EXCITED
EXCITED AND ENCOURAGED BY WHAT ATLANTA AS A NATION IS GOING TO
LOOK LIKE AS WE SEE THESE YOUNG
PEOPLE TAKE THIS MOMENT AND
TURN IT INTO SOMETHING SPECIAL.
>> YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT, IT
REALLY IS INSPIRATIONAL TO SEE,
AND ENCOURAGING AND HOPEFUL,
ONE OF THE THINGS OR PERHAPS
THE THING THAT MAKES THIS
MOMENT DIFFERENT IN TIME THAN
WHEN JOHN LEWIS WAS IN THE 60s
FIGHTING, IS THAT THIS GROUP OF
ACTIVISTS, AND THEIR VOICES, IS
A MUCH MORE DIVERSE GROUP,
EVERY AGE, EVERY ETHNICITY,
EVERY SOCIAL ECONOMIC LEVEL,
YOU'VE GOT ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE
NOW IN THE MARCH FOR JUSTICE
AND EQUALITY AND BLACK LIVES
MATTER, MEANING THAT BLACK
LIVES MUST BE TREATED EQUALLY
AS OTHERS, THE CLARION CALL, IS
FOR ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE, THAT
WAS NOT THE CASE OBVIOUSLY IN
THE 60s, SO JUST THE LOOK OF
THE ACTIVISTS OUT THERE IN THE
STREETS NOW, SO DIVERSE, IS THE
RESULT OF THE WORK OF JOHN
LEWIS, SO JUST BY THEIR
STANDING IN THE STREET,
TWEETING AND PUTTING ON
INSTAGRAM AND ALL SOCIAL MEDIA,
THEIR ADMIRATION FOR HIM, THERE
ONE FOR MORE FOR AMERICA, THE
FACT THAT YOU HAVE SUCH A
COLORFUL TAPESTRY OF PEOPLE,
THAT IN ITSELF IS A PART OF
JOHN LEWIS'S LEGACY AND IT IS
BEAUTIFUL TO SEE, THEY WILL DO
IT IN THEIR OWN WAY, THE VOICE
IS PERHAPS A LITTLE MORE
STRIDENT, THEY HAVE A LITTLE
BIT MORE URGENCY, BUT THEY WILL
DO IN THEIR OWN WAY, THEY HAVE
FOUND THEIR VOICE, THEIR MODEL
WAS JOHN LEWIS, THEY RESPECT
HIM, AND NOW IT IS THEIR TURN.
WE ARE SEEING THE MOTORCADE AS
IT PASSES BY, HEADING INTO
SOUTH YOU CEMETERY, GOING
THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS HERE,
COMING OUT ON THE PORCH, A
FAMILY OF CHILDREN ON THE
PORCH, WATCHING THE MOTORCADE
GO BY, THE IMAGES WILL FOR OUT
-- WITHOUT A DOUBT, BE IN
HISTORY BOOKS, THEY WILL BE IN
THE BACKGROUND AS THE MOTORCADE
IS PASSING BY, TELLING THE
STORY OF WHAT THIS MOMENT MEANT
TO THEM, WHO WAS IN THE HEARSE,
WHO WAS THE MAN, IN THE
AMERICAN FLAG DRAPED CASKET,
AND WHY DID HE DESERVE SUCH AN
HONOR, WHAT DID HE DO WITH HIS
LIFE, KIDS ON THE SHOULDERS OF
THEIR FATHERS THERE LINING THE
STREETS, AS YOU SEE THE CROWD
GATHERING ALONG JONESBORO ROAD.
>> WHEN I SEE JOHN LEWIS NOW, I
THINK ABOUT THE ATLANTA WHEN HE
FIRST ARRIVED HERE AND THE
ATLANTA AS HE IS DIED HERE AS
WELL, THE EXTRAORDINARY CHANGES
IN EVERY ASPECT OF LIFE HERE,
VERY DIFFICULT TO COMPREHEND,
PARTICULARLY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE,
A MODERN ATLANTA, THIS IS A
CITY THAT IS HAD A VERY
DIFFERENT LOOK FROM DECADE TO
DECADE, IT HAS BEEN A RAPID
CHANGE, NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS
HAPPENED IN THE COURSE OF ONE
GENERATION, EVERY 10 YEARS
ATLANTA LOOKS RADICALLY
DIFFERENT, IN TERMS OF HOW IT
IS GOVERNED, WHERE WE EAT, WHAT
WE DO FOR ENTERTAINMENT, WHAT
WAS IMPORTANT, WITH THE
POLITICS AT THE TIME WERE, WE
CONTINUE TO EVOLVE SO RAPIDLY,
AND THE ONE CONSTANT THROUGH
THIS CLIENT CATACLYSMIC CHANGE,
HE NEVER BECAME IRRELEVANT.
>> NEVER, ALWAYS IN CONNECTION
WITH HIS CONSTITUENTS.
TO YOUR POINT, HOW THE
COMMUNITY, AND THE CITY
ATLANTA, CHANGING OVER TIME SO
RAPIDLY, PERHAPS IT HAS
SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT
ARE HERE, SUCH A POOL OF YOUNG
TALENTED MINDS, A POOL OF
STRONG LEADERS, WHO WHEN THEY
GRADUATE FROM THE SCHOOLS,
ESPECIALLY THE CLARK ATLANTA
UNIVERSITY CENTER, MOREHOUSE
AND SPELMAN, THESE SCHOOLS
NURTURE YOUNG BLACK TALENT,
WHEN THEY GRADUATE, THEY DECIDE
TO STAY HERE, MANY OF THEM, AND
BUILD THEIR HOMES AND CAREERS
HERE, AND THAT ONLY ADDS THE
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE
PROGRESS OF THIS GREAT CITY.
>> AND THE HOPE SCHOLARSHIP HAS
HELPED ON THAT, GREAT CONCERN
IN THE 1990S, WHEN GOVERNOR
MILLER WAS IN OFFICE, THAT SOME
OF ATLANTA'S AND GEORGE'S BEST
AND BRIGHTEST WERE NOT STAYING
HOME, THEY WERE NOT STAYING IN
GEORGIA, WITH THE ASCENSION OF
THE LOTTERY, AND THE MONEY THAT
WAS TURNED INTO THE HOPE
SCHOLARSHIP, THE OPPORTUNITY
FOR KIDS TO REMAIN AND
MATRICULATE IN LOCAL COLLEGES
AND UNIVERSITIES CLEARLY HAS
MADE A DIFFERENCE BRENDA, AND
THOSE OPPORTUNITIES HERE, WE
HAVE SEEN THEM IN ATLANTA, THE
GREAT ISSUE FOR THE REST OF THE
STATE IS, HOW DO WE MAKE JOBS
HAPPEN IN RURAL GEORGIA, THE
GENERATIONAL POVERTY IS
STAGGERING, I WAS IN PLAINS
LAST WEEKEND IT IS SOBERING,
GIVING A GREAT PAUSE AND
REFLECTION ABOUT MODERN, SHINY
ATLANTA, AND THE OPPORTUNITIES
THAT PEOPLE HAVE HERE, YET YOU
LOOK AT PLACES BETWEEN MACON
AND COLUMBUS, YOU SEE POVERTY
AND MAY BE PEOPLE CAN'T
COMPREHEND IT.
COMPREHEND IT. >> THERE IS A GREAT AMOUNT OF
IT HERE, WHICH IS SORT OF THE
IRONY TO WHAT I WAS TALKING
ABOUT, A GREAT POOL OF YOUNG
MINDS, AND STRONG LEADERS, AND
A PROGRESSIVE CITY, BUT WE ALSO
HAVE OUR WARTS, AND ONE OF THEM
IS POVERTY AND HOMELESSNESS,
AND THOSE THINGS STILL NEED
FIXING AND ADDRESSING.
AND ALL OF THESE THINGS, THERE
IS NO UTOPIA, WE ARE TRYING TO
GET THERE BUT IT TAKES HARD
WORK.
WORK.
WORK. AND
WORK. AND FOR JOHN LEWIS, KEEPING
FOCUSED ON HIM, HE WAS ABOUT
THE WORK OF ERADICATING THOSE
THINGS.
THINGS.
THINGS. ONE OF THE SPEAKERS AT THE
FUNERAL, JAMES LAWSON, WHO IS
CONSIDERED TO BE THE MIND OF
THE MOVEMENT, HE TAUGHT THE
THEORY OF NONVIOLENCE, HE WAS
THE MAN WHO ORCHESTRATED THE
LUNCH COUNTER SIT INS, THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL LUNCH COUNTER SIT
INS IN NASHVILLE, HE DEVELOPED
A STRATEGY FOR THAT AND THE
FREEDOM RIDERS, THIS MAN WAS A
GREAT MAN, WHO GAVE CREDIT FOR
MORE THAN JUST THE EDMUND
PETTIS BRIDGE, TALKING AT THE
FUNERAL TODAY.
FUNERAL TODAY. JOHN LEWIS ALSO WAS
INSTRUMENTAL IN CREATING
HEADSTART AND MEDICARE, AND
PASSING ANTIPOVERTY LAWS, TO
ENHANCE HOUSING FOR THOSE WHO
COULDN'T AFFORD HOUSING.
HIS DEPTH AND BREADTH OF CHANGE
IN AMERICA THAT HE CREATED AND
IMPACTED, GOES BEYOND JUST THE
FIGHT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS FOR
BLACK SKY WAS NOT PIGEONHOLE
HIM, JAMES LAWSON SAID, HE WAS
A MAN WHO IS ABOUT HUMANITY ON
ALL LEVELS IN ALL ASPECTS OF
LIFE, SOMETHING TO BE
REMEMBERED.
REMEMBERED. >> DO YOU THINK WE WILL SEE
ANYONE IN CONGRESS IT 33 YEARS,
THE WAY THAT CONGRESSMAN LEWIS
DID?
DID?
DID? WILL
DID? WILL WE SEE THAT AGAIN ANYWHERE
IN THE COUNTRY?
>> WHO KNOWS, I DON'T KNOW,
IT'S A TALL ORDER TO REMAIN
FOCUSED, LIKE IT CUT UP IN THE
HYPE AND ALL OF THE MINUTIA OF
WASHINGTON AND GOVERNMENT, TO
NOT GET CAUGHT UP IN YOURSELF,
AND THE POWER THAT YOU WIELD,
IT IS A TALL ORDER, AND ALSO TO
REMAIN FOCUSED AND ENERGETIC
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. US MERE MORTALS, BUT WE GET
TIRED, [ LAUGHTER ] WE GET
TIRED, AND IT COMES SOONER THAN
40 YEARS, YOU GET TIRED.
MAINTAINING THAT ENERGY, THAT'S
THE EXTRAORDINARY THING ABOUT
JOHN LEWIS.
JOHN LEWIS. >> YES, FOR CONGRESSMAN LEWIS,
A PLANE BACK AND FORTH.
THAT WENT ON NOT JUST FOR A
YEAR OR TWO, THAT WENT ON FOR
33 YEARS.
33 YEARS.
33 YEARS. >> AND HIS WIFE, LILLIAN, HAD
TO ENDURE THAT, SHE WAS NOT A
GREAT FAN OF POLITICS, OF
COURSE SHE LOVED HER HUSBAND,
BUT THEY HAD TO CREATE A
MARRIAGE THAT MADE THAT WORK,
AND THEY DID, FOR SOME 40+
YEARS, THAT REQUIRES SUCH AN
ADJUSTMENT IN EVERY PART OF
YOUR LIFE.
YOUR LIFE. OVER SO MANY