the edmund pettus bridge. rachel scott is there for us today.lood. this morning, it's lined with rose petals. >> reporter: that's exactly right, george. it was stained with john lewis' blood, and today rose petals on the very streets where he bled for the right to vote. hundreds gathering here today to honor the civil rights icon, a man who never settled, who always stepped up, always caused necessary trouble as he would say. flowers at the foot of the bridge here, and, you know, in 1965, 55 years ago when john lewis marched across this bridge with hundreds of others, he looked at the name edmund pettus, napettus named after a kkk leader, and he was dreaming of a better america, and he was willing to put his body on the line for it. when he crosses the bridge for the final time, many say it's because he has made america a better place. what was once a symbol of injustice is now a symbol of hope and civil rights for so many, and the alabama state troopers who nearly took his life decades ago will now carry his casket across the state as we honor

traveling about a half mile to crossing the edmund pettus bridge one last time. place where lewis who was just 25 years old at the time in 1965 cemented his towering legacy after he helped lead a march to montgomery for voting rights, more than five decades ago. it's also wear lewis was brutally beaten by officers. today, is day two now of a series of ceremonies over the next five days now in cities that helped shape lewis' life. later on today lewis will lie in state at alabama's state capitol in montgomery. that's where we go to right now. victor blackwell is there in montgomery. vict victor, this tribute in totality, six days, beginning yesterday in troy, alabama. that's the birthplace of the congressman and now selma where some of his history was made and history of selma made and the voting rights act history was sparked and made. then to montgomery. these services are taking us on this journey of lewis's life. tell us what is expected there in montgomery, how people are feeling and i imagine people are riveted with these ceremonies and this moment just like

in was the edmund pettus bridge. a confederate officer and also head of the klan in alabama, and many find the name offensive. i talked to people about how about calling it the john lewis bridge. there's a push back, the foot soldiers. those who are known to have walked with john across that bridge back in the day, back during the civil rights marches. they don't want to change that name. because, they say, that name is so closely tied with their victory, with the achievements that were made, with the voting rights act, with the sacrifice that john lewis and others made on that day. so, surprisingly, they believe the name should stay where it is. but the crowd that's been gathering here since easily 7:30 in the morning just believes this is a moment in time, a moment, of course, not to be repeated, the last crossing over of john lewis at a significant moment in a movement and now in the final acts of recognition to his life, brian. >> your point about the bridge name is really interesting because a few minutes ago on

and i was 3 years old when john lewis crossed the edmund pettus bridge. and my family moved away when i was young. but i still carried my birth place, when we moved quite frequently and every new town we'd go to, i'd go to a school, a teacher would ask where i was born, i'd say, selma, and that started a whole conversation about what happened in selma. it's on my passport. selma, alabama. so many people who have seen that, who started a conversation about what john lewis and so many people did, crossing that bridge in selma. so the story has become part of me. part of my life. and i never, ever imagined, first, that i'd be a member of congress. let alone have the opportunity to serve on ways and means committee with my hero, john lewis. one of the first trips i ever took as a member of congress was to go to selma, to go back to my birth place. with terri sewell, with john lewis. we were the selma caucus, the three of us on the ways and means committee. and just to be able to experience that, to talk to john, i had the chance to go to south africa with joh

his casket is now lying in state at the alabama state capitol after it was carried across the edmund pettus bridge in the city of selma in a highly symbolic tribute 55 years ago on a day now known as a bloody sunday lewis and other peaceful protesters were beaten by police as. they marched across the bridge calling for voting rights for african-americans lewis who became a highly respected congressman died of cancer a week ago at the age of 80. we'll have more on the ceremony in selma alabama in just a moment but 1st we have this look back at the life of john lewis and why so many people in the united states hold him in such high esteem. his death brought the capitol to a standstill flags flew at half mast silence on the house floor as representatives paid their respects john lewis his last public appearance was at the black lives matter protests in june it's a cause he fought for throughout his entire adult life. lewis was part of the civil rights movement in the 1960 s. and a close associate of martin luther king jr. in 1965 lewis helped lead a march across a bridge at the town of selma a

yes that bridge is still named edmund pettus it after a confederate general he was also a grand dragon in the land when i making member of the station and he was a u.s. senator representing alabama and as many people know a lot of. ponds and monuments across the south are named to meddle in honor of confederate individuals and then in this particular case in 1065 as marchers approached this bridge it was still they dug right. today there have been a number of lines requesting that it be changed to the name congress john that congressman john lewis. purchasing william f. my reporting here in selma and i talked with some of them participated in that march that they said they would like to stay bridge because it represents a transformative moment in american history that marks the passage of the march across the bridge in the course of the. gas and reporting from selma alabama in the united states thank you so much. thank you mary. let's get a check now of some of the other stories making news around the world protesters have clashed with police at anti racism demonstrations across the u.

