Today our nation lost a giant. John Lewis didn’t just change this country, he changed the world. With unbending optimism and unyielding faith in our better angels, he spent his life fighting to make this nation kinder, stronger and more just than he found it. 
And beyond any doubt, that’s exactly what he did during his time on this earth. Not just for Black Americans, but for all who believed that none of us will be free until we are all free.
Anyone who has been able to hear John Lewis’s voice, see his smile, listen to his laugh, draw from his courage, or even simply know his name, knows that we will never be the same without him walking among us.
But his presence will never leave us. He will guide us today and tomorrow, just as he did yesterday. He will teach us to forgive today and tomorrow, just as he did yesterday. He will light our path towards justice today and tomorrow, just as he did yesterday.
To all of the family and friends who loved John Lewis, it wasn’t fair to ask you to share him with us for all of these years but you did because you knew the world needed to know him just as you did.
From his days as a Freedom Rider to his time mentoring me and aspiring public servants across the country, each minute he spent away from you was an enduring sacrifice. Today, and every day, our hearts and our prayers will be with you.
