>> he's trying to be the first mars meteorologist. i see you, mike. good morning, america. not slowing down. the united states surpasses 150,000 deaths as homeland security identifies the 98 hot spots in 30 states. a record number of deaths in texas as one of their congressmen tests positive, questioning if wearing a mask somehow got him sick. this comes a day after he was seen with attorney general william barr. neither of them wearing masks. and vice president pence pushes to re-open schools visiting a classroom in north carolina taking off his mask as the education secretary admits there is no national plan when it comes to re-opening schools. this morning, top public health expert dr. ashish jha joins us live. bracing for tropical storm isaias. the record-breaking system barreling through the caribbean with winds up to 60 miles per hour in puerto rico. the covid-19 emergency now

colliding with hurricane season. florida to the northeast on high alert. rob in miami tracking the very latest. final farewell. civil rights champion john lewis' last words just revealed this morning. former president barack obama set to give the eulogy for this extraordinary american hero. two other former presidents will also be in attendance to help honor the conscience of the congress. shark sightings. at the height of the beach season swimmers on high alert after that deadly great white attack in maine. new york bea this morning new precautions lifeguards are taking with help from helicopters, and the reasons sharks may be coming closer to shore right now. all eyes on center court. basketball is bouncing back. the nba finally pressing play on .t llblighly anticipated r

courtside seats for tip-off tonight. >> unlike any other. and the countdown is on. ♪ >> to "black is king." the world just hours away from beyonce's powerful visual album. this morning, an exclusive message from the queen herself revealing never-before-seen footage only on "gma." and we do say good morning, america. we are delighted to be with you on this thankful thursday and we are so looking forward to hearing from beyonce. as amy just said, george, the countdown is on. >> yeah, it is on. it is coming soon. we're looking forward to that. we begin with the latest on the coronavirus emergency. more than 150,000 americans have now lost their lives, more than any other country in the world. there you see just some of the victims.

the it states has no recorded more than 4.4 million over ane last twoay oregon, florida and texas all reporting a record number of deaths and we begin in texas where more than 6,000 people have now died of the virus. marcus moore starts us off in arlington with the latest. good morning, marcus. >> reporter: well, amy, good morning. in a single day here in texas more than 300 people died, and across the country, the death toll is rising. we're just outside at&t stadium that sees about 80,000 people, and the number of lives lost across the current nearly doubles that. this morning, the u.s. waking up to a grim reality. more than 150,000 lives in america lost to covid-19. the youngest in florida, 9-year-old kimora lynum. >> she was very talkative and just really, really happy. she made friends very easily, you know, young and old. just like any other bubbly little girl out there, she was perfect.

>> reporter: and 45-year-old nurse practitioner samantha hickey on the front lines in idaho, as the nation's death toll grows, the department of homeland security identifying 98 hot spots flaring up in 30 states. in connecticut a 77% increase in cases with 40% of those under 30 years old. and new jersey seeing a staggering 112% increase from previous weeks. dr. anthony fauci telling our dr. jen ashton he's seeing troubling trends in several states. >> for example, ohio, tennessee, kentucky and indiana which are starting to show that very subtle increase in percent positives among the total tested, which is a surefire hint that you may be getting into the same sort of trouble with those states that the southern states got into trouble with. >> reporter: in texas the virus claiming more than 6,000 lives since the beginning of the pandemic. the fight over opening schools

rages on. vice president pence visiting a rolina, taking off his mask for a time to talk to kids. >> hi, everybody. >> we really do believe it's in the best interest of our children to be back in the classroom. >> reporter: and in florida, 51-year-old veteran michael moore losing his battle with the virus after a month-long fight in the hospital. >> he called me when they were moving him to icu and putting him on the ventilator and all i could say is, baby, i'm so scared. i'm so scared. i love you. i'm so scared. and that was the last time i heard his voice. >> reporter: los angeles county just recorded its highest number of deaths in a single day at 91, but there has been a backlog in reporting, so some of the deaths may have happened earlier. still a glimmer of hope for the city of los angeles. the mayor says that the covid-19 numbers are marginally better than in previous weeks. officials say it is a make or break moment for that city, george. >> marcus moore, thanks very much. i want to welcome back now

the director of the harvard global health initiative, dr. ashish jha. thanks for coming back this morning. it is so clear this virus simply is still out of control here in the united states. we're the richest country in the world, the best medical talent in the world. how do you explain why we're doing so poorly? what must we do to fix it? >> good morning, george. thanks for having me back on. indeed, we are the global hot spot and we have mismanaged this virus in a way that i think much of the world simply can't believe, and the reason is that we just haven't taken it seriously. we have not followed scientific advice and guidance and we opened up too early. we've opened up too much. we're still debating whether masks work or not. they actually do. there is no debate, so what do we need to do moving forward? we need to get people to wear masks and fix our testing infrastructure. we have to close down bars and gyms and other things that cause outbreaks, and we have to start taking the virus seriously. i think if we do all those things, george, within the next couple of months we can become one of the success stories as opposed to one of the global

failures right now. >> optimism right there, over the next couple of months, school is starting again for so many millions of americans. we're seeing big school districts stick with virtual all over the country. everyone wants schools to open safely. the question is how to do it. >> yeah, this is not a debate, right? we all want our kids back in school and this should be priority number one for our country and we don't have a national plan and we've left it to states. states are leaving it to local towns and officials. we can't have pandemics fought by individual cities, towns and superintendents. i really believe we can get kids back to school, but we need a national plan to suppress the virus, improve the quality of the buildings of the schools, and we can do it. we can get kids back. >> we're seeing hot spots crop up here in the united states but also coming back to places like china, new cases being reported in china, australia, they had had great success. now it's coming back there as well. vietnam didn't have any cases, now they're having it as well. why are we seeing this now? is this still a first wave or

the beginning of a second wave? >> you know, george, this is a global pandemic that's going to be with us all the way until we have safe, effective vaccines that are widely available sometime i'm hopeful next year in 2021. until then countries will continue to battle it. most high income countries have managed to suppress the virus and get little flareups and they're able to get them under control. we're the only country with a raging wildfire and we have to work on that. even if we suppress it we still will have little outbreaks. >> you say you hope for the vaccine early to mid next year and describing our current situation in the united states that we're just in the fourth inning of this crisis? >> yeah, you know, i was trying to explain to people kind of a timeline and i have thought of this, if everything goes incredibly well as sort of an 18-month pandemic that let's say begaarndanuary of this year and comes to an end around june of next year, that's very optimistic. assuming we'll have a vaccine that's safe, effective, widely available by then.

