A Tribute to Representative John Lewis

USICH honors the life and legacy of Representative John Lewis, a great civil rights hero who died last week. Representative Lewis’ sacrifices and achievements across his entire lifetime remind us of the role we all must play to achieve a just and equitable world—one that starts with the dignity of a home.

The congressman recognized that housing is a cornerstone of civil rights and the value in offering each person an equitable chance to safely build a dignified life. Decades after he first met Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, as a teenager already committed to the civil rights movement, Representative Lewis would go on to actively support housing for Veterans in his native city of Atlanta. As a congressman, he worked tirelessly to ensure that federal programs that provide key services within his district were able to fund affordable homes for Veterans who were experiencing homelessness, and their families.

As a civil rights leader, Representative Lewis had a vision of what was possible for the nation. The congressman’s impact on our work will live on, reflected in the decisions we make as individuals and members of our community.