Former President Barack Obama Eulogy at Rep. John Lewis Funeral

Summary

Barack Obama delivered a heartfelt eulogy at the funeral of Rep. John Lewis, held at the historical Ebenezer Baptist Church. Obama praised Lewis as one of the finest disciples of Martin Luther King Jr., highlighting his relentless fight for civil rights and social justice. The eulogy celebrated Lewis's life as a testament to courage, perseverance, and unwavering faith in the American promise of equality and democracy. Through anecdotes and reflections, Obama urged everyone to continue Lewis's legacy by fighting for voting rights and participating in the democratic process.

Highlights

• Obama eulogized John Lewis as an American hero whose actions bring the nation closer to its ideals. 🇺🇸
• He shared stories of Lewis's courage, from the Nashville sit-ins to the Freedom Rides. 🚌
• The speech called on Americans to honor Lewis by revitalizing and protecting voting rights. 🔥
• Obama recalled Lewis's gentle and humble nature, despite his storied career and impact. 🌿
• The event was a powerful reminder of the ongoing fight against oppression and injustice. ✊

Key Takeaways

• Barack Obama honored John Lewis as a true disciple of Martin Luther King Jr. 🌟
• John Lewis's life was marked by perseverance and a relentless fight for justice. 💪
• Obama emphasized the importance of continuing Lewis's legacy through voting rights advocacy. 🗳️
• The eulogy was delivered at the historical Ebenezer Baptist Church, where MLK once preached. 🏛️
• Lewis's humility and kindness were as powerful as his activism; everyone can follow his lead. ❤️

Overview

In a moving eulogy for Rep. John Lewis, Barack Obama took to the pulpit at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the spiritual home of Martin Luther King Jr., to pay homage to one of America's most dedicated civil rights leaders. In his heartfelt address, Obama spotlighted Lewis's indelible impact on social justice, emphasizing that Lewis's resilience and dedication must inspire new generations of activists.

Obama delved into poignant anecdotes from Lewis's life, painting a picture of a man unafraid to challenge the status quo through nonviolent means. From his role in the Freedom Rides to his pivotal presence at the March on Washington, Lewis’s life was depicted as a series of courageous acts that paved the way for transformative change in America, all guided by an unwavering faith in equality and democracy.

The eulogy served as both a tribute and a call to action, urging Americans to continue John Lewis's legacy by advocating for voting rights and civil liberties. Obama underscored that Lewis's unwavering belief in the power of ordinary individuals to effect change remains a beacon of hope and a rallying cry for justice, as the journey toward a more perfect union continues.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Opening Music and Introduction This chapter involves the opening music and introductory applause, setting the stage for what follows.
• 00:30 - 02:00: Biblical Reference and Introduction to John Lewis The chapter titled 'Biblical Reference and Introduction to John Lewis' starts with a reference to the teachings of James, emphasizing the importance of finding joy in facing challenges. This is because such trials test and strengthen one's faith.
• 02:00 - 04:30: Early Life of John Lewis The chapter 'Early Life of John Lewis' explores the foundations of John Lewis's life, emphasizing the theme of perseverance. It opens with a reference to perseverance as a crucial element that leads to maturity and completeness, with nothing lacking. Although the transcript provides an incomplete sentence, the context suggests John Lewis's unwavering determination and the acknowledgment of accomplishments, symbolized by 'a great honor to be back in'—presumably referring to a significant place or moment in his life. The summary highlights perseverance as a formative value in Lewis's early years.
• 04:30 - 10:00: John Lewis and Nonviolent Resistance The chapter titled 'John Lewis and Nonviolent Resistance' reflects on an event at Ebenezer Baptist Church. The narrative honors John Lewis, acknowledging his connection to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and describes Lewis as an outstanding disciple of King, whose faith and continuous trials shaped him into a person of immense joy.
• 10:00 - 15:00: Selma to Montgomery March and Its Impact The chapter titled 'Selma to Montgomery March and Its Impact' delves into the significance of the historic march led by pivotal figures such as John Robert Lewis. The excerpt emphasizes themes of resilience and determination, highlighting Lewis's discussions with prominent leaders, including Presidents Bush and Clinton. The narrative also touches on personal notes, mentioning his family, friends, and colleagues, underscoring the personal and political legacy of his actions and their long-lasting impact.
• 15:00 - 21:00: John Lewis's Legacy and Belief in Democracy Chapter discusses John Lewis's enduring legacy and his strong belief in democracy, highlighting his impactful vision of freedom, and references America's ongoing journey towards progress.
• 21:00 - 27:00: Challenges in Modern Democracy The chapter "Challenges in Modern Democracy" explores the inherent imperfections in democratic systems and the continuous effort required by each generation to build upon the work of their predecessors. The chapter emphasizes the notion that forming a "more perfect union" is an ongoing process, and each generation has the responsibility to advance democracy further than ever before.
• 27:00 - 35:00: Call to Action and the Importance of Voting John Lewis, former Freedom Riders leader and head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington. He led the march from Selma to Montgomery and served as a member of Congress representing his state and district for 33 years. He was a mentor to young people.
• 35:00 - 41:00: Personal Reflections on John Lewis In the chapter titled 'Personal Reflections on John Lewis', the focus is on the life and legacy of John Lewis. It highlights his lifelong commitment to his responsibilities and his work, stemming from his humble beginnings. Born in Troy, this chapter reflects on how Lewis embraced his duties and made meaningful contributions throughout his life.
• 41:00 - 46:00: Continuation of John Lewis's Legacy through New Generation The chapter highlights the early life of John Lewis, focusing on his formative years in the Jim Crow South. It discusses his parents' background as cotton pickers and young Lewis's aversion to farm work. Instead of helping his siblings in the fields, he would often sneak away to catch the school bus, indicating a strong desire for education and something beyond his agrarian upbringing.
• 46:00 - 50:00: Conclusion: John Lewis's Gift to America John Lewis's mother, Willie May Lewis, played a crucial role in nurturing his natural curiosity and love for learning. She taught him the invaluable lesson that knowledge, once acquired, is something that can never be taken away. This foundational belief instilled in John as a young boy, coupled with his determination and perseverance, became a cornerstone of his identity and contributions to society. The chapter subtly illustrates this through an anecdote of John eavesdropping on his father's conversations, hinting at the early formation of his inquisitive mind.