that puts us in about the sort of the beginning of the top of the fourth inning, just as a way of reminding people we have many more months ahead of us than we do behind us, and if we don't get our act together, we're going to have a lot more suffering and death, and none of that is necessary. we really can't prevent all of it. >> thanks for your time and insight this morning. robin. >> all right, george, thank you. now to washington where congressman louie gohmert announced that he tested positive for the coronavirus and he received the news during a screening at the white house. mary bruce is there in washington and has more for us. good morning, mary. >> reporter: good morning, robin. well, there is real concern and fear on capitol hill this morning. congressman gohmert has openly questioned the use of masks. he was often seen without one and now several members of congress and staffers who came in contact with him are self-quarantining and the hill is stepping up precautions. this morning, the capitol is cracking down.

house speaker nancy pelosi issuing a mask mandate. >> members and staff will be required to wear masks at all times in the hall of the house. >> reporter: a new policy to respond to new concerns after congressman louie gohmert tested positive. >> i'm asymptomatic. i don't have any of the symptoms that are listed as part of covid-19. >> reporter: the texas republican has frequently been spotted on the hill without a mask. on tuesday he was seen walking alongside attorney general bill barr, neither of them in a mask. gohmert, a staunch ally of the president, only learned he was positive when he was required to take a test before boarding air force one. >> masks really complicate things. this is the first time in american history when we have punished or restricted people who are not sick. >> reporter: sources say he's even scolded his staff for wearing them, and without evidence, he's now questioning whether wearing a mask led him to getting sick. >> i can't help but wonder if mt

in place that, if i might have put some germs, some of the virus onto the mask and breathed it in. i don't know. >> reporter: doctors have made it clear, masks are crucial to help fight the spread of the virus. gohmert will now be quarantining at home in texas and is promising to wear a mask, quote, religiously. and late yesterday the attorney general getting back those test results. george, they were negative. >> and, mary, also in washington, you know, so many millions of americans are facing the deadline they'll lose extended unemployment benefits tomorrow. these talks for another stimulus package on capitol hill seem to be going nowhere. >> reporter: congress is at a s. talks are going backwards, not forwards. two months after democrats put forward their plan, republicans still can't agree on what they want. the president is throwing cold water on his party's own plan and the bottom line is that these $600 weekly unemployment payments that have been helping 30 million americans stay afloat

are expiring and right now it looks like it's going to be weeks before congress can reach a deal to restart them. it all comes as we are going to be able to getting this morning the gdp strengthened by 30%, the largest quarterly numbers. george. >> mary bruce, thanks very much. robin. >> yeah, as if all that have is not bad enough the coronavirus emergency is now colliding with hurricane season. a tropical storm moving quickly through the caribbean already impacting puerto rico and putting the east coast on high alert. rob is tracking the latest for us. he's there in miami for us this morning. good morning, rob. >> reporter: good morning, robin. isaias, the "i" storm, the earliest "i" storm on record. we are off to a very active start, and puerto rico is getting the worst of it with 60-mile-per-hour winds. here's what it looked like just a few hours ago, and just the island getting whipped, and this thing is moving quickly. it's about 120 miles southeast of santa domingo and will be heading over the d.r. today. those mountains are 10,000 feet

high. what it does after that is really anybody's guess but right now tropical storm force wins extend 400 miles out. so it is a big system. looking at friday through the turks and caicos, saturday, somewhere around south florida, sunday, north florida, maybe the east coast with 80-degree temperatures there, water temperatures, could be a hurricane but this is going to change. beautiful shot here from our live drone here in south beach. a gorgeous morning, but i think it's going to be a different scene here come this weekend. even have a couple of meditators out here on south beach. not a bad way to start the day. amy, back over to you. >> we know you'll be following this. now to supreme court justice ruth bader ginsburg back in the hospital less than two weeks after revealing her cancer returned and that she's undergoing chemotherapy. abc's janai norman has more at memorial sloan-kettering cancer center in new york. good morning, janai. >> reporter: amy, good morning. yeah, justice ruth bader ginsburg is said to be resting comfortably this morning. this is the second time this month we're learning that she has been in the hospital. her spokeswoman saying this

latest hospitalization was to undergo a follow-up to a liver procedure done here last year when she was treated for a cancerous tumor on her pancreas. doctors say it should help minimize the risk for future infections. earlier this month the 87-year-old justice revealing she's undergoing biweekly chemotherapy to treat a recurrence of liver cancer. she says that that's going well and thus far ginsburg's health battles have not interfered with her ability to participate in official business. when she was hospitalized back in may she joined oral arguments by phone and the justice is expected to be released from this hospital by the end of the week. george. >> janai norman, thanks very much. we want to get to the fallout from president trump's decision to repeal a fair housing rule set by president obama designed to address racial segregation in suburban housing. the president tweeted, suburbanites will no longer be bothered by low income housing, as critics said his move was based on false premises and stoking racist fears. terry moran with the story. >> it's been hell for suburbia. >> reporter: looking to shore up shrinking support with the white

voters he needs to recapture the white house, the president boasted about rolling back an obama-era fair housing rule stirring racist fears. >> i abandoned and took away and just rescinded the rule. it's been going on for years. i've seen conflict for years. we rescinded the rule. three days ago, so enjoy your life, ladies and gentlemen. enjoy your life. >> reporter: the policy was aimed at encouraging communities to address the impact of decades long segregation and discrimination in america's neighborhoods tying federal funding to efforts to bridge inequality. pridp rgetg a lp l ince minories >> black lives matter. >> reporter: in a year already fueled with racial tension and social unrest. >> i can't breathe. >> reporter: stoking the flames of that upheaval, tweeting from air force one, i am happy to inform all the people living their suburban lifestyle dream that you will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low income housing built

in your neighborhood. your housing prices will go up based on the market and crime will go down. i have rescinded the obama/biden in 2016 donald trump beat hillary clinton in the suburbs. polls show him losing badly there this time around. in a tweet the president floated the idea of delaying the election but the constitution doesn't give him any power to do that. robin. >> all right, terry. and on the heels of your report, we're going to turn now to the final farewell to civil rights champion, john lewis, who will be laid to rest lerhis morning. mourners paid their respects to the extraordinary american hero at the georgia state capitol. this morning, president obama wi lewis' final powerful words to the nation were just released this morning. steve osunsami joins us from atlanta with more. good morning, steve. >> reporter: good morning to

you, robin, from ebenezer baptist church where the city of atlanta and leaders gathered here from across the world will be saying their final good-byes to congressman lewis. he was more than a congressman. he was a civil rights icon. three former presidents will be here. president obama as you said will deliver the eulogy. presidents clinton and bush will also be here. lewis was originally from alabama. he was one of the ma bla prothoearly lost their bridge in selma in 1965. he wrote an essay to be published on the day of his funeral, and it's being published today and he wrote that, emmett till was my george floyd, my rayshard brooks, sandra bland, my breonna taylor. though i may not be here with you, i urge you to answer the highest call of your heart and stand up for what you truly

believe. in my life i have done all i can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. now it is your turn to let freedom ring. john lewis was 80 years old, robin. >> all right, steve, we'll see you later this morning because abc news will cover the celebration, the celebration of the life of john lewis live this morning beginning about 11:00 a.m. eastern time. george? >> so much to celebrate, robin. we are following a lot of other headlines this morning including the countdown to the nba season. it restarts tonight. the big question is will the bubble hold up once the competition heats up? then the covid in the classroom. how the placement of a ventilation system might make a big difference to controlling the spread. first let's go back to rob. all right, amy. let's get right to the stormy cities sponsored by walmart.

