John Lewis Memorial Fundraiser Kicks Off This Week

DEKALB COUNTY, GA — A fundraising campaign for the future memorial in honor of the late Congressman John Lewis kicks off this week with a virtual event, and will be broadcasted live for everyone to see.

Featured speakers at the event include House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Congressional Black Caucus Chair Joyce Beatty; Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia; U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Stone Mountain; DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond; former state Rep. Jason Carter; and Michael Collins, Lewis' former chief of staff, a county news release said.

The program will be broadcasted live at 7 p.m. on DeKalb County's DCTV23.

The John Lewis Commemorative Task Force — led by DeKalb Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson and co-chaired by Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett — was created in August 2020 and tasked with commemorating Lewis, who died last July after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Lewis was one of the "Big Six" leaders of the 1960s civil rights movement and a longtime Georgia congressman.

In January, DeKalb commissioners approved a resolution that would create a memorial site honoring Lewis in front of the historic DeKalb County Courthouse in Decatur Square. It will take the place of the Confederate obelisk that stood there for more than 100 years and was removed last June.

The task force started putting out calls for artists in February, with the goal of picking the winner(s) by May 2021. Artist selections have yet to be announced, according to the John Lewis Tribute website.

“John was a giant of a man, with a humble heart, he met no strangers and he truly was a man who loved the people and who loved his country, which he represented very well,” Davis Johnson said. “He deserves this honor.”

Donations can be made to the project anytime at johnlewistribute.com.

Related:

• 24 Artists Want To Design Decatur's Future John Lewis Memorial
• DeKalb Seeks Artists For John Lewis Memorial In Decatur Square
• John Lewis Memorial Coming To Decatur Square
• Decatur Mayor Helps Launch Task Force To Honor John Lewis
• Civil Rights Titan, Georgia Congressman John Lewis Dead At Age 80