John Lewis honored with the Liberty Medal
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
John Lewis, the Georgia congressman, civil rights giant, and frontline soldier in the struggle for racial equality, was awarded the Liberty Medal on Monday night, more than a half-century after he marched on Washington and vowed to "burn Jim Crow to the ground, nonviolently."
Lewis, 76, the only surviving leader of the movement's "Big Six," which included the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., accepted the medal outside the National Constitution Center. He joined a list of recipients that includes the Dalai Lama, Muhammad Ali, Thurgood Marshall, and several Nobel Peace Prize recipients.
"I never tried to win any award. My plan wasn't to seek fame or fortune," Lewis said after receiving a standing ovation. "All I wanted to do is to help out. To do what I could to help make this country and the world community a little bit better: More just, a little more peaceful for all of its citizens."
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Established in 1988 to commemorate the bicentennial of the Constitution, the Liberty Medal is traditionally awarded to those who strive to secure liberty for people around the world. It carries a $100,000 cash prize.
Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160920_John_Lewis_honored_with_the_Liberty_Medal.html
He had been nominated back in June and the ceremony was held last night.
Congrats to a tireless warrior for civil rights!
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