white police officers as african-american activists pushing for voting rights crossed the edmund pettus bridge1965. >> this is sacred. this is hallow. this is where people gave some blood. i gave a little blood on this bridge. >> reporter: participants were attempting to march from selma to montgomery. 17 people were hospitalized including lewis. this could become known as bloody sunday. lewis would always show the same commitment and fight he demonstrated on the bridge that day. >> 53 years after you all marched on this bridge, why is it so important to come back and keep coming back every year. >> this is the place they gave us the voting rights act. made it possible for hundreds and thousands of millions of people to be able to participate in a democratic process. sdp y you cannot give up. you cannot give in. you will make it. >> reporter: this past march while suffering from stage four cancer, lewis as determined as ever, traveled to selma twice to mark the march's 55th anniversary and was still pushipush ing decades later. >> 55 years ago, a few of god's children attempted to march across

he talked about how he prayed as he crossed that bridge, the edmund pettus bridge. r who went on to be a leader in the kkk and a u.s. senator from the state of alabama. that bridge, george, is about four football fields long. john lewis says when he was crossing it, his biggest concern because he had confronted police before. his biggest concern was they might be tossed off the bridge which was about 100 feet off the ground, because john lewis couldn't swim. but he was willing to go forward anyway. i think about we just saw that image of his close friend, dr. martin luther king jr. who said not long after bloody sunday, that the arm of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice, and i think in some ways, today symbolized that. in 1965, john lewis was an agitator. he was confronted by the police. he showed up with 600 other people that crossed the bridge. they were denied. they came back two weeks later, 3,000 protesters eventually 50,000 people reached the montgomery statehouse, and then there is today, george, when john lewis crosses that bridge for a final

my wife, jan, and i walked with him over this edmund pettus bridge on the 50th anniversary of bloody sunday. that was 50 years after john was almost killed on that bridge while peacefully protesting discrimination that disenfranchised americans in our country. he visited my district and hundreds of my constituents came out to see him. one man came in a wheelchair pushed by his daughter, and hi daughter saiding, my father was a freedom rider and marched withlewis and he checked himself out of the hospital tonight to be here to see john lewis. after they said their hellos, he got back in the wheelchair and said take me back to the ospital. i'm thanked to this day for bringing john to our community. when you would pass john in the halls of congress and he would greet you with, hello, my brother, he made you believe that you were actually his brother. we must all commit to working harder to be a little more like john lewis. good-bye, john, and thank you. godspeed, my brother. mr. neal: madam speaker, i'd like to recognize now the gentleman from connecticut, mr. larson, for two minutes. mr

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 one

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 res

democratic strategist of the john lewis bridge project which is petitioning to rename the edmund pettus bridgelma to the john lewis bridge. michael, you and i spoke a few weeks ago when your effort was in its infancy. first of all, how goes the effort. how is it coming? >> we're seeing overwhelming response. thank you for having me on. we reached over a half million signatures, we have endorsements like the great granddaughter who has come out and said she believes that name should come down. as i watch the hearse drive through d.c., i can't help but think of the night that started this, the night where the president and his forces shot tear gas at supporters. when i went home that night and watched selma, i thought i couldn't imagine what john lewis felt that day, the fear he must have felt knowing that he was getting ready to be assaulted by law enforcement. now we watched the son of share croppers getting ready to be laid to rest in the row tun da of the capitol. if that's not the american spirit, if that doesn't complete the story, i don't know what does. >> what an arc indeed. michael, ho

he shed a lot of blood on that bridge and to have it named after him. to put to rest this rebel, mr. pettus, would not offend me at all. but i do think the opinions of the people in the area where the bridge is, they're important. and i would respect their opinions. but for me, because of what that bridge meant to john lewis and the others who were there on bloody sunday, it will not offend me if the name is change and i'd celebrate the changing of the name. >> congressman al green in texas, in the houston area, appreciate you making time for us, thanks very much. >>> let's continue our conversation with congressman, maxine waters of california, welcome. >> thank you so much for having me on today to pay tribute to john lewis. he was a friend. i knew him long before i came to congress, of course with his work in the civil rights movement. i was pleased to join him if congress. of course i tweeted just last night that we don't honor him simply because he was a civil rights icon but' was a man of impeccable integrity. you don't find many human beings who sacrifice so much for peace and justic

my wife, jan, and i walked with him over this edmund pettus bridge on the 50th anniversary of bloody sunday. that was 50 years after john was almost killed on that bridge while peacefully protesting discrimination that disenfranchised americans in our country. he visited my district and hundreds of my constituents came out to see him. one man came in a wheelchair pushed by his daughter, and hi daughter saiding, my father was a freedom rider and marched withlewis and he checked himself out of the hospital tonight to be here to see john lewis. after they said their hellos, he got back in the wheelchair and said take me back to the ospital. i'm thanked to this day for bringing john to our community. when you would pass john in the halls of congress and he would greet you with, hello, my brother, he made you believe that you were actually his brother. we must all commit to working harder to be a little more like john lewis. good-bye, john, and thank you. godspeed, my brother. mr. neal: madam speaker, i'd like to recognize now the gentleman from connecticut, mr. larson, for two minutes. mr