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good morning. cloudy just about everywhere, even late arriving clouds. temperatures mid-50s to low 60s. there's some mist hanging in the air, especially in our higher el vases. not as soupy as it was yesterday, but breezy and choppy this evening. my seven-day forecast, warmer today, tomorrow and we'll top out this weekend with slightly above average temperatures. but we'll balance that with below average temperatures and breezy conditions next week. reggie. >> thank you. just hours away from the restart of the nba season. coming up, you'll hear from the first player known to get the

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enjoy exclusives just for you, at no cost to you. join target circle for free today. you were formed by the heat of the galaxy. what a thing to be both unique and familiar. ♪ >> both unique and familiar. welcome back to "gma." that is the trailer for beyonce's highly anticipated visual album "black is king." we are just hours away from the debut on disney plus, and this morning, beyonce is sending us an exclusive message for "gma" with never-before-seen footage and what inspired her to take on this passion project. that's coming up in our next hour, amy and george. >> we are looking forward to that. here are the top headlines. united states surpassed 150,000 covid-19 deaths as homeland

security identifies hotpo 3es. texas and florida are seeing a record number of deaths. one of the texas congressmen tests positive for covid, and is questioning if somehow wearing a mask got him sick. that's been debunked this morning by head of the fda. also right now, an agreement has been reached for federal agents to be pulled out of portland. protests continue there for the 62nd night in a row and late into last night. officers will exit the city and be replaced by state police. and take a look at this. a live look at the kennedy space center in florida which is preparing for 2020's final historic mission to mars, and nasa is getting ready to send a recover named "perseverance" and a helicopter called "ingenuity" and will take seven months to travel 300 million miles. robin. we're going to continue now with the nba gearing up for the highly anticipated restart to

the season tonight in orlando, the orlando bubble, and promising pregame news because no new coronavirus cases reported among players and staff. that's great news. t.j. holmes is going to join us now with more. t.j., the wait for the tip-off finally over but will the bubble hold? you know that competition will heat up, t.j. >> it is but fingers crossed on the bubble. robin, what would your coach have told you back in the day if you said, you know what, coach, i'm going to stay six feet away from my opponent? that's terrible defense. you cannot do that in basketball. these guys are going to be touching, breathing on each other, sweating on each other this entire game, but they're going to do so knowing that not a single one of them has tested positive for coronavirus in the latest round of testing. the bubble is working, so the country finally will get its first look tonight at bubble baetbaac the first games in the nba bubble set to tip off tonight. >> we know our fans back in l.a. and all over california and over the world are looking forward to

seeing us play again. our job is to go out and perform because they're still supporting us behind their phones or tablets or tvs, laptops, whatever the case may be. >> reporter: hopes are high. so far the nba bubble appears to be working. the league announcing wednesday that none of the 344 players tested were positive for covid-19. >> the game tonight has been postponed. >> reporter: the return to the court comes after this moment in march, the league suspended play after utah jazz all-star rudy gobert tested positive for the virus. now he's taking centre court tonight. >> we all are excited to be back on the court in the highest level and you know it's going to be -- i think it's going to be great. >> reporter: the game will look a little different even before the refs blow the first whistle. >> sandra bland. at yana jefferson. >> reporter: many demonstrating for social justice like the wnba did last weekend walking off the court before the national ified ott before the ne

the lakers' anthony davis says they're planning something as well. >> final question, you brought up the wnba. we saw -- >> reporter: on wednesday robin asked commissioner adam silver about that possibility. >> i respect peaceful protest. we'll, of course, address it at the time, but i also understand these are highly unusual times. >> reporter: black lives matter will also be written across the court, and socially distanced sideline benches will be there along with a different kind of viewing experience. the nba teaming up with microsoft to give fans virtual courtside seats. and since the bubble started about three weeks ago two players inside that bubble did test positive but since then, robin, they have not had another positive test of a player. something is working. >> it is. all right, t.j. i know you're going to be watching. the nba restart begins tonight, yep, espn's coverage, it begins tomorrow night with a doubleheader starting at 6:30 p.m. eastern. you better check your local listings to make sure, amy.

>> all right, robin, thanks. turning now to the big question for millions of households as the school year draws closer. is it safe to return to in person learning? dr. anthony fauci says we should, quote, try as best as possible, and this morning we're taking a look at a new study showing how the placement of a ventilation system could make a big difference in controlling the spread of the virus. gio benitez joins us with the very latest on that. good morning, gio. >> reporter: hey, amy, good morning. yeah, this is a fascinating study. and as you watch this, keep in mind the researchers admit this is not a perfect science. every classroom is going to be different, but it does give us a real clue about what schools might do to limit the spread. this morning, as more schools across the country push back re-opening or opt for online learning, a new simulation showing how the coronavirus could spread in the classroom and what you may be able to do to prevent it. researchers at the university of minnesota zeroing in on the placement of ventilation units, desks and people. take a look at these two simulated classrooms.

in one, they place the teacher who is likely to do the most talking, directly below the ventilation system. in the other, the ventilation system is in the back of the room, the scenario assuming that the teacher is an asymptomatic carrier of the virus. as the simulation begins, you see the particles move around the classroom. but look closely, the virus spreads significantly less in the classroom where the teacher is directly below the vent. this is the result. the red areas indicate hot zones where the virus could be collected. the classroom where the teacher and vent were on opposite sides all red. but where the teacher was below the vent, the virus was much more contained. >> what we found is really the design of ventilation, especially the position of ventilation with respect to the individuals, that makes a huge difference. >> reporter: but two important caveats, the study assumes the teacher, not a student, is the one infected, and it also doesn't take into account what happens when you wear a mask.