there's been talk of renaming the edmund pettus bridge in his honor. i'm not opposed to that. i think that humble bridge has become a defining piece of american history. but john lewis did not risk his life on bloody sunday for the right to rename a bridge. he risked his life for the right of every man and woman in america to vote and to have a voice in our democracy. john said so many times the right to vote is precious. it is almost sacred. it is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have. the voting rights act of 1965 has been weakened and whittled down by recent supreme court and other court decisions and the actions of this department of justice. in december the house of representatives voted to restore the voting rights act. john lewis presided over the u.s. house of representatives on the day of that important vote. that bill, restoring the voting rights act, has been sitting on senator mcconnell's desk for more than 225 days. words of praise for john lewis are fine. but they're not enough. this senate should honor the life and the sacrifice of john lewis by voting to re

governor wallace >> john lewis was nearly beaten to death that day when he tried to cross the edmund pettusg our discussion now is caroline randall williams, a writer in residence at vanderbilt university, and a great-great-granddaughter of the confederate general edmund pettus caroline, thank you very much for joining us again tonight i have just two questions for you. maybe i can just throw it out there as one, which is tell us what we should know about your great-great-grandfather edmund pettus and what we should know about john lewis when we consider the name of this bridge >> you know, i only ever wanted to use edmund pettus' name to shine a light on what i hope this country can look like moving forward so what i would say is what you need to know about edmund pettus is that he committed heinous acts, crimes against humanity before the war and after the war. and you know his titles. you know the things that he represented. you know the things that he held up and so to me, this moment is about finding a way to rename that bridge after the man who put that bridge on the right side of his

bridge he ith edmund pettus bridge h john lewie h -- john lewis what he put into it. and some of the conservatives always wanted to be seen with john lewis at the time we marched across the edmund pettus bridge so they can claim constituents who were black so they can say they were aligned with him. so he's given back a lot and this talk renaming the edmund pettus bridge i agree with that. that would be wonderful. i've been going on the marches with him ever since i've been in congress. i'd love nothing better to be on the edmund pettus bridge when we change the name to the john l.lewis bridge. >> one more thing i want to ask you about before we let you go, the brutality that john lewis bare including on the edmund pettus bridge, is a recommend he -- resemble now what's going on a memo warned the federal officers deployed to protect in portland, oregon, didn't have training in riot control or mass demonstrations and the memo reads in part, quote, moving forward, if this type of response is going to be the norm specialized training and standardized equipment should be

. >>> the edmund pettus bridge in >> we're marching today to dramatize to the nation and dramatize tot hundreds and thousands of negro citizens of alabama, but particularly here in the blytheville area, denied the right to vote. we intend to march to montgomery to present said grievance to governor george c. wallace >> john lewis was nearly beaten to death that day when he tried to cross the edmund pettus bridge joining our discussion now is caroline randall williams, a writer in residence at vanderbilt university, and a great-great-granddaughter of the confederate general edmund pettus caroline, thank you very much for joining us again tonight i have just two questions for you. maybe i can just throw it out there as one, which is tell us what we should know about your great-great-grandfather edmund pettus and what we should know about john lewis when we consider the name of this bridge >> you know, i only ever wanted to use edmund pettus' name to shine a light on what i hope this country can look like moving forward so what i would say is what you need to know about edmund pettus is

how far america has come from the time john lewis marched across the edmund pettus bridge. >> amen.indeed. we just saw, jonathan, while you were speaking, we saw the motorcade move past the architectural marvel that's the african-american history museum there in washington, d.c. again, congressman lewis, instrumental in the early stages of making that museum happen. we are, of course, honoring the late john lewis, civil rights icon. joined by another civil rights icon, rev. jesse jackson is with me now, former presidential candidate, of course, founder and president of rainbow push coalition. congressman lewis was one of re reverend jackson's close friends. you knew the congressman for decades. who was the john lewis that you knew? >> we met in the fall of 1960. in greenberg, february 1st, off nashville, the reverend jim lawson, i have known john as -- he took the most beatings. john engaged everything. for example, said -- to test the village. the overriding challenge -- john never stopped going. black and brown had to sit behind at the military bases. said i want my freedom now. h

and i was 3 years old when john lewis crossed the edmund pettus bridge. and my family moved away when i was young. but i still carried my birth place, when we moved quite frequently and every new town we'd go to, i'd go to a school, a teacher would ask where i was born, i'd say, selma, and that started a whole conversation about what happened in selma. it's on my passport. selma, alabama. so many people who have seen that, who started a conversation about what john lewis and so many people did, crossing that bridge in selma. so the story has become part of me. part of my life. and i never, ever imagined, first, that i'd be a member of congress. let alone have the opportunity to serve on ways and means committee with my hero, john lewis. one of the first trips i ever took as a member of congress was to go to selma, to go back to my birth place. with terri sewell, with john lewis. we were the selma caucus, the three of us on the ways and means committee. and just to be able to experience that, to talk to john, i had the chance to go to south africa with joh