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 representatives

states where the body of the late civil rights icon john lewis is being carried across the edmund pettus bridge in selma alabama in a special ceremony it was on this bridge that lewis and other civil rights marchers were beaten 55 years ago on bloody sunday a key event in the fight for voting rights for african-americans. we're showing you live pictures now from selma as john lewis's body is being carried across. 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 th

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,

symbolic final journey 55 years ago john lewis was knocked down and beaten unconscious on the atman pettus bridge in alabama for demanding black people begin the right to vote his body has now been taken across that same bridge in selma one last time as part of 6 days of ceremonies to remember the 80 year old who died of pancreatic cancer now disease and he gallagher is following all of this from miami in florida for us addie just explain the significance of this moment today. well 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 rested over 40 times during his career but that moment as those pictures went across the united states really changed this country's mood it really focused people on the

now some of our viewers may not be aware of this but the man that this bridge is named after edmund pettus was actually a leader of the ku klux klan and a white supremacist why does this bridge still maintain that name despite its symbolism for the civil rights movement. 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

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.

so one sees body crosses the edmund pettus bridge a bridge incidentally named after a confederacy general and a leader of the ku klux klan his body will then go to montgomery lay in repose there before it heads up to washington d.c. next week where the public the american public who love this man daily can pay their own respects. and he gallagher reporting live from miami and the many things the u.s. special envoy on iran says the blockade of trust has gone on for too long brian hooks says the gulf dispute is damaging shared regional interests of stability prosperity and security saudi arabia the united arab emirates bahrain and egypt cut ties with 3 years ago cartels leaders deny their allegations of supporting armed groups and refuse to accept infringements on the country's sovereignty. the world health organization is warning that malaria related deaths in africa could be more than doubled this year with almost 770000 because of disruption caused by the corona virus pandemic the health emergency the shutdown many large scale treatment and prevention programs. reports now from nairobi.

. >> -- 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

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

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

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

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

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

finally on july 17th, we want to say thank you that he crossed another bridge, not the edmund pettus bridge that we pray one day 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 welcomed him home as they marched down the street paved with gold, we want to say thank you from emmett till to george floyd, say thank you for allowing our deaths not to be in vain. and when he got to the little white throne, we want to say thank you. we heard you say well done, thy good and faithful servant. you have kept your eyes on the prize, and now enter into the joy of the lord. after you said that, 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. >> the honorable 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

we will see the body of john lewis for the last time cross the edmund pettus bridge and that can bringothing but a smile to most american's faces. this is a man from the time he crossed that bridge and was beaten, did not stop. he went to jail dozens of times. every time i met him, he smiled and was kind. what do you want the american people to know about john lewis as they catch his casket go across the bridge. >> i had the opportunity to go on a pilgrimage with representative john lewis. when we got to the bottom of the bridge and i thought about the images of representative lewis being beaten down. when we got to the bottom of the bridge, the troopers were there waiting to welcome us and ensure our safety while we visited the edmund pettus bridge. john lewis, i don't think i've ever met anybody quite like him. and you said it correctly. he was such a powerful man, but such a humble man, full of love. love for this country. even though the country did not always love him. and today, he will be honored. tomorrow he will arrive back to the u.s. capitol and he deserves every honor that

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 progress

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

community it's been widely received unlike the petition that's been circulating to rename the edmund pettus bridge in selma where there's been quite a bit of pushback. that bridge was originally named after a white supremacist who fought for the confederacy. but in virginia, this decision has been welcome d unlike the controversy and debates we're seeing played out right now. >> all right. "washington post" jackie al mayny. stay close. i going to talk to you in a bit. >>> the foundation has asked to stop following off reagan's legacy. >>> also hurricane hanna making landfall in texasover the weekend. those stories and more when we come back. ekend. those stories and more when we come back. this is an athlete, twenty reps deep, sprinting past every leak in our softest, smoothest fabric. she's confident, protected, her strength respected. depend. the only thing stronger than us, is you. [♪] when you have diabetes, managing your blood sugar is crucial. she's confident, protected, her strength respected. try boost glucose control. the patented blend is clinically shown to help manage blood sugar level