>> if we think about best practices like mask wearing, social distancing, proper ventilation but also the layout of the classroom with respect to that ventilation, i think we'll have the best chance of reducing transmission. >> reporter: and dr. anthony fauci now touting another possible tool to fight the virus, eye protection. >> if you have goggles or an eye shield, you should use it. i mean, it's not universally recommended, but if you really want to be complete, you should probably use it if you can. >> reporter: listen, it may not be possible to move the ventilation system but researchers suggest moving the teacher underneath it. the researchers also say opening windows and in some cases even removing ceiling panels could really help, amy. >> all right. that is fascinating, gio. thank you. let's bring in dr. jennifer ashton with more, and dr. jen, we just saw you talking with dr. anthony fauci who said it was a good idea to wear eye protection. so what kind of eyewear are we talking about, and could that be

incorporated in the plan to go back to school safely? >> well, amy, he's talking about anything from regular eyeglasses to goggles to a face shield. there is very limited data on this. and as he said, there's no official recommendation or guideline yet, but there was a study published in "the lancet" on june 1st that suggested that in an out-of-hospital setting, eye protection could possibly lower risks. so again, still learning more about that. >> all right. dr. jen, i want to get your take on a new report in "jama" that talks about the re-opening of schools itself isn't the problem. it's bringing down the rate of transmission that's the issue. >> exactly and dr. fauci and i discussed that yesterday. we're really talking about something that's being referred to as precision public health approach. meaning that the schools themselves are not the only weak link here. they're part of the chain of

transmission, so if in an area there is low circulating viral activity, schools could be fine. in areas where there is very high activity, probably not a good idea. >> we know you're great at answering our viewer questions and we have one from madison hayes who wrote into facebook, our district is saying in classrooms kids' desks will be separated by six feet, but if they're at their desks, they won't have to wear masks in small classrooms. madison asks, is that safe, dr. jen? >> well, first of all, there is no such thing as zero risk. it's age dependent when talking about children and masks, but it's really important that people understand there is no magical thing about six feet of distance. we may learn down the road that eight or nine feet is required. >> all right. dr. jen ashton, thank you so much. coming up next, we have a shark alert. several new sightings off new york beaches very close the shore putting swimmers on high alert in the height of beach season. [ignition turning, engine revving.]

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back now with new concerns about shark attacks. back now with new concerns about shark attacks after the deadly encounter with a great white in maine. some beaches in new york are being restricted after a series of shark sightings close to shore, and whit johnson is at jones beach on long island with the story. good morning, whit. >> reporter: george, good morning to you. there have been at least nine shark sightings off the coast of long island here in less than a week. some of those sharks seen acting aggressively feet away from

shore. take a look up above from our drone camera. these are very popular beaches facing days of rolling restrictions and at times no swimming allowed. this morning, beachgoers on high alert along the coast of long island after three sharks were spotted off the shore wednesday afternoon. at least six other sightings in the area already this week. >> we see the lifeguards running from that lifeguard chair to that lifeguard chair and everybody got out of the water and everybody stood up and everybody is looking and we didn't see anything. >> reporter: people seen here watching the surf. moments after, lifeguard ethan saw a five to six-foot shark swimming behind a school of rays in chest-deep water after 1:00 p.m. >> people came out of the water and right afterwards people that did not see it were shortly followed behind them. >> reporter: helicopters scanning from the sky, lifeguards monitoring from the shore as the beach closed to swimming. about an hour later, just over a

mile away, another beach shut down after lifeguards reported an additional sighting, this time an estimated ten-foot shark just 25 yards off shore. >> there's actually extremely long, extremely big. probably one of the biggest things i've seen in the water aside from a boat or a vessel. >> reporter: local officials say some of the sightings are likely bull sharks known for their aggressive nature, and that the unseasonably warm waters and influx of bait fish may drive them closer to shore. this after a deadly encounter off the coast of maine on monday. 63-year-old julie dimperio holowach attacked and killed by a great white shark while swimming with her daughter. officials say holowach was wearing a wet suit at the time and the shark may have mistaken her for a seal. >> the most dangerous parts of your day are going to be getting to the beach in things like rip currents. there's some commonsense things you can do to protect yourself or avoid interactions with sharks. >> reporter: dr. mike heithaus, marine biologist and part of national geographic's shark fest says while attacks don't happen

often, one secret to staying safe, only swim at certain times of day. >> avoid swimming near sunrise and sunset. you know, those changing light conditions really favor >> announcer: this is an abc news special report. you must understand that we're going to take us back to another period, but you must say we're not going back. we made too much progress, and we're going forward. keep the faith. keep our eyes on the prize. we must go out and vote likwe never, ever voted before. go out there. speak up. >> yeah. >> speak up. get in the way. get in good trouble. >> announcer: celebrating john lewis. now reporting, george stephanopoulos. >> good morning, and thank you for joining us to celebrate a

man who made the promise of america the mission of his life. that is the scene at ebenezer baptist church in atlanta, the historic ebenezer baptist church where john lewis will be celebrated by family and friends and past presidents. he died earlier this month at the age of 80, and over the last week, america has been celebrating his achievements and his life. from troy, alabama where he grew up the son of sharecroppers to montgomery where he led with martin luther king jr., that famous march in selma, alabama back in 1965 that led to the voting rights act and launched his career as an activist. heayn the capitol before heading to washington, d.c. where he also lay in state earlier this week, celebrated by members of congress from both parties and then onto atlanta, and the ebenezer baptist church

this morning. the home parish of martin luther king sr. and martin luther king jr. it was back in 1968, that john lewis accompanied robert kennedy to the funeral of martin luther king jr., and he is being laid to rest today in the company of presidents. joined by our entire team here at abc news including my colleague robin roberts, and robin, john lewis left a message for america before he died. it was published in the "new york times" this morning, and he said, finally walk with the wind, brothers and sisters and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide. it always was his guide. >> and, george, it was always special to be in his presence, uplifting, encouraging and at the beginning of this month, i was scheduled to interview the congressman about his documentary, "good trouble," which looks back at the life and career of this legendary civil rights champion, and just days

before the interview, we were notified that he was too ill to sit down with me, but years ago though in 2012, i did sit down with congressman john lewis to talk about his book "across that bridge: live lessons and a vision for change." here's a bit of that exchange that we had. >> look at these iconic pictures with dr. king and others that you had been apart of, and sir, you talk about so many tenants. you talk about one that really struck a chord with many of us here. reconciliation. speak more about that. >> that's what the movement was all about. to use the way of peace, the way of love, the way of nonviolence, to be reconciled to each other, to lay down the burden of race, hatred and separation. >> you where, don't give in.

don't give up. >> i believe that. i truly believe that you must you ha keep the faith, and you have to keep your eyes on the prize and believe in yourself that you can be part of whatever and transform not just yourself, but others and the world. >> congressman lewis was certainly a big part of that effort to transform, and george, as you know, he never gave in, and he never gave up, george. >> no, he never did, but he also had a lighter side, robin. >> i'm glad you mentioned that. you know, we often saw him being serious, and there were serious issue that is he was dealing with, but he loved to dance. he had a great sense of humor, and i think we're going to see a bit of that in the celebration for his life. happy, just remember that, folks. just remember that when you hear that a bit later in the celebration for john lewis.