united states where the body of the late civil rights icon john lewis is to be carried across the edmund pettus bridge in selma alabama in a special ceremony which is about to start it was on this bridge that lewis and other civil rights marchers were beaten 55 years ago what was to become bloody sunday a key event in the fight for voting rights for african-americans we want to show you live pictures now where mourners should begin to gather on that bridge there you see the pictures outside across from the bridge where lewis his body is supposed to be carried across. causing you to see these live pictures we're seeing mourners gathered near the casket of lewis to be carried across the edmund pettus bridge in a highly symbolic ceremony this was the side of a conflict and war days as i mentioned was called bloody sunday and march 7th 1965 police attacked and brutally beat civil rights movement demonstrators as they were attempting to march across the bridge to the state capital montgomery. his death brought the capitol to a standstill flags flew at half mast silence on the house floor as represen

by horses across the edmund pettus bridge. . procession was saluted by alabama state e troopers, a very differenent reception from thehe lewis s received in n march of , when a trooper nearly killed him . it is the second of six days of commemororations, after he dieif july. o on the 1717th of >> if it is not right, say someththing. congreressman wiwis would sayy something. he would not letet it go. that is what we have got to do as a people, make it right. >> he was a fighter. end.pept pressing untilil the reporter: 55 years ago, lewis was leading a peaceful protest on the bridge when the activists were attacked with teargas and buttons, leaving many injurered. this l led to congress approving legislation that removed barriers to voting. his death comes s as black livis mamatter protests have brought thousands onto u.s. streets. speaking at his church service on sunday, an alabama representative said, lewis never give up hope. >> we are all infused with optimism. can't you hear him? "find a way to get in the way! good trouble.

well, when it came to the edmund pettus bridge, not only did he rise to the occasion by marching across that bridge, he made the occasion by helping to organize the march that left brown chapel and went to that bridge knowing that they were facing the constab blairry with clubs. they marched on. knowing they were marching into brutality. they marched on. he was a person who understood that the cause of justice was sometimes required. -- would sometimes require some harm to be suffered. yet he marched on. and for this reason, the world had an opportunity to see the horrors of invidious discrimination and in so seeing a president, lyndon johnson, was put in a position such that he could pass the voting rights act. after the passage of that act, many of us who are in congress today are here because he marched across that bridge. so i would say to you, mr. speaker, i would say to you because of his courage, because he walked the talk, because he was there for us at the edmund pettus bridge, and because the voting rights act was passed as a result thereof, it seems to me it would be proper,

i hope again we replace edmund pettus bridge. edmund was a slave owner. we need to rename that bridge after a freedom fighter. >> and son of alabama. >> absolutely. >> reverend sharpton, we will have more on the impact of congressman john lewis' life tonight at 5:00 p.m. on msnbc. reverend, i appreciate your words. >> thank you. >>> congress member john lewis remembered with tributes this morning. former president obama tweeting quote not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way. john lewis did. >> martin luther king iii posting his tribute. john lewis was an american treasure. he gave a voice to the voiceless and reminded us the most powerful tool is the vote. our hearts feel empty. >> kamacal kamala harris said l fought for the cause for all americans. i'm devastated for friends, family and staff. my friend, thank you for showing the world that what good trouble looks like. >> let's go to georgia. the state that john lewis represented for more than 30 years. >> blayne alexander has more. how is mr. lewis

the edmund pettus bridge the site again of a conflict on march 7th 1965 that would become known as bloody sunday today however it's where we are seeing his casket cross for the last time on that horse drawn carriage mourners are gathering here we expect more as the event proceeds of course was a favorite son of alabama known by some as the boy from jordan nickname famously given to him by the civil rights icon dr martin luther king we want to take a look back at john lewis's life she's what we've prepared for you. brought the capitol to a standstill flags flew at half mast. silence on the house floor as representatives paid their respects john lewis his last public appearance was at the black lives matter protests in june it's a cause he fought for throughout his entire adult life. lewis was part of the civil rights movement in the 1960 s. and a close associate of martin luther king jr. in 1965 who has helped lead a march across a bridge at the town of selma alabama which was brutally suppressed by the police louis sustained a broken skull. and . national outrage at the violence led to eq

the edmund pettus pettus bridge in selma i will bring you that live when it happens. on al-jazeera. of course this is the 2nd day of 6 days of commemorating mr lewis is life yesterday what we all thoughts. on yesterday's celebration his hometown troy with his family remembering him by sharing very personal tributes. so his family knew him is robert right so so by the way comparison my middle name is kenyatta the only people who call me kenyatta are the people i grew up with right after terry but i also am lester spence so john lewis is this larger than life figure but john lewis was also john robert lewis was also robert louis who was just kind of a regular person who when the moment car for it kind of stood up and change the world right so so so excited extend it what his family is wrestling with are those 2 figures at the same time there's robert louis who they knew you know who would hang out with him for christmas and holidays etc etc and then there's john lewis how do you actually take those people put the kind of put them together wrestle with them and that's so that's what we