Former President Barack Obama Eulogy at Rep. John Lewis Funeral Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]
• 00:30 - 01:00 james wrote to the believers consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces
• 01:00 - 01:30 perseverance let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete lacking nothing it is a great honor to be back in
• 01:30 - 02:00 ebenezer baptist church in the pulpit of its greatest pastor dr martin luther king jr to pay my respects to perhaps his finest disciple an american whose faith was tested again and again to produce a man of pure joy
• 02:00 - 02:30 and unbreakable perseverance john robert lewis to those who have spoken to presidents bush and clinton madam speaker reverend warnock robin king john's family friends his beloved staff mayor bottoms
• 02:30 - 03:00 i've come here today because i like so many americans owe a great debt to john lewis and his forceful vision of freedom you know this country is a constant work in progress we're born with instructions
• 03:00 - 03:30 to form a more perfect union explicit in those words is the idea that we're imperfect that what gives each new generation purpose is to take up the unfinished work of the last and carry it further than any might have thought possible
• 03:30 - 04:00 john lewis first of the freedom riders head of the student nonviolent coordinating committee youngest speaker at the march on washington leader of the march from selma to montgomery member of congress representing the people of this state and this district for 33 years mentor to young people including me at the time
• 04:00 - 04:30 until his final day on this earth he not only embraced that responsibility but he made it his life's work which isn't bad for a boy from troy john was born into modest means that means he was pole
• 04:30 - 05:00 in the heart of the jim crow south to parents who picked somebody else's cotton apparently he didn't take to farm work on days when he was supposed to help his brothers and sisters with their labor he'd hide under the porch and make a break for the school bus when it showed up
• 05:00 - 05:30 his mother willie may louis nurture that curiosity in this shy serious child once you learn something she told her son once you get something inside your head no one can take it away from you as a boy john listened through the door after bedtime as his father's friends complained about
• 05:30 - 06:00 the clan one sunday as a teenager he heard dr king preach on the radio as a college student in tennessee he signed up for jim lawson's workshops on the tactic of non-violent civil disobedience john lewis was getting something inside his head an idea he couldn't shake took hold on
• 06:00 - 06:30 that nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience were the means to change laws but also change hearts and change minds and change nations and change the world so he helped organize the nashville campaign in 1960. he and other young men and women sat at
• 06:30 - 07:00 a segregated lunch count well-dressed straight back refusing to let a milkshake poured on their heads or a cigarette extinguished on their backs or a foot aimed at their ribs refused to let that dent their dignity and their sense of purpose
• 07:00 - 07:30 and after a few months the nashville campaign achieved the first successful desegregation of public facilities in any major city in the south john got a taste of jail for the first second third well several times but he also got a taste of victory
• 07:30 - 08:00 and it consumed him with righteous purpose and he took the battle deeper into the side that same year just weeks after the supreme court ruled that segregation of interstate bus facilities was unconstitutional john and bernard lafayette bought two tickets climbed aboard a greyhound sat up front and refused to move
• 08:00 - 08:30 this was months before the first official freedom rides he was doing a a test trip was unsanctioned few knew what they were up to and at every stop through the night apparently the angry driver stormed out of the bus
• 08:30 - 09:00 and into the bus station and john and bernard had no idea what he might come back with or who he might come back with nobody was there to protect them there were no camera crews to record events we you know sometimes rev
• 09:00 - 09:30 we we read about this and we kind of take it for granted or at least we we act as if it was inevitable imagine the courage of two people malia's age younger than my oldest daughter
• 09:30 - 10:00 on their own to challenge an entire infrastructure of oppression john was only 20 years old but he pushed all 20 of those years to the center of the table betting everything all of it that his example could challenge centuries of convention and generations of brutal violence and
• 10:00 - 10:30 countless daily indignities suffered by african-americans like john the baptist preparing the way like those old testament prophets speaking truth to kings john lewis did not hesitate and he kept on getting on board buses and sitting at lunch counters
• 10:30 - 11:00 got his mug shot taken again and again marched again and again on a mission to change america spoke to a quarter million people at the march on washington when he was just 23 helped organize the freedom summer in mississippi when he was just 24.
