A momentous occasion!
Hundreds gathered in Atlanta, Georgia this past weekend for the dedication ceremony of the John Lewis Forever Stamp, Fox 5 Atlanta reports. Held on the campus of Morehouse College, the ceremony celebrated the life and legacy of the late civil rights activist, paying homage to him as a true American hero.
Among the guests were two sitting senators, hundreds of Lewis supporters, friends and beloved actress Alfre Woodard who acted as emcee. Many paid tribute to Lewis’ iconic work, speaking of his courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
“It wasn’t just his words and courage but his humility that influenced me to go into public life and to vote every time,” said former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin.
The Forever Stamp is the highest honor The United States Postal Service can bestow on a person, Lewis joining an elite class of honorees that include journalist Gwen Ifill, iconic entertainers Marvin Gaye, Gregory Hines, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Lewis’ work as an activist, his role in politics as the conscience of the United States Congress, and his commitment to our freedom even beyond the grave helped transform the nation.
Governor Ronald Stroman of the USPS board of governors spoke candidly about Lewis’ impact on American history.
“One writer wrote that John Lewis was as important to the founding of a modern and multiethnic 20th and 21st century America, as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and Samuel Adams were to the creation of the Republic in the 18th century,” said Stroman.
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According to reporters, the stamp was first announced late last year. The stamp features an image of Lewis taken by photographer Marco Grob for a 2013 issue of Time magazine. Another 1963 image of Lewis at a nonviolent protest workshop in Mississippi taken by Steve Schapiro covers the margin of the stamp sheets. Lewis’ heroism on Bloody Sunday will go down in the history books as one of the defining moments in the Civil Rights Movement. An early founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Lewis also was a speaker at Dr. King’s famous March on Washington. He spent more than three decades in Congress continuing his work, defending civil rights and working to make America live up to its ideals before his passing at the age of 80 due to pancreatic cancer.
“Devoted to equality and justice for all Americans, Lewis spent more than 30 years in Congress steadfastly defending and building on key civil rights gains that he had helped achieve in the 1960s. Even in the face of hatred and violence, as well as some 45 arrests, Lewis remained resolute in his commitment to what he liked to call “good trouble,” a statement from the Postal Service read.
Lewis will be remembered as a titan for justice and one who never lost touch with the people. We pay homage to his life and legacy. The John Lewis Forever Stamps are currently available in post offices nationwide or online at usps.com/stamps.
Cover photo: Morehouse College gathers for dedication of John Lewis Forever Stamp/Photo Courtesy of Matthew Pearson/WABE