. >> -- going across the edmund pettus bridge. but it is now, and things have changed and changed dramatically. and john lewis, among many others, is a reason that we are where we are now. and it really bothers me when people say things haven't gotten any better. that is absolutely not true. things have gotten visibly better, and john is a great reason for it and one of the best things that's ever happened to the united states congress. harris: you know, representative cleaver, i'm so appreciative of you being with me particularly at this moment. they have begun to cross the edmund pettus bridge, and as they do, i want do you about good trouble. now, when i was growing up, it was explained to me that that was a fan i way of saying change. -- fan i way of saying -- fancy way of saying change. what did it mean in. >> well, good trouble meant that when you go out to fight injustice, when you speak out against bigotty, when you speak out against exclusion, that will always be a counteraction. that will always -- there will always be a

i think about john lewis saying on the edmund pettus bridge, some of us gave a little blood to redeem soul of this nation. suzanne, talk to me about the section between what john lewis levelled through, and what he was a living representative of, and what he saw happening in this present day, this new generation, of activists on the ground? what is the connection there between this guard that we are now losing day by day and this new guard coming into their own? >> i have to say, i don't know how you're all holding up there. it's very hard not to cry during all of this. and i know, bakari, you're an emotional person, and this might happen, because, you know, the connections run deep. you know, since i was a little girl and my parents grew up in the segregated south. and they made we knew those stories about the degradation and humiliation and overcoming that in the segregated south. whether it was having to go to the colored fountains. or the colored -- the hotels or the schools and just what it took. and the special person that john lewis was. everybody played a role in the civil rig

not the edmund pettus bridge that we pray will be named the john lewis memorial bridge, but the bridge from earth to glory. when he got there, elijah cummings and the congressional cloud of witnesses marched down that street paved of gold. we want to say thank you from emmett till to george floyd. they said thank you for allowing our deaths to not be in vain. when he got to the white throne, well done, my good and faithful servant. you have kept your eyes on the prize and now enter into the joy of the lord. angels tod to the lift every voice and sing, we heard dr. king in the background saying, "free at last, free at last, the consciousness of congress is free at last." in jesus' name we pray, amen. >> the honorable mitch mcconnell, majority leader of the united states senate. sen. mcconnell: please be seated. in his memoirs, john lewis described a childhood home that was quite different from the place he lives today. had normhouse in alabama running water or electricity. it stood on the first land his inher family had ever owned, a part of the country where segregation had led to almo

he paid that price in harassment and beatings from a bus station in south carolina, to the edmund pettus bridge. john lewis lived and worked with urgency because the task was urgent. but even though the world around him gave him every cause for bitterness, he stubbornly treated everyone with respect and love. all so that as his friend dr. king once put it, we could build a community at peace with itself. today, we pray and trust that this peace maker himself now rests in peace. all of john's colleagues stand with his son john miles, their family, and the entire country in thanking god that he gave our nation this hero it needed so badly. may all of us that he will leave behind under this dome pray for a fraction of john's strength to keep bending that arc on toward justice. >> ladies and gentlemen, the honorable nancy pelosi, speaker of the united states house of representatives. >> to the family of john lewis, welcome to the rotunda. under the dome of the u.s. capitol, we have bid fare well to some of the greatest americans in our history. it is fitting that john lewis joins this panthe

it may be one of the last times you get to call that the edmund pettus bridge.f history is right, it will be renamed after john lewis. thank you for joining us. democratic congresswoman val demings of florida. >>> we're back live in bethlehem, pennsylvania. in 2016 donald trump won this state by a hair. less than 1 percentage point over hillary clinton. he claimed all of the state's 20 electoral college votes. bill weld is the former governor of massachusetts. he was a former 2020 republican presidential candidate. he was the last one in the race. he remains among a handful of longtime republicans who are sounding the alarm over donald trump and the future of the republican party. in an op-ed for "the washington post," weld issued this stark warning, to my fellow republicans, i plead with you not to follow trump off this cliff. a party that brands itself of the party of exclusion, disregard for citizen safety and thinly veiled voter suppression. bill weld joins me now. while you believed that donald trump was going to get the republican nomination, the republica

