor him most by continuing his work to build one America. That work has been made harder in recent years by attacks on voting rights, women’s rights and equal opportunity. But as John Lewis reminded us, “You have to be optimistic in order to continue to move forward.”
We the people are now responsible for holding our country accountable for maintaining those rights that belong to us all. Congressman John Lewis has bequeathed us the stamp of approval to carry on both his legacy and America’s commitment to freedom and equality. Finally, I want to acknowledge the throng of individuals who joined the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation in petitioning the U.S. Postal Service, and I want to thank the leadership and the hardworking men and women of the U.S. Postal Service for issuing a stamp that honors one of freedom’s most stalwart champions and one of America’s greatest heroes.
Rodney Slater is former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, board member of The John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation and senior partner at law firm Squire Patton Boggs.
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