John Lewis faced dozens of beatings, taunts and arrests throughout his life. But he overcame every challenge that came his way and continued to fight for Black lives, creating new possibilities for generations that came after him. On Friday, the civil rights icon died at the age of 80, according to Politico. His death came eight months after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, as Blavity previously reported . It was the kind of loss that was immediately felt by the generations of people who have been impacted by the sacrifices Lewis has made throughout his life. Americans everywhere quickly flooded social media on Friday night, paying tribute to the social justice champion and longtime congressman from Georgia. Former President Barack Obama led the way as usual in helping the country grieve during tough times. Using his eloquent words, Obama wrote an essay on Medium. "John Lewis — one of the original Freedom Riders, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the...