congressman john lewis, as he begins for the final time the 10-block trek from brown chapel to the edmund pettus bridge. he is, one final time, going those same 10 blocks that he did on that day in march 1965 that became known as "bloody sunday." and there in selma is our michelle miller, who joins us now. and, michelle, you know, it is incredible the symbolism here, the military honor guard, and i know that alabama state troopers will be there on the other side of that bridge as part of this procession, as part of this memory. and that's incredible to think it was a group of alabama state troopers who beat him bloody as bob was just telling us in 1965. he couldn't even remember what had happened. he thought he had died because of the injuries he sustained that day. and, yet, today, it is alabama state troopers who will be helping to memorialize him. it's incredible. >> reporter: yes, and an honor guard taking him from the base of the bridge on the other side being passed to that honor guard, and then moving forward on to montgomery, where he will lie in state at the state capitol. i mean, the p

just a short time ago, his body made one final journey across the edmund pettus bridge in selma, alabama. you're looking at footage of that moment. this is the very same bridge lewis thought he would die crossing 55 years ago. he was beaten at the hands of alabama state troopers armed with clubs and bull whips. the event would be known as bloody sunday. though only 25 years old at the time, mr. lewis had already earned a reputation as a fierce civil rights advocate. joining us now to discuss how mourners are honoring the late congressman's heroism today is priscilla thompson. we see that bridge behind you, and i know watching it, it was a moment of chills. just kind of seeing that silent procession there. what was it like for you on the ground? >> reporter: well, chills on the ground here as well. you know, when that casket being drawn by the horses turned the corner and began to make its way toward the bridge, you heard people begin to sing, some of those spirituals that were sang during the civil rights movement, and really helped to bring people through that. and then as the casket so

yesterday his body crossed the edmund pettus bridge in alabama for the final time as his funeral procession heads toward washington, d.c. >>> good monday morning, everybody. it's july 27th, and i'm yasmin vossoughian. we have a lot to cover on this monday morning weefrm going to start with the protests, fueling in large part by the anger of federal forces being deployed to portland, oregon. thousands across the country, up and down the west coast, riots were declared in portland on saturday. 45 people were, in fact, arrested, and more than 20 officers were injured after being hit with rocks and explosives. officials are saying rig ining also broke through a fence to a youth detention center that was under destrukds. this is a scene from friday night. iter and total mayhem. a total of five people were shot. people plooes in austin, texas, say a protester who was carrying a rifle was shot and killed by a motorist during a confrontation with protesters. this suv was fired at while driving down the interstate toward protesters. another person in the crowd was also hit. princeton university prof

best known for this historic 1965 march across the edmund pettus bridge in selma, alabama.t is when his own suffering at the hands of abusive police officers turned that day into what we now know as bloody sunday. here is how he was remembered that day in his own words. derek, good to see you again. we've gotten an opportunity to speak to you a lot frequently. today has a somber tone to it, certainly, more than usual. if we think about the most remarkable aspect of his sacrifice was in the face of brutality that he and other black people faced, he held firm to his belief of nonviolence. how do you explain that? >> he is part of what i call the emmitt till generation, a group of young people who were approximately the same age when his mother opened the casket. 17, 18, 19 college students, john lewis understood he was part of a continual. through the ella baker. he took to the streets. he understood that his role was not about the speech but it was about the action, and the action needed to lead to the vote. that's one of his votes. that's why his legacy has been held up tod

crossed the edmund pettus bridge in selma alabama one final time lewis was beaten unconscious there in 1965 for demanding that black people be given the right to vote it's part of 6 days of ceremonies remember the 80 year old who died of pancreatic cancer and he gallagher has the latest john lewis was more than an icon he was a giant in the civil rights movement his casket slowly going across the edmund pettus bridge today peacefully but remember back in 1965 the scene was very different that was known as bloody sunday when john lewis and others fighting for the right for african-american votes were met by alabama state troopers ordered by a racist governor at the time to do whatever they can to stop them john lewis himself was struck wrested over 40 times during his career but that moment as those pictures went across the united states really changed this country's mood to gas has been fired of protesters in portland oregon again as they confronted u.s. federal agents sent by president trump rallies against racism and police brutality and now into the 9th week the u.k. has imposed a 2

not the edmund pettus bridge that we pray will one day be named the john lewis memorial bridge but the bridge from earth to glory. when he got this elijah cummings and others welcomed him home as they marched down that street paved with gold. thank you for allowing our # throne, we heard him say well done, thy good and faithful serv servant. you have kept your eyes on the prize. gabriel told the angels to lift every voice and sing. we heard dr. king in the background saying free at last, free at last, the consciousness of congress is free at last, in jesus name we pray. amen.n a moment the haonorable mitch mcconnell, majority leader of the united states senate. >> please be seated. in his memoirs, john lewis described a childhood home that was quite different from the place he lies today. that farmhouse in pike county, alabama, had no running water or electricity. it stood on the first land his father's family had ever owned in a part of the country where segregation had led to almost total isolation along racial lines. it would have been hard to conceive back then that the young child

