In memoriam: John Lewis
'Freedom is not a state; it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society.' (From John Lewis' 2017 memoir, Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America)
The IBA was saddened to learn of the death of key civil rights leader and US congressional representative John Lewis on 17 July 2020. Lewis was one of the ‘Big Six’ leaders of groups who organised the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
He served in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia's 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death, and in 2011, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Fondly recalling Lewis’ speech at the annual dinner of the IBA Law Firm Management Committee during the Annual Conference in 2016 in Washington DC, the Committee’s former Co-Chair, Abe Schear, said: ‘We were privileged to hear from Congressman John Lewis. Just before the national election, and in a day he campaigned for Hillary Clinton, Congressman Lewis thanked (!) the 90 attendees for their attention and encouraged all of them to go home and use the law to the advantage of their societies, to better each country. Congressman Lewis reminded us that lawyers had so often helped him get out of jail and that what we did was important. The standing ovation, replete with tears, made this a very memorable evening.’