• 11:00 - 11:30 at the ripe old age of 25 john was asked to lead the march from summit montgomery he was warned that governor wallace had ordered troopers to use violence but he and jose williams and others led them across that bridge anywhere and we've all seen the film and the
• 11:30 - 12:00 footage and the photographs president clinton mentioned the trench coat the knapsack the book to read the apple to eat the toothbrush apparently jails weren't big on such creature comforts and you look at those pictures [Music] and and john looks so young and and he's
• 12:00 - 12:30 small in stature looking every bit that shy serious child that his mother had raised and yet he's full of purpose god's put perseverance in and we know what happened to the
• 12:30 - 13:00 marchers that day their bones were cracked by billy clubs their eyes and lungs choked with tear gas they knelt a prey which made their heads easier targets and john was struck in the skull and he thought he was going to die surrounded by the sight of young americans gagging and bleeding
• 13:00 - 13:30 and trampling victims in their own country of state-sponsored violence and the thing is i imagine initially that day the troopers thought they'd won the battle
• 13:30 - 14:00 you can imagine the conversations they had afterwards you can imagine them saying yeah we showed them they figured they'd turn the protesters back over the bridge that they'd kept that they preserved a system that denied the basic humanity of their fellow citizens
• 14:00 - 14:30 except this time there were some cameras there this time the world saw what happened bore witness to black americans who we're asking for nothing more than to be treated like other americans who we're not asking for special treatment just equal treatment promised to them a century before
• 14:30 - 15:00 and almost another century before that and when john woke up and checked himself out of the hospital he would make sure the world saw a movement that was in the words of scripture hard-pressed on every side but not crushed perplexed but not in despair
• 15:00 - 15:30 persecuted but not abandoned struck down but not destroyed so he returned to brown chapel a battered prophet bandages around his head he said more marchers will come now
• 15:30 - 16:00 and the people came and the troopers parted and the marches reached montgomery and their words reached the white house and lyndon johnson son of the south said we shall overcome and a voting rights act was signed into law
• 16:00 - 16:30 the life of john lewis was in so many ways exceptional it vindicated the faith in our founding redeemed that faith that most american of ideas the idea that any of us ordinary people without rank
• 16:30 - 17:00 or wealth or title or fame can somehow point out the imperfections of this nation and come together and challenge the status quo and decide that it is in our power to remake this country that we love until it more closely aligns with our highest ideals
• 17:00 - 17:30 what a radical idea what a revolutionary notion this idea that any of us ordinary people a young kid from troy can stand up to the powers and principalities and say no this isn't right this isn't true this isn't just we can do better
• 17:30 - 18:00 on the battlefield of justice americans like john americans like reverence lowry and c.t vivian two other patriots that we lost this year liberated all of us that many americans came to take for granted america
• 18:00 - 18:30 was built by people like them america was built by john lewis's he as much as anyone in our history brought this country a little bit closer to our highest ideals
• 18:30 - 19:00 and someday when we do finish that long journey towards freedom when we do form a more perfect union whether it's years from now or decades or even if it takes another two centuries john lewis will be a founding father of that fuller fairer better america
• 19:00 - 19:30 and yet as exceptional as john was here's the thing john never believed that what he did was more than any citizen of this country can do i mentioned in the statement the day john passed the thing about john was just how gentle and humble he was
• 19:30 - 20:00 and despite this storied remarkable career he treated everyone with kindness and respect because it was innate to him this idea that any of us can do what he did
• 20:00 - 20:30 if we're willing to persevere he believed that in all of us there exists the capacity for great courage that in all of us there's a longing to do what's right that in all of us there's a willingness to love all people and to extend to them their god-given rights to dignity and respect
• 20:30 - 21:00 so many of us lose that sense it's taught out of us we we start feeling as if in fact we can't afford to extend kindness or decency to other people
• 21:00 - 21:30 that we're better off if we're above other people and looking down on them and so often that's encouraged in our culture but john always said he always saw the best in us and he never gave up and never stopped speaking out because he saw the best in us he believed in us even when we didn't believe in ourselves