time. >> reporter: the bridge edmund pettus is quite unremarkable.s, 1300 feet. but its historic symbolism is powerful. and powerful it was today, as arhat mbolism, john robert lewis made his final crossing. on a horse-drawn casson lewis was carried across the alabama river on his way to montgomery. the march's intended destination on that bloody sunday in 1965. brown chapel a.m.e. church served as the rallying point that day and it's where his friend and congresswoman teri sewell led today's final prayer service in selma. >> john was determined to fight for equality and justice. >> people of all stripes lined the street to say farewell and holler. >> good trouble! >> cheyenne webb has a tortured history with the bridge, as an 8 year old she was the youngest marcher that day. >> reporter: what does it mean for you to be here today. >> it's going to be a sad moment but he has laid the foundation . one of the things that we must do is stand up, get up, and continue to fight. >> reporter: the alabama portion of lewis' remembrances will continue tonight

conscience of congress and now growing calls for politicians and the public alike to rename the edmunds pettusridge after john lewis. makes sense. pettus was a confederate general who became a grand dragon in the ku klux klan and who profited off slavery, according to the smithsonian. joining me is the poet and writer of vanderbilt university, caroline williams lewis. her piece in "the new york times," you want a confederate monument my body is a finance federal rat monument has garnered praise as one of the best essays on race relations all year caroline, good to see you again. with we first spoke it was in the context of monuments and racism in this country but now it's very specific because of that bridge named after your ancestor that people are saying let's name after john lewis because, in fact, in the minds of most people john lewis is the person they associate with that bridge, crossing it with martin luther king, and getting beaten as a result. >> that's right. and i think -- i'm so humbled to get to be a part of this conversation it's a seismic and serendipitous moment in history tha

he and so many others beaten to the ground on the edmund pettus bridge as they marched for the righto vote. over the years he came back repeatedly to mark the anniversary of bloody sunday, most recently in march as he battled cancer ♪ i am >> reporter: cheyenne was on the bridge with him. she was just 8 years old. >> as i looked down, i could see hundreds of policemen with tear gas masks, hundreds of state troopers on horses, the dogs ♪ and through >> reporter: today for lewis, a hero's farewell from the next generation of leaders here because of him. >> i strongly believe i wouldn't have been elected to office in this day and age so they opened up a door that had been closed. >> reporter: and for hundreds more that never met the congressman but say he touched their lives. so with all of them watching, just as he did 55 years ago, carried in a horse-drawn caisson, john lewis ascended the edmund pettus bridge one final time his family walking behind him in the same place where alabama state troopers nearly ended his life, today they stand in salute his words spoken years ago - >> we'r

you tweeted there weren't just rose pet also lining the edmund pettus bridge, there were people.ame lines will likely return on election day. how do you think john lewis will impact voter turnout, aaron? >> reporter: i think the passing of congressman lewis will be incredibly impactful, particularly for black voters headed to november. listen, i think even before congressman lewis passed, this is a year we knew issues of race and racism would be on the ballot for the voters. i think that's going to be true with an even greater sense of urgency. less than 100 days out from the election, congressman lewis is one of the people that we were hearing from, the importance of voting. he talked about the vote as something that was sacred, right? it is interesting to see, it does trace decades of shaping our democracy that began at the steps of the lincoln memorial in washington. he is now at black lives matter plaza, something he got to see before the end of his that dec black lives matter in his own generation, long before it became a phrase that was coined as a hash tag for the rest of

because honoring edmund pettus is the first step in the problem. but taking down his name, then the community, in tandem with the country, can talk about how we best move forward. whether it's the john lewis name or whether it's other names. i think fostering this dialog, communities having reconciliation is so important. it's why that article is so moving. when i started this process, i said i wanted to see john lewis one last time be able to walk under that bridge and see his name. unfortunately, that won't happen. but i do know he's watching us from above and hoping that we will continue his work. by continuing that work, that means working to improve selma, to build it up, to build tourism and education and to bring our country together. because this has been a hard year. the best way that we can serve 2020 is to find a way to come together and rebuild this country. >> quickly, before we move on, although you lead the john lewis bridge initiative and started this petition with 450,000 signatures now, i checked this morning, you are okay with it

protesters across the edmund pettus bridge in selma, alabama, bravely bearing violence from the police to embody the struggle of the united states to live up to its founding ideals of equal justice under the law; whereas the bravery of john lewis during bloody sunday, like congress to pass and president lyndon b. johnson to sign into law the voting rights act of 1965 ensuring that african americans had the right to fully participate in a democratic process in the united states; whereas john lewis faithfully served the city of atlanta between 1977 and 1981 embodying his election fight promise to bring a sense of ethics and moral courage to the atlanta city council; whereas john lewis faithfully served the fifth congressional district of georgia in the house of representatives between 1987 and 2020 serving as the conscience of the congress by continuing his pursuit of justice in truth in the capital of the united states; and whereas the senate

that wasn't the case -- harris: right. >> -- going across the edmund pettus bridge.e changed and changed dramatically. and john lewis, among many others, is a reason that we are where we are now. and it really bothers me when people say things haven't gotten any better. that is absolutely not true. things have gotten visibly better, and john is a great reason for it and one of the best things that's ever happened to the united states congress. harris: you know, representative cleaver, i'm so appreciative of you being with me particularly at this moment. they have begun to cross the edmund pettus bridge, and as they do, i want do you about good trouble. now, when i was growing up, it was explained to me that that was a fan i way of saying change. -- fan i way of saying -- fancy way of saying change. what did it mean in. >> well, good trouble meant that when you go out to fight injustice, when you speak out against bigotty, when you speak out against exclusion, that will always be a counteraction. that will always -- there will always be a response. for every action th

michelle miller is there. >> reporter: the bridge edmund pettus is quite unremarkable.our lanes, 1300 feet. but its historic symbolism is powerful. and powerful it was today, as the architect of that symbolism, john robert lewis made his final crossing. on a horse-drawn casson lewis was carried across the alabama river on his way to montgomery. the march's intended destination on that bloody sunday in 1965. brown chapel ame church served as the rallying point that day and it's where his friend and congresswoman teri sewell led today's final prayer service in selma. >> john was determined to fight for equality and justice. >> people of all stripes lined the street to say farewell and holler. >> good trouble! >> cheyenne webb has a tortured history with the bridge, as an 8 year old she was the youngest marcher that day. >> reporter: what does it mean for you to be here today. >> it's going to be a sad moment but he has laid the foundation for us to continue to work. one of the things that we must do is stand up, get up, and continue to fight. >> reporter: the alabama port

we all know who edmund pettus was. he was a relic of the past. of which it be in museums and history books. we should take him name off of that bridge. and say what this country really is. i've been saying for a long time that this country's goodness is at stake. and john knew this was the personification of the goodness of americans. and we ought to put the name of a good person on that bridge. and because of what happened on that bridge, the sacrifices made by him and so many others, it will be a great memorial to the efforts to make this country live out its true creed that all men and women are created equal. we say the pledge of allegiance often. it pauses over that phrase, with liberty and justice for all. that's a vision, and we have not been able to fulfill. john gave it all, and we ought to demonstrate our appreciation by doing that. but i think we should do more than the congress. i think it's time for us to pass a voting rights act and name it the john r. lewis voting rights act of 2020. that's what we ought to do. because the supreme

man john le tht final pass here at the edmund pettus bridge. this as thousands of people mourn loss and say thank you. reaten b state troopers. duringhe march for equal voting rights ck on march 7th 1965 a day body sunday they beat m with billy cl>>during but john. what determines to t equality and ju and a brighter future. for everyone. >>months after lewis was blood on the bridge. president lyndon johnson signed the voting rights into law. just a honor is on a innocent life and his accomplishments. you not all in black america, both love america. >>the civil rights icon will lie in state sunday in montgomery alabama. following memorials in troy and so. >>there's no one can ever replace the john lewis. it hurts my life in so many ways. >>in selma, alabama. i'm darryl forges. >>presumptive democratic presidential nominee, joe biden's campaign congressman láñ announced that the former vice washington d c president trump acknowledged lewis's legacy in a tweet but has not yet announced plans to honor him at the capitol. well happening tomorrow in

lying in state at the alabama state capitol and a symbolic tribute to lewis was carried across the edmund pettus bridge in the city of selma which has become a landmark in the fight for racial justice. a bridge that learned to love genius lost. following a path of rose petals. john lewis crossed it for the last time. the event dubbed the final crossing a highlight of the celebrations honoring the life of the civil rights activist and congressman. it was on this bridge in 1965 that he helped lead a march for racial justice he then became known as bloody sunday after was brutally suppressed by state troopers john lewis was beaten so badly he was left with a broken skull. and. the national outrage at violence helped bring voting rights for african-americans 50 years later louis revisited the bridge with the united states 1st black president barack obama. we were beaten. some of us was no bloody right here. 17 of us were hospitalized. but we never became bitter or hostile we kept believing that they're truly stewart for what helped define us more like an icon of the civil rights movement lewis remai

