What:

U.S. Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05), in partnership with the United States Postal Service, will host a dedication and plaque presentation ceremony honoring long-time U.S. Congressman and civil rights icon John R. Lewis. The United States Postal Service welcomes the public to attend this free event.

Who:

Staff Members from the office of the Honorable Nikema Williams, U.S. Representative (GA-05)
Atlanta, GA, Postmaster Falonda Woods
Members of the Lewis Family

When:

Wednesday, February 21, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. EST

Where:

Atlanta Main Post Office
3900 Crown Road
Atlanta, GA 30304

RSVP:

Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to rsvp at: evelina.b.ramirez@usps.gov

Background:

On October 4, 2022, H.R. 5577 was enacted and signed into law by the President. The measure designates the Atlanta Main Post Office as the “John R. Lewis Post Office Building”.

Devoted to equality and justice for all Americans, Lewis spent more than 30 years in Congress steadfastly defending and building on key civil rights gains that he helped achieve in the 1960s. Lewis was a staunch and unwavering believer in and advocate for nonviolent protests. The recipient of more than 50 honorary degrees, he was called a “saint” by Time magazine and “the conscience of the Congress,” by his colleagues.

Lewis was the face of the Nashville Student Movement, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, an original Freedom Rider, and one of the keynote speakers at the 1963 March on Washington. He served as executive director of the Voter Education Project; as associate director of ACTION, the federal volunteer agency that oversaw the Peace Corps and VISTA; and as a member of the Atlanta City Council. He was also the best-selling author of several books, including the “March” comic book series and the inspiring autobiography, “Walking With the Wind.”

Elected to represent Georgia in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986, Lewis garnered the support needed to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1991, sponsored the legislation that created the 54-mile-long Selma-to-Montgomery National Historic Trail, and worked for more than a decade to establish the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama.

Throughout his life, Lewis remained resolute in his commitment to what he liked to call “good trouble,” even in the face of hatred and violence.

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