• 21:30 - 22:00 and as a congressman he didn't rest he kept getting himself arrested as an old man he didn't sit out any fight sat in all night long on the floor of the united states capitol i know his staff was stressed but the testing of his faith produced perseverance
• 22:00 - 22:30 he knew that the march is not over that the race has not yet won that we have not yet reached that blessed destination where we are judged by the content of our character he knew from his own life that progress is fragile that we have to be vigilant against the darker currents of this country's
• 22:30 - 23:00 history of our own history with their whirlpools of violence and hatred and despair that can always rise again bull connor may be gone but today we witness with our own eyes police officers kneeling on the necks of black americans
• 23:00 - 23:30 george wallace may be gone but we can witness our federal government sending agents to use tear gas and batons against peaceful demonstrators we may no longer have to guess the number of jelly beans in a jar
• 23:30 - 24:00 in order to cast a ballot [Applause] but even as we sit here there are those in power who are doing their darndest to discourage people from voting by closing polling locations and targeting minorities and students with restrictive id laws and attacking our voting rights with surgical precision even undermining the postal service
• 24:00 - 24:30 in the run-up to an election going to be dependent on mail-in ballots so people don't get sick now i know this is a celebration of john's life there are some who might say [Music] we shouldn't dwell on such things but that's why i'm talking about it
• 24:30 - 25:00 john lewis devoted his time on this earth fighting the very attacks on democracy and what's best in america that we're we're seeing circulate right now he knew that every single one of us has a god-given power and that the fate
• 25:00 - 25:30 of this democracy depends on how we use it that democracy isn't automatic it has to be nurtured it has to be tended to we have to work at it it's hard and so he knew that it depends on whether we summon a measure just to measure john's moral courage to question
• 25:30 - 26:00 what's right and what's wrong and call things as they are he said that as long as he had a breath in his body he would do everything he could to preserve this democracy and as long as we have breath in our bodies we have to continue his cause if we want our children to grow up in a democracy not just with elections but
• 26:00 - 26:30 a true democracy a representative democracy in a big hearted tolerant vibrant inclusive america of perpetual self-creation then we're going to have to be more like john we don't have to do all the things he had to do because he didn't for us but we got to do something
• 26:30 - 27:00 as the lord instructed paul do not be afraid go on speaking do not be silent for i am with you and no one will attack you to harm you for i have many in this city who are my people it's just everybody's got to come out and vote we got we got all those people in the city but
• 27:00 - 27:30 they can't do nothing like john we've got to keep getting into that good trouble he knew that nonviolent protest is patriotic a way to raise public awareness and put a spotlight on injustice and make the powers that be uncomfortable like john we don't have to choose between protests and politics it's not an either or a situation
• 27:30 - 28:00 it's a both and situation we have to engage in protests where that's effective but we also have to translate our passion and our causes into laws instant institutional practices that's why john ran for congress 34 years ago like john we've got to fight even harder for the most powerful tool that we have
• 28:00 - 28:30 which is the right to vote the voting rights act is one of the crowning achievements of our democracy it's why john crossed that bridge it's why he spilled his blood and by the way it was the result of democratic and republican efforts president bush who spoke here earlier and his father signed its renewal when they were in office
• 28:30 - 29:00 [Applause] president clinton didn't have to because it was the law when he arrived so instead he made a law to make it easier for people to register to vote but once the supreme court weakened
• 29:00 - 29:30 the voting rights act some state legislators unleashed a flood of laws designed specifically to make voting harder especially by the way state legislators where there's a lot of minority turnout and population growth that's not necessarily a mystery or an accident
• 29:30 - 30:00 it was an attack on what john fought for it was an attack on our democratic freedoms and we should treat it as such if politicians want to honor john and i'm so grateful for the legacy and work of all the congressional leaders who are here but there's a better way than a statement calling him a hero
• 30:00 - 30:30 you want to honor john let's honor him by revitalizing the law that he was willing to die for [Applause] and by the way naming it the john lewis voting rights act
• 30:30 - 31:00 that is a fine tribute but john wouldn't want us to stop there just trying to get back to where we already were once we pass the john lewis voting rights act we should keep marching to make it even better by making sure every american is automatically registered to vote including former inmates who've earned their second chance