>> okay, robin. thanks very much. i want to bring in michael strahan as well, and one of the things as we've learned about the life of john lewis, is how deeply he touched this country and how deeply he changed this country. >> what an effect he had on the country, george. he's from the civil rights era. he fought for racial equality for almost 60 years and he did it with grace. he did it with intelligence, and he did it with kindness. he taught us that anywhere you see injustice, don't be afraid. it is your obligation to speak up and do something about it. he knew that the more people who came together, the bigger the swell of change could be. he just wanted people to be better. he wanted you to do better for your fellow humans. he taught them to speak up. he taught us to never give up, but most of all, i think he taught us to forgive and to be optimistic. he have a role model for so many of us in every way possible, and his spirit will live on and his

message will definitely carry on, george. >> that optimism, that spirit of forgiveness, and from deep faith that john lewis had as well. you're seeing the dignitaries pour in there. right now, john lewis' fellow members of congress, he will be eulogized by barack obama, and george w. bush. he will speak today as well as president clinton. president jimmy carter sends his condolences with the note that he and his wife roslyn are not able to travel right now. the last time we saw george w. bush and barack obama eulogize a legislator was of course, the funeral nearly two years ago of john mccain. >> and they will gather again here today, george. as you mentioned, three presidents barack obama delivering that eulogy. george w. bush and bill clinton

as well, and you can sense the history in this community here where john lewis has come home, serving more than 30 years here in atlanta. we're here at the ebenezer baptist church. not sure if you can hear the organs playing behind me, but i have been talking with people who gathered outside the church. obviously close loved ones and dignitaries inside and outside. one woman told me moments ago if she had to describe john lewis in a word or two, she would say humble but direct. she spent a lot of time coming up with direct. she didn't want to say outspoken, but direct in his message. i thought, what a wonderful message in that exchange with robin roberts just a moment ago that in conversation with john lewis, he was relatively soft-spoken, so kind, so friendly. that was always his way, but so commanding when he would speak about equality and justice for all and a common humanity. what a journey home here, george, as you mentioned from troy and selma, back to washington. he lay in state, the first black

lawmaker to do so, and now here in atlanta. i was wondering, you know, what john lewis would make of all of this, and it got me thinking of the image we've all seen in the last few days in covering john lewis' death, that arrest in mississippi for using that all-white restroom. in that mug shot, you can see a hint of a smile on john lewis' face. he said, i was smiling because i knew i was on the right side of history. he would be humbled today as the presidents gather here and hopefully with a hint of a smile. one thing, george, with president obama delivering this eulogy, it reminded me of barack obama's inauguration, and it was shortly thereafter he gave john lewis a commemorative image and signed it and said, because of you, john. barack obama. >> repeated it again in 2012 when he was re-elected. there is john lewis, the casket of john lewis at ebenezer baptist church. steve osunsami is also there at ebenezer baptist, and steve, you

covered john lewis for years down there in atlanta. he was also your congressman. >> reporter: he was. he was my congressman the entire time that i have lived here. i've lived here for two decades, in three homes and he was always my congressman. i first met him in the early 2000s. i have been with abc for just a few years at this point, and i was walking into the grocery store. so i'm at my publix grocery store at ansley shopping center and i walk into the store and there's john lewis. i did not expect him to recognize me, but he did, and we got to talking, and i said, i was sprurprised that i would ev know who i am. i know who you are, and you're a great. he told me that there are few o like we do, and so of course, i would recognize you. that that was important to me, and that's something i'll never forget, and, you know, to say

that he was admired by the citizens of this great city is an understatement. he was beloved and you saw that with the lines of people who waited in the heat and humidity to say their final good-bye, george. >> even in the socially distanced times and we see that in the sanctuary today. people keeping a proper distance given the pandemic as we hear fanfare for the common man being played also in the church. byron pitts, "nightline" anchor with us as well. ebenezer baptist historic church. martin luther king's church, and john lewis' church. >> he was a member of ebenezer for years before he became ill. he would go back to atlanta every weekend, and every sunday morning, he would go to the early morning service. the 8:00 a.m. service because he rose at 5:00 in the morning, and this church meant so much to him. it's where he and his wife lillian were married.

it's where her funeral service was held there. these images i can recall of john lewis and his wife, lillian's funeral. you see this man brokenhearted. his partner for 41 years was gone, and so today for people of faith -- i know people in that church are mindful that john lewis is with her again, his partner, this woman who they worshipped god together in that place. and ebenezer is a special place. it was the eaccep epicenter of civil rights movement in the 1960s, and america will be exposed to something. it will see the grandness of a black church, that historically in a black church, that's where we discuss politics. that's where people find comfort. that's where the medicine of music exists. today we'll hear from grammy singers, grammy award winners. we'll hear from three presidents, so yes, politics, yes, the comfort of music and

also the strategy that came out of a black church. where do we go forward? where do we go monday? we'll hear about that today. where do we go as a nation taking john lewis' mission forward? >> we saw the congressman coming into the chapel today. you see kamala harris, and cory booker, african-american senators. they are part of john lewis' legacy as well. >> so many who he inspired and that's what struck me when i was reading his words today in the op-ed. he talked about how he lived to be inspired by this next generation where he says, you filled me with hope about the next chapter of the great american story when you used your power to make a difference in our society. so we really see this full circle. he inspired. he lived to be inspired. he through his commitment and hard work to making sure that millions of americans would have access to what he called first class citizenship, he ultimately got to see his parents cast their first vote. he got to see the first black

president who is now going to be delivering his eulogy today, and he got to get a library card from the library in alabama that initially denied him, and that's how this all is so full circle because that's where it all started. he talked about in 1956 he was just 15 years old going to the local library, and he was poor and didn't have books at home. he was going with his brothers, sisters and cousins to get books because he liked to read and the librarian said, look. the library is just for whites only. fast forward to 1998, he ended up writing a book. that library called him to have a book signing there. that book signing of course, was attended by blacks and whites alike. after it was over, they granted him that library card 42 years later, george. >> a long time coming right there. the service is about to begin. there you see at ebenezer baptist, and as we come up on 11:00 eastern on the east coast, we should note that the family

has said that right at 11:00, churches around the country, 500 churches around the country expected to ring bells for 80 seconds to celebrate john lewis. let's listen. [ bell tolls ] ebenezer baptist church. [ bell tolls ] [ bell tolls ]

[ bell tolls ] 80 bells, 80 seconds, 80 years for john lewis.

