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Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and other lawmakers remembered John Lewis on the first anniversary of his death on July 17.
Born in 1940, Lewis was best known – aside from his service as a U.S. representative – as one of the "Big Six" leaders of the civil rights movement.
“May we continue to remember @repjohnlewis life, legacy and continue fighting for the things we believe in and hold sacred. #ForThePeople," Turner said in a tweet on July 17.
Lewis, who passed away on July 17, 2020, was a champion of voting rights, The Hill reported. One of the measures his surviving Democratic colleagues are trying to have passed bears his name. He coined the term “good trouble.”
"Instead of answering our concerns for him, he asked us to remain focused on the unfinished work – his life’s work – of healing and uniting this nation," President Joe Biden said, told by The Hill.
According to Fox News, the Navy christened a ship for him in observance of his death anniversary.
"Perhaps most of all, it means continuing the cause that John was willing to give his life for: Protecting the sacred right to vote," Biden said, told by The Hill. "Not since the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s have we seen such unrelenting attacks on voting rights and the integrity of our elections – from the big lie to the insurrection on Jan. 6 to the new waves of voter suppression and a new front of election subversion."
Biden said he calls on Congress to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act so he can sign them into law.
Rep. Nikema Williams (D-Ga.) who was Lewis' successor, posted on Twitter to honor Lewis' legacy.
"A year ago today, we lost a giant," Williams wrote on July 17. "Our hero. Our friend. The Conscience of the Congress. We must keep up the #GoodTrouble to pass #HR1 and #HR4 #ForThePeople."