• 31:00 - 31:30 by adding polling places and expanding early voting and making election day a national holiday so if you are somebody who's working in a factory or you're a single mom who's got to go to her job and doesn't get time off [Applause] you can still cast your ballot
• 31:30 - 32:00 by guaranteeing that every american citizen has equal representation in our government including the american citizens who live in washington d.c and in puerto rico they're americans by ending some of the partisan gerrymandering so that all voters have the power to choose their politicians not the other way around
• 32:00 - 32:30 and if all this takes eliminating the filibuster another jim crow relic in order to secure the god-given rights of every american then that's what we should do now even if we do all this even if every bogus voter suppression law is struck off the books today
• 32:30 - 33:00 we've got to be honest with ourselves that too many of us choose not to exercise the franchise too many of our citizens believe their vote won't make a difference or they buy into the cynicism that by the way is the central strategy of voter suppression to make you discouraged to stop believing in your own power
• 33:00 - 33:30 so we're also going to have to remember what john said if you don't do everything you can do to change things then they will remain the same you only pass this way once you have to give it all you have as long as young people are protesting in the streets hoping real change takes hold i'm hopeful but we can't casually abandon them
• 33:30 - 34:00 at the ballot box not when few elections have been as urgent on so many levels is this one we can't treat voting as an errand to run if we have some time we have to treat it as the most important action we can take on behalf of democracy and like john we have to give it all we have
• 34:00 - 34:30 i was proud that john lewis was a friend of mine i met him when i was in law school he came to speak and i went up and i said mr lewis you are one of my heroes what inspired me more than anything as a young man was to see
• 34:30 - 35:00 what you and urban lawson bob moses diane nash others did and he got that kind of aw shucks thank you very much next time i saw him i'd been elected to the united states senate
• 35:00 - 35:30 and i told him john you i'm here because of you and on inauguration day in 2008 2009 um he was one of the first people i greeted and hugged on that stand and i told him this is your day too
• 35:30 - 36:00 he was a good and kind and gentle man and he believed in us even when we don't believe in ourselves and it's fitting that the last time john and i shared a public forum was on zoom and i'm pretty sure neither he nor i set up the zoom call because we didn't know how to work it
• 36:00 - 36:30 there's a virtual town hall with a gathering of young activists who had been helping to lead this summer's demonstrations in the wake of george floyd george floyd's death and afterwards i spoke to john privately and he could not have been prouder to see this new generation of activists standing up for freedom and equality a new generation that was intent on
• 36:30 - 37:00 voting and protecting the right to vote in some cases a new generation running for political office and i told him all those young people john of every race and every religion from every background and gender and sexual orientation john those are your children they learned from your example even if they didn't always know it
• 37:00 - 37:30 they had understood through him what american citizenship requires even if they'd only heard about his courage through the history books by the thousands faceless anonymous relentless young people black and white have taken our whole nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in the
• 37:30 - 38:00 formulation of the constitution and the declaration of independence dr king said that in the 1960s and it came true again this summer we see it outside our windows in big cities and rural towns in men and women young and old straight americans and lgbtq americans
• 38:00 - 38:30 blacks who long for equal treatment and whites who can no longer accept freedom for themselves while witnessing the subjugation of their fellow americans we see it in everybody doing the hard work of overcoming complacency of overcoming our own fears and our own prejudices
• 38:30 - 39:00 our own hatreds you see it in in people trying to be better truer versions of ourselves and that's what john lewis teaches us that's where real courage comes from not from turning on each other but by turning towards one another
• 39:00 - 39:30 not by sowing hatred and division but by spreading love and truth not by avoiding our responsibilities to create a better america and a better world but by embracing those responsibilities with joy and perseverance and discovering that
• 39:30 - 40:00 in our beloved community we do not walk alone what a gift john lewis was we are all so lucky to have had him walk with us for a while and show us the way god bless you all god bless america
• 40:00 - 40:30 god bless this gentle soul who pulled it closer to its promise thank you very much [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]
• 40:30 - 41:00 so [Music] you