[ bell tolls ]

[ bell tolls ] [ bell tolls ] [ bell tolls ]

[ bell tolls ] [ bell tolls ]

. >> president george w. bush entering the sanctuary along with laura bush. everyone this mo the speaker of the house, nancy pelosi. she will speak as well, a colleague of john lewis for more than 30 years in the house. i believe that's the mayor of atlanta, keisha lance-bottoms, and now the pastor of ebenezer

baptist will lead the service. >> shall we stand? i am the resurrection and the lake, said the lord. yet shall we live again. >> pastor saying the prayer. former president bill clinton. >> sha n. and that he shall stand with me at the light of day.

infy skin, worms destroy this body, yet shall i see god. i shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold, and another. behold, eyes show you a mystery. we shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. for the death must be raised and crumble. we shall all be changed.

immortality. this corruptible, corruption at whim, this corruptible shall put on corruption. when put on immortality, then will be brought to pass. death is in dignity. where is your dignity? thanks be onto god who gives us the victor. thanks be on to god who gave john robert lewis the victory through jesus christ, our lord

and liberator. let all the children of god say amen. >> all: amen. >> you're in a baptist church. say it loudly. amen. >> all: amen. >> you may be seated. god bless you, my sisters and brothers. you who sit in the sanctuary and those who join us on our church livestream or by television, god bless you and welcome to ebenezer baptist church. spiritual home of martin luther king jr., spiritual home of john robert lewis, america's freedom

church. in these difficult days that even made grieving more at a time when we would find comfort in embracing one another. when we must socially distance from one another, but make no mistake. we are together. in principle, even if not in proximity. we may not all be in the same room, but we are all on the same page, and we are in touch with the same spirit. we love john robert lewis. [ applause ] come on. give god preach.

come on. [ applause ] [ applause ] let me just offer this. we praise god for john lewis, but as we gather in this house, god be reminding that as a

teenager, he actually used to preach to the chickens. i guess you have to start somewhere. at age 16, he preached what we call his trial sermon in a little country church, but as his life he preached sermons, he became one. he became a living, walking sermon about truth-telling and justice-making and he loved america until america learned how to love him back. [ applause ] at time when there is so much going on in our world, the new cycle is packed at a dizzying pace. in the last several days, it is

as if time stood still while the nation takes its time to remember him. i rise a big ask in this call to celebration. what is it that calls us to slow down, to linger for a little while with so much swirling around us. we're summoned here because in a moment, when there are some in high office who are much better at division than vision who cannot lead us so they seek to divide us. in a moment when there is so much political cynicism and narcissism that masquerades as patriotism, here lies a true american patriot who risked his and lived for the hope and

the promise of democracy. [ applause ] we celebrate john lewis. beaten and battered, but never bitter. on a bridge in selma, he stared down bigotry and tyranny and won. how did he do it? the great-great-grandson of slaves, he received a spiritual power born of suffering that transcended human station and called upon the human law to more closely align itself with the law of love. howard thurmond said by some amazing, but vastly creative spirituality, the slave undertook the redemption of a religion that the master had profaned in his midst. john lewis' ancestors met a man named jesus in the brush of alabama and georgia and mississippi and john lewis

received that faith and took it with him across that bridge in selma, and every other bridge. we've come to celebrate john lewis. [ applause ] so let us be clear. when president lindyndon b. john signed a bill into law, what he etched in ink had already been sanctioned by blood, the blood of the martyrs, the blood of cheney and goodman, two jews and an african-american who were murdered in mississippi, the blood of viola, the blood of john lewis. we celebrate john lewis. he was wounded for america's transgressions, bruised for our inequities. the chastisement of our peace

was from him, and from his strikes we are healed, so let's remember him today and let's recommit tomorrow to standing together and fighting together, and voting together and standing up on behalf of truth and righteousness, together. we'll get through this together. let's worship the lord. let's worship the lord together. thank god for john robert lewis. let the nation say amen. >> all: amen. >> and let the angels rejoice.

a niece of john lewis. >> good morning. i will be coming from the 23rd number of psalms. the lord is my shepherd. i shall not want. he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. he leadeth me beside still waters. he restores my soul. he leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his namesake. sth shall i walk through the valley of the shadows of death i shall fear no evil for thou are with me. prepares the table before me and the presence of my enemies. my cup runeth over. goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and i will dwell in the house of the lord forever. thank you. >> and now a new testament

reading from mrs. roslyn king, another niece. of mr. lewis. and you notice there they are disinfecting the mic after each speaker. >> good morning. i will now be reading the first chronicles, 13th chapter. if i could speak all the languages of earth and of angels but didn't love others, i would only be a noisy gong or a clanging symbol. if i had the gift of prophesy, and if i understood all of god's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if i had such faith that i could move mountains but didn't love others, i would be nothing. if i gave everything i have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, i could boast about it, but if i didn't love others, i

would have gained nothing. love is patient and kind. love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. it does not demand its own way. it is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. it does not rejoice about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance. prophesy and speaking in an unknown language, in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless, but love will last forever. now our knowledge is partial, and incomplete, and even the gift of prophesy reveals only part of the whole picture, but when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. when i was a child, i spoke and thought and reasoned as a child, but when i grew up, i put away

childish things. now we see things imperfectly like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. all that i know now is partial and incomplete, but then i will know everything completely just as god now knows me completely. three things will last forever. faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love. thank you. >> good morning. while we know that death is the great equalizer, we all recognize that person it is dif, and so i want to extend condolences to you, the siblings of john lewis and the entire --

>> that's the mluer >> on behalf of the entire king family, including my aunt christine, my dad's only living sibling who would have been here with us today but for covid, but rest assured, she is viewing us on television as we speak. let us pray. great and mighty god, creator of us all and sustainer of all things, we invoke you on this morning. we welcome you, holy spirit into this place. we humbly look to you in this hour for wisdom and strength and comfort as we celebrate the homegoing of your son and servant, congressman john robert lewis. please, dear father, comfort this family and grant them a

piece of god that passes all understa understanding. surround them with your love. in the words of your servant, martin luther king jr. who reminded us that death is not a period that ends this great sentence of life, but a comma which punctuates it to a lofty and higher significance, help us, oh god, to grasp that truth and cede tsee the magnitude of moment, not merely as the death of a great soul, but as a divine message that says to each and every one of us on this earth, be still and know that i am god. hear me and heed my message in this hour that love even for an enemy is the only way to transform this world into a true brother and sisterhood.

