Quick Summary
- Civil rights icon delivered law schoolâs commencement address in 2016
- Studied the schoolâs Martin Luther King Jr. statue and its carvings for an hour
- Chancellor May, Dean Johnson of the law school and others offer tributes
It was an incredible scene: Civil rights icon John Lewis, congressman from Georgia, visiting the life-size statue of his mentor, Martin Luther King Jr., at the °”TV School of Law in 2016.
The terra cotta sculpture, showing King in a robe carved with scenes from his life and associated figures and events from the civil rights movement, stands in the law schoolâs lobby.
Dean Kevin Johnson had the honor of escorting Rep. Lewis to see the statue. Lewis had come to °”TV to deliver the keynote address at the law school commencement.
âHe spent almost an hour studying the statue, which includes depictions of many incredible moments in U.S. civil rights history,â Johnson recalled in a Saturday (July 18), the day after Lewis died at the age of 80.
Pamela Wu, then the law schoolâs executive director of marketing and public relations, accompanied the dean and Lewis. âHe recognized the images on the statue immediately,â she said, recalling the congressman saying, âThatâs the Montgomery bus boycott.â
âIt was astonishing,â Wu said. âMany people donât even notice the images. Realizing that he recognized them because he had literally lived some of the experiences was a powerful moment.â
âBeacon of truth and hopeâ
Rep. Lewis and Chancellor May.Johnsonâs blog post was one of several tributes by °”TV leaders.
Chancellor Gary S. May, who had lived in Lewisâ congressional district in Atlanta, said in a statement posted Saturday: âJohn Lewis was a beacon of truth and hope. We looked to him for his courage and persistence in the face of inequality. We trusted his leadership in helping the United States reckon with its past and determine what kind of future we want for our children and grandchildren.
âDuring my years in Atlanta, I was pleased to be a resident in his district and voted for him 12 of his 17 congressional terms. He was one of my role models, and like President Obama has said, we all stand on his shoulders. Thank you, John Lewis.â
Distinguished Professor Ralph J. Hexter, who recently stepped down as provost and executive vice chancellor, was serving as acting chancellor when Lewis spoke to the law school commencement.
âAn amazing memory of the great John Lewis speaking at the °”TV Law School commencement,â Hexter wrote Saturday in a . âIt was honor to meet him and be on the same podium. Very moving to recall that our school is King Hall.â
âHe finally said yes!â
Rep. Lewis and Wu.Indeed, the King Hall-King-Lewis connection was a âselling pointâ for Wu as she pursued Lewis âover and over, for five yearsâ to deliver the commencement address.
âThe law school is housed inside King Hall, named for the very man who inspired Lewis to join the civil rights movement: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,â Wu wrote in an with three photos Saturday.
âIn 2016, he finally said yes! Meeting him and hearing him inspire the law graduates has been one of the greatest honors of my life,â said Wu, who now serves as the director of News and Media Relations at °”TV Health.
Rep. Lewis gave generously of his time talking with law school students and their families, Dean Johnson said, noting that the congressman also met with and inspired a group of alumni, sharing his thoughts on civil rights, the Trump campaign and the continuing struggle for justice for all.
Inspiring speech
Dean Johnson said Lewis gave an inspiring speech, advising the graduates to get into âgood troubleâ fighting for justice. âAnd, I must add, Congressman Lewis sure knew how to tell a gripping and meaningful story,â the dean said.
Lewis had adapted the term âgood troubleâ from what his parents had told him during his childhood in Alabama. According to The New York Times, âThey had taught him as a child to accept the world as he found it. When he asked them about signs saying âColored Only,â they told him, âThatâs the way it is, donât get in trouble.â
âBut as an adult, he said, after he met Dr. King and Rosa Parks ... he was inspired to âget into trouble, good trouble, necessary troubleââ â and getting into âgