A resolution relating to Representative John Lewis, acknowledging his contributions to the civil rights movement in the United States and his accomplishments on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised and expressing appreciation for his courageous lifelong commitment to  civil and human rights

WHEREAS, John Lewis was one of the 13 original Freedom Riders, challenging segregation at interstate bus terminals across the South; and

WHEREAS, John Lewis helped lead a march for voting rights that galvanized support for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

WHEREAS, John Lewis was a founding member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC); and  

WHEREAS, During his tenure, SNCC opened Freedom Schools, launched the Mississippi Freedom Summer, and organized some of the voter registration efforts during the 1965 Selma voting rights campaign; and

WHEREAS, John Lewis was one of the leaders who were organized the March on Washington; and

WHEREAS, John Lewis was a leader of the Democratic Party in the U.S. House of Representatives for nineteen years where he was known as the "conscience of Congress” for his outspoken advocacy for equal rights and justice in America; and

WHEREAS, John Lewis was instrumental in the creation the national African American museum in Washington, DC.;   

WHEREAS, all people, but especially the underprivileged, have benefitted immeasurably from John Lewis’ dedication to non-violent activism and his efforts to promote racial harmony and social justice:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS:

The Board of Commissioners hereby acknowledges John Lewis’s key roles in the civil rights movement to end legalized racial segregation and his contributions as an elected representative in the United States Congress, and expresses its profound appreciation for his lifelong dedication to justice and equality for all.

ADOPTED by the Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of the City of Seattle at an open public meeting thereof this 20th day of July, 2020.