we thank you, god, for the life and legacy of congressman john lewis who showed us this more excellent way of life. we thank you for honoring us with his presence and allowing our lives to intersect with his life. be with his family. be with those who struggle with him in that movement, and know that he continues to live on, in and through each and every one of them and each and every one of us. we praise you, oh, god for this nonviolent warrior who fought for true peace which daddy taught us is not merely the absence of tension, but the presence of justice. as we honor the life of congressman john lewis, who shed blood on that edmund pettus bridge, that we might have the right to vote. grant that we never again take that right for granted, and that we exercise it no matter what, and that we never again tamper

with that right, overtaking this hour, our congress that they might restore voting rights protections in our nation. as we honor the life of this nonviolent warrior who invitemb the very spirit of christ and showed us we have the power to resist evil and vitriol with the force of love and truth. we are eternally grateful, oh god that we lived among us for four score years and demonstrated on that bridge that physical force is no match for soul force. grant us the capacity to follow his example to fight injustice without bitterness and hostility, but with a righteous indignation. oh, god as elijah asked for, and elijah's anointing as he transition, let a portion of

what john lewis' life was about fall on us in this hour so that we can continue to get in good trouble. anoint us with the double portion in this generation to get into good trouble until there is radical reform in policing in our nation. anoint us a double portion to get into good trouble until voter suppression is no longer apart of our body politic. anoint us with the double portion to bget into trouble until there is anne equitable wage. anoint us to get into good trouble until all labor is treated with dignity. grant us oh father to get us into good trouble until the school, the prison pipeline is nonexistent and every child gets an equitable education. dear god, grant us to get into

good trouble until white supremacy around the world is uprooted in all of our policies and everyday practices no longer reflect white supremacy. grant us a double portion, god, to get into good trouble until this nation truly becomes a compassionate nation because as daddy reminded us ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation. grant us, god, a double portion of anointing to get into good trouble until black bodies are andnfluce inve arena. this ivese grant us finally, father god, that a double portion to get into good trouble until love

becomes the way we live, the way we lead, the way we legislate, and until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. thank you, oh god for this great man who lived among us who now joins the great cloud of freedom fighters, and lord we thank you for his life and his legacy, and we will continue to get into good trouble as long as y anall of the t d tname jesus t god said togeth,amen. >> dr. bernice king invoking her father dr. martin luther king jr. on the causes of john lewis'

life. and now we will hear from jennifer holliday, only what you do from christ will last. ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ you may build great cathedrals ♪ ♪ large or small ♪ you may build skyscrapers, grand and tall ♪ ♪ you may conquer all the failures of your past ♪

♪ oh, but only what you do for christ will last ♪ ♪ you may think earthly power, wealth and fame ♪ ♪ and the world might be impressed by your great name ♪

♪ some glories of this life will all soon be pass ♪ ♪ , what you do for christ will last ♪ ♪ remember only what you do for christ will last ♪ ♪ remember only, only, only,

only what you do, yeah ♪ ♪ for christ will last ♪ oh, only what you do it will cou counted ♪ ♪ in only what you do for christ will last ♪ ♪ oh, remember only what you do

for christ will last ♪ ♪ oh, remember, what you do, only what you do for christ will last ♪ ♪ only what, only what you do, what you do for christ will be counted ♪ ♪ only what you, what you do for

chri christ, oh, it's going last ♪ ♪ oh, it's going to last, yeah ♪ oh, only what you do, what you do for christ will last ♪ ♪ oh, whoa, oh ♪ only what you do for christ will last ♪ ♪ yeah, only what you do, only what you do ♪

[ applause ] >> jennifer holliday. now the poem invictus, one of john lewis' favorites, will be read by a young man named tyber faw. >> out of the night that covers me, black as a pit from pole to to pole, i think whatever god may be for my inkwconquerable soul. i have not winced nor cried aloud. under the bludgeonings of chants, my head is bloodied, but i'm bowed. beyond this place of breath and tears, looms but the horror of the shade, and yet menace of the

years finds and shall find me unafraid. it matters not how straight the gay, how charged with punishment the scroll, i'm the master of my fate. i'm the captor of my soul. john lewis was my hero, my friend, let's honor him by getting in good trouble. [ applause ] >> seven hours. he was greeted with a hug and kindness and friendship. >> only the inconquerable spirit and the magnanimous soul of john lewis could summon all of us together in this place at this

time. only john lewis could compel three living american presidents to come to this house of god. [ apause ] we are grateful that all of them are here. the honorable george w. bush. [ applause ] who was president the last time we authorized the voting rights act. [ applause ] the honorable william jefferson clinton. [ applause ]

and in just a little while, we'll hear from the honorable barack obama. [ applause ] but the program will proceed as printed. president bush, president clinton, speaker of the house nancy pelosi, and -- [ applause ] -- and another living saint among us, teacher and activist the reverend james lawson. [ applause ]

>> good morning. >> all: good morning. >> distinguished guests, john miles, lewis family and friends, lord, i thank you for inviting us to be here today. john's story began on a tiny farm in troy, alabama, a place so small he said you could barely find it on the map. why not talk to chickens? i did a little research. every morning he would rise before the sun to tend to the flock of chickens. he loved those chickens.

already called to be a minister who took care of others, john fed them and tended to their every need, even their spiritual ones for john baptized them. he married them and he preached to them. when his parents claimed one for family supper, genre fused to eat one of his flock. going hungry was his first act of nonviolent protest. he also noted in later years that his first congregation of chickens listened to him more closely than some of his colleagues in congress. john also thought that chickens were just a little more productive, at least they produced eggs, he said. from troy to nashville to the

march on washington, to selma, john lewis always looked outward, not inward. he always thought of others. he always believed in preaching the gospel in word and indeed, insisting the word of hate and fear had to be answered with love and hope. john lewis believed in the lord. he believed in humanity, and he believed in america. he's been called an american saint, a believer willing to give up everything. even life itself to bear witness to the truth that drove him all his life. that we could build a world of peace and justice, harmony, dignity and love, and the first crucial step on that journey was the recognition that all people are born in the image of god and

carry a spark of the divine within them. laura and i were privileged to see that spark in john up close. we worked with him to bring the national museum of african-american history and culture to the washington mall. he was part of the emmett till crimes act where justice had been too long denied. we will never forget joining him in selma, alabama for the 50th anniversary of his march across the edmund pettus bridge where we got to watch president barack obama thank john as one of his heroes. [ applause ] there's a story in the old scriptures that meant a lot to john. in the hebrew bible, the lord is looking for a prophet.

whom shall i send, god wonders, and who will go for us? isaiah answers, here am i. send me. john lewis heard that call a long time ago ain segregated alabama, and he took up the work of the lord through all his days. his lesson for us is that we all must keep ourselves open to the hearing -- open to hearing the call of love, the call of service and the call to sack face f -- sacrifice for others. listen, john and i had our disagreements of course, but in the america john lewis fought for and the america i believe in, differences of opinion are inevitable elements and evidence of democracy in action. [ applause ] we the people including

congressmen and presidents can have differing views on how to perfect our union while sharing the conviction that our nation however flawed is at heart a good and noble one. we live in a better and nobler country today because of john lewis, and his abiding faith in the power of god, in the power of democracy and in the power of love to lift us all to a higher ground. the story that began in troy isn't ending here today, nor is the work. john lewis lives forever in his father's house, and he will live forever in the hearts of americans who act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with their god. may the flights of angels see john lewis to his rest and may god bless the country he loved.

