Schools

Congressman John Lewis to Celebrate Namesake School in DeKalb

John Robert Lewis Elementary School is first named after the civil rights pioneer.

BROOKHAVEN -- U.S. Congressman John Lewis will be on hand in DeKalb County for a celebration Tuesday evening of his namesake, John Robert Lewis Elementary School.

The event will be held at the school located at 2383 North Druid Hills Road. Lewis will be joined by members of the DeKalb County School Board.

Lewis is a pioneer of the civil rights movement, braving water hoses and batons to end segregation in the 1960s. He was elected to Congress in 1987 and has used his political career to fight for the rights of the underserved.

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Read more: Brookhaven's new school to be named after John Lewis

John Robert Lewis Elementary School will get new digs in a few years. The school's permanent location will be 2600 Skyland Drive NE. It is expected to be completed by fall 2019, the school district said in a news release.

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The DeKalb County school is the first in the nation to be named after Lewis, who is originally from Alabama.

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