>> well, my quarrel is not with edmund pettus i don't like i have any grief for the confederacy, butguys on the side, but they fought in a bad cause. i think the problem here is a larger one and impossible to view this particular dispute in isolation and there's a larger argument about the narrative americans history itself. it goes way beyond the confederacy and way beyond john lewis. we can argue about john lewis, he was actually a hero of the civil rights movement and i think he's a hero and congress in the district and horrible crime rates, broken families, terrible legacy of intergenerational poverty. i have mixed views on john lewis in that capacity and also i don't think it may not be a good idea to name people after monuments in your own lifetime. the reason it's difficult to assess their historical legacy is when they haven't been in the sense even transmitted into history, so to speak. the larger narrative i'm talking about is the effort to go out after the icons of history in general. this includes ulysses grant, this includes abraham lincoln. the catholic saints who built

but it was because he almost died on that edmund pettus bridge that the voting rights act was passed1965. he and others he was leading. and president obama was very, very aware of that -- of that history. i recall, ana, one segment in that discussion i had with him, which was at the civil rights museum in atlanta. and that was a replica of a lunch counter. and you could put headphones on and hear the abuse and the threats that people would take, african-americans sitting at lunch counters. he put those headphones on, and he wept recalling the experiences that he had. president obama was very aware of the sacrifices that john lewis and others had made that made it possible for him to be there. and that night that he accepted the nomination in 1968 in mar tips -- martin's piece, it was on the 45th an verse of the march on washington and the each on the steps at the lincoln memorial in which a young john lewis spoke and exor theed america to live up to its creed. john lewis was -- there was a direct link between the leadership of john lewis and the image of john lewis and the fact we we

church and will soon travel across the edmund pettus bridge.rs on what became known as "bloody sunday" in 1965 as he led civil rights demonstration. the televised violence that happened headline build support for the 1965. voting rights acting. i want to go to cbs news anchor and national correspondent michelle miller in selma, right near that brinj. michelle, on that day, in march, 1965, lewis and those marching with him had no idea what they were about to face until they got about halfway across, and they saw that wall of law enforcement and the troopers who would beat him bloody. you knew him growing up, and i wonder what you're thinking today. >> reporter: i'm thinking so much. i'm thinking of what he meant to so many people. as i sit here at the base of this bridge, and i was trying to reflect, had i ever been here before? because i've talked about it, i've seen it, but i've actually never been to selma, alabama in my lifetime. and so the memories are so strong, not just for me, but for many of the people lining the street here, broad stre

montgomery alabama but i think the most significant part of his journey today was crossing the edmund pettus bridge in selma alabama he crossed over peacefully today but 55 years ago it was a very different scene as lewis and other people fighting for the right for the black vote were met with alabama state troopers who beat luis to the ground one of 40 times in his actions as a civil rights pioneer that he was arrested and those pictures the still pictures in the moving pictures from that event was seen across the united states it really changed the fight to get voting rights for african-americans but john lewis didn't stop there he was elected to office in 1986 and in the decades that followed john lewis has always fought for those less well off than most americans not just african-americans but also native americans and members of the l.g.b. t.q. community he will be remembered as someone widely known as the conscience of the u.s. congress someone who. went to both sides of the aisle to get things done was widely respected got the presidential medal of freedom in 2011 so his legacy i thin

you can have an edmund pettus memorial park if you want to. i just believe that it would be fitting for the people of selma, the people of alabama to demonstrate that there is a new day in alabama, if it were to rename the edmund pettus bridge, name after a guy who was the grand wizard of the alabama ku klux klan. what better way to show the transition in this country than take his name off the bridge. i don't believe in destroying property. take a picture of it, put the picture in a museum someplace. take his name off, repaint it. i never liked that bridge. it's so drab and dreary, even when i was marching across it with john lewis, there was something about that bridge that just seemed morbid to me. they need to liven that bridge up with a new name, and i really believe that would be fitting for the local community. >> his name would liven it up as you say. congressman jim clyburn, we're sorry for your loss. thank you for being with us this morning. >> thank you. >>> so the president again made the claim the coronavirus will just disappear.

civil rights pioneer john lewis has been taken across the edmund pettus bridge in selma alabama one final time lewis was beaten unconscious there back in 1065 to demanding black people to give him the right to vote. well protests in the u.s. city of portland against racism and police brutality are into the 9th week there was more chaos in the streets on south of the night and went into sunday morning the protesters threw fireworks towards the city's courthouse while federal agents used tear gas to try and break up the crowds colton's city leaders say i'm just being inflamed by president trump's decision to send those agents hotting has more . demonstrations like these have been held in portland oregon for the last 2 months. was protesters supporting the black lives matter movement demanding racial equality and an end to police brutality throughout their perpetrator to get their message across that we're not backing down and we're not just i'm here for a game not a joke the 3 of you we are here completely for. the protests intensified this week after u.s. president donald trump sent federa