[ applause ] >> president george w. bush said he had his differences with john lewis. he also said he shared patriot with him. now president william jefferson clinton. [ applause ]

>> thank you very much. first i thank john miles and the lewis family and john's incomparable staff for a chance to say a few words about a man i loved for a long time. i am grateful in ebenezer, a holy place sanctified by both the faith and the works of those who worshipped here. i thank my friend reverend bernice king who stood by my side and gave a fascinating sermon in one of the most challenging periods of my life. i thank president bush,

president obama, speaker pelosi and representative hoyer and representative clyburn who i really thank for with the stroke of a hand, ending an intrafamily fight within our party, proving that peace is needed by everyone. madam mayor, thank you. you have faced more than a fair laew mohs and you candor and dignity and honor, and i thank you for that. [ applause ]

i must say for a fellow that got his start speaking to chickens, john's gotten a pretty finely organized and orchestrated and deeply deserved sendoff this last week. his homegoing has been something to behold. [ applause ] i think it's important that all of us who loved him remember that he was after all, a human being. a man like all other humans born with strengths that he made the most of when many don't. born with weaknesses that he worked hard to beat down when many can't, but still a person.

it made him more interesting, and it made him in my mind, even greater. 20 years ago we celebrated the 35th anniversary of the selma march, and ewiwe talked togethe along with coretta and many others from the movement who are no longer with us. we are grateful for andy young and reverend jackson and diane nash and many others who surv e survive, but on that day, i got him to replay for me a story he told me when we first met back in the 1970s.

i said, you know, i was just an aspiring whatever southern politician and had been elected governor, and he was already a legend. so i said, john, what's the closest you ever actually came getting killed to doing this? he said, well, once we were in a demonstration and i got knocked out on the ground and people were getting beat up pretty bad and i looked up and there was a man hold a long, heavy piece of pipe and he lifted it and was clearly going to bring it right down into my skull, and at the very last second, i turned my neck away and then the crowd pushed him a little bit. a couple of seconds later, i couldn't believe it. i was still alive. i think it's important to remember that. first because he was a quick thinker, and secondly because he

was here on a mission that was bigger than personal ambition. things like that sometimes just happen, but usually they don't. i think three things happened to john lewis long before we met and became friends that made him who he was. first the famous story of john with his cousins and siblings holding his aunt's hand, more than a dozen of them running around in their little old wooden house as the wind threatened to blow the house off its moorings. going to the place where the house was rising and all those tiny bodies trying to weigh it down. i think he learned something about the power of working

togeth together, something that was more powerful than any instruction. second, nearly 20 years later when he was 23, the youngest speaker and the last speaker at the march on washington. when he gave a great speech urging to take to the streets across the south to seize the chance to finally end racism, and he listened to people that he knew had the same goals. say, well, we have to be careful how we say this because we're trying to get converts, not more adversaries. just three years later, he lost the leadership to stokely carmichael because he said, you

know, i really -- i think it was a pretty good job for a guy that young, and he come from troy, alabama. it must have been painful to lose, but he showed as a young man there are some things that you cannot do to hang on to a position because if you do them, you won't be who you are anymore, and i say there were two or three years there where the movement went a little bit too far towards stokely, but in the end, john lewis prevailed. we are here today because he had the kind of character he showed when he lost an election. [ applause ]

and there was bloody sunday. he figured he might get arrested, and this was really important not to, for all the reps citing things we all believe about john lewis. we had a really good mind and he was always trying to figure out how can i make the most of every single moment. so he was getting ready to march from selma to montgomery. he wants to get across the bridge. what do we remember? he made quite a strange figure. he had a trench coat and a backpack. now young people probably think it's no big deal, but there weren't that many backpacks back then, and you never saw anybody in a trench coat looking halfway dressed up with a backpack.

but john put an apple, an orange, a toothbrush, toothpaste in the backpack to take care of his body because he figured he would get arrested. and two books. one, a book on america's political tradition to feed his mind, and one, the autobiography of thomas merten, a roman-catholic monk who was the son of artists making an astonishing personal transformati transformation. a young guy about to get his brains beat out and planning on going to prison. he's taking that. i think he figured if thomas merten could find his way and

keep his faith and believe in the future, he, john lewis could too. [ applause ] and -- so we honor our friend for his faith and for living his faith which the scripture says is the substance of things hoped for. the evidence of things unseen. john lewis was a walking rebuke to people who thought well, we ain't there yet. we have been working a long time. isn't it time to bag it? he kept moving. he hoped for and imagined and lived and worked and moved for his beloved community. he took a savage beating on more than one day, and he lost that

backpack on bloody sunday. nobody ever knows what happened to it. maybe someday someone will be stricken with conscience and give some of it back, but what it represented never disappeared from john lewis' spirit. we honor that memory today because as a child, he learned to walk with the wind, to march with others to save a tiny house. because as a young man he challenged others to join him with love and dignity to hold america's house down and open the doors of america to all its people. we honor him because in selma on the third attempt, john and his comrades showed that sometimes you have to walk into the wind along with with it. as he crossed the bridge and

marched into montgomery, but no matter what, john always kept walking to reach the beloved community. he got into a lot of good trouble along the way, but let's not forget he also developed an absolutely uncanny ability to heal troubled waters. when he could have been angry and determined to cancel his adversaries, he tried to get converts instead. he thought the open hand was better than the clenched fist. he lived by the faith and promise of st. paul. let us not grow weary in doing good for a new season we will reap if we do not lose heart. he never lost heart. he fought the good fight.

he kept the faith, but we got our last letter today on the pages of "the new york times." keep moving. it is so fitting, on the day of his service. he leaves us, our marching quarters. keep moving. 20 years ago when i came here after the selma march to a big dinner honoring john and lillian and john miles, you had a big afro, and it was really pretty. and your daddy was giving you grief about it and i said, john, let's don't get old too soon. i mean, if i had hair like that, i would have it down to my shoulders. but on that night, i was almost out of time and people were --

to be president, and people were asking me, well, if you could do one more thing, what would it be? what do youbecause i had many f atlanta. i said if i could just do one thing, if god came to me tonight and said okay, your time is up. you got to go home. i'm not a genie, i'm not giving you three wishes. one thing, what would it be? i said i would infect every american with whatever it was that john lewis got as a 4-year-old kid and took through a lifetime to keep moving and