there was a moment yesterday in selma, alabama, as his flag-draped cass ketd crossed the edmund pettus bridge for the final time. the road there strewn with red rose petals. it is the same bridge where he was beaten as he marched for the rights of african-americans to vote. and as these six days of memorial services began saturday in lewis' hometown of troy a brother recalled even in his final moments the congressman wanted to know how his family was doing. so you're watching the procession here. john lewis heading toward the capitol where he is going to lie in state and be honored by so many people. democrats and republicans. honoring everything that he has accomplished for the country over decades. at really a time that is just a lot of people, of course, trying to make sense of the racial reckoning going on in the country and reflecting back on john lewis' roots as they do that. house speaker nancy pelosi was very close to congressman john lewis, she was at joirnt base andrews this morning to greet the plane. she and senate leader mitch mcconnell will be addressing invited members soon. yo

gathered to witness the body of the late civil rights icon john lewis being carried across the edmund pettus bridge in selma alabama in a highly symbolic ceremony this was the last crossing for john lewis of the bridge that changed his life and helped change american history 55 years ago on a day now known as bloody sunday lewis and other peaceful protesters were beaten by police as they march across the bridge called. for voting rights for african-americans lewis who became a highly respected congressman died of cancer a week ago at the age of 80. i'll go live to selma alabama in just a moment but 1st we have this look back at the life of john lewis and why 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

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

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

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

. >> o'donnell: congressman john lewis was carried across the edmund pettus bridge for the final timeay. now tonight some want to name the bridge for him, here's cbs's michelle miller. >> selma's edmund pettus bridge has always had a racially charged history. even before john lewis' beating by alabama troopers 55 years ago. on sunday he was saluted in a final crossing. the pettus bridge was dedicated in 1940, the same year lewis was born. its name sake, a notorious confederate general and grand dragon of the alabama klan. today the call to rename it the the john lewis bridge is growing. >> it started with just a petition in my living room. >> michael starr hopkins online petition drive now has more than 700,000 signatures. >> we should be honoring men their li to bringing who the country together, not to dividing it. >> lewis himself had an opinion. keeping the name, he said, was not an endorsement of pettus, but a reminder that americans should remember the unvarnished truth of what happened here in selma. lewis' longtime friend selma congresswoman teri sewell once agreed but now say

would you agree with the renaming of the edmond pettus bridge, but getting the pressure on to get the voting rights bill off of mitch mcconnell's desk? >> absolutely i agree that that bridge should be renamed for john lewis. the one is named after his offense and insult to america. but john lewis not only was a great american that helped to change america, he was an alabaman. and it is appropriate in selma, alabama, to name it after him a great son of that state who really brought democracy to that state by shedding his blood on that bridge for voting rights, which is also why i agree with senator harris and with congressman clyburn that the best way to memorialize and show we learned from the life of john lewis is to pass the voting rights bill. we have got to resecure the rights that we should have as all americans to vote without interference, without any kind of foul play, which is john lewis and hosea williams were beating for in '65, and which we need to guarantee in 2020. that's why many of us are going back to washington on the anniversary of the march on washington to march a

the caisson which will carry john lewis across the edmund pettus bridge is now moving.ed there. our steve harrigan is actually on the ground, and i believe you can see some different perspectives from steve too, because you'll see the bridge behind him. john, tell me a bit about the crowd, the people gathered there. >> reporter: harris, despite the social distancing and efforts by the family to tell people to watch this on tv, not to come because of the virus, people are still come out, some from very far away to get a glimpse of what we're seeing here today, get a glimpse of a real hero making what they are calling the final crossing. this caisson is going to pause at the peak of this bridge for about 60 seconds, and then there's going to be a salute, an honor salute by the alabama state troopers. those alabama state troopers 55 years ago were part of the force that beat john lewis and beat some of those 600 nonviolent protesters, 17 people hospitalized, lewis with a fractured skulker tried to get up again, beaten again. thought he was going to die on that bridge. so i

like a stream and finally we want to say thank you that he crossed another bridge, not the edman pettus bridge that we pray one day will be renamed the john lewis memorial bridge. when he got the congressional crowd of witnesses welcomed him as they walked down the street paved of gold. we want to thank say thank you from emmet till to george floyd, thank you for not allowing our deaths to be in vein. we heard you say well done by good and faithful servient. you have done the good fight and you have kept your eyes on the prize. and now enter into the joy of the lord. and after you said that, gabriel told the angels to lift every voice and sing. and we heard dr. king sing free at last, free at last, the congsness of congress is free at last. in jesus name, we pray. >> the honorable mitch mcconnell, majority leader of the united states senate. >> please be seated. in his memoirs, john lewis described a child hood home that was quite different from the place he lies today. that farm house in pike county, alabama had no running water or electricity. it stood on the first land his father's family h

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

returning year after year to the edmund pettus bridge. >> i'm not going to give up. i'm not going to give in. >> reporter: and he brought his colleagues back with him. democrats and republicans marching together. republican congressman kevin mccarthy calling it one of the greatest honors of his life. >> i got arrested 40 times during the '60s, and since i've been in congress, another five times. >> reporter: even though i was under arrest, he said, i smiled, because i was on the right side of history. lewis proudly served georgia's 5th district for over 30 years. >> without john lewis and the civil rights movement, i would not be a poll worker. we would not have the freedom to vote. >> he's changed the face of -- of america. such a great man, such a great loss. >> reporter: in washington, he was known as the "conscience of congress." the democratic force who staged sit-ins in the jim crow south, sitting back down on the floor of the house demanding gun reform. >> not next year, but now! today! >> reporter: and he wasn't afraid to stand up to a president, skipping pre

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 remains a he

hear what they say but i disagree i think this is still the way he demonstrated on the edmund pettus bridge by putting his life on the line that you expose. the flaws and those who would suppress you at a press you. when you are peaceful and you can see how their anger and hate is harmful to society if they hadn't crossed that it meant pettus bridge knowing they were marching into brutality i'm not sure i would be in congress today because the voting rights act was passed as a result of their being there if they had confronted those men with those clubs if they had confronted them with brutality it would have been just a big melee on the edmund pettus bridge people would be talking about how they were writing but they had the courage to show peace in the face of hate show love and the place of this hate and in so doing it changed the world i mean congress and a good many others are so i hear them but i disagree with the congressman president from just announced that he won't come to the capital to pay his respects to lay down the us how do you feel about that. i think that. this is a day to

and i know, bob, you just five years ago, walked across the edmund pettus bridge. alongside lewis. bridge is named after. and that is a confederate who was a senator and a grand dragon of the ku klux klan, the symbolism of that. >> reporter: well, that-- martin luther king knew that, and that was part of the reason that he picked the pettus bridge to have this march. he wanted that to be a symbol of where they had come from and where they were going. and, margaret, we cannot overemphasize how important this march was. in 1965, congress was very reluctant to pass a voters' rights act. but after this march and the bloody demonstration that happened there, after that, members of congress and the american people were so repulsed by what they had seen, that in a matter of days, they passed the 1965 civil rights act. and when that happened, it changed everything. it changed the south. it changed the country. when barack obama was inaugurated, he whispere whispeo john lewis' ear, "i'm here because of you." and he was right about that. >> brennan: you know, we talk a lot right now about th

civil rights movement has made a symbolic final journey his coffin was driven across the edmund pettus bridge in selma alabama on the way to his mom oriel service it's 55 years since lewis led hundreds of black demonstrators across that very same bridge and was beaten unconscious state police violently broke up the march the violence was condemned across the united states the world through a national spotlight on the struggle for racial equality let's bring in andy gallagher who is joining us from miami to talk us through how more he's being remembered and. well at the moment john lewis is in the state building in 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 fr

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

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

today in selma, alabama, the body of congressman john lewis crossed the edmund pettus bridge for the final time. michelle miller is there. >> reporter: the bridge edmund pettus is quite unremarkable. four 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 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 for us to continue to work. one

, thank john as one of his heroes. -- 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? isiah answers, here am i. send me. john lewis heard that call a long time ago in segregated alabama. and he took up the work of the lord through all his days. his lesson for us is that we must all keep ourselves open to hearing the call of love. the call of service. and the call to 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, have can differing views on how to protect 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

that was two years ago, for the march across the edmund pettus bridge.ew was just during the time that the parkland children, i should say, students, rather, were marching. and he was iconic for them. >> absolutely. and that's one of the, you know, countless things that just so remarkable about john lewis, don. and that is that he truly was a living legend. that's a term that's kind of thrown around, but it defined him and explained whole he was. more than anybody i can even think of. you heard congressman richmond talking about the fact that his son read about him in the history books but got to meet him. my son's third grade class, as soon as they heard he was sick, they, as a class, wrote him letters. because everybody knew who he was. because he touched them. and you saw this in this pilgrimage, that he did, you know, scores of times, in attempt to bring people together as you're seeing in the pictures right now on the screen, but he really wanted to continue to reach out to young people for them to understand not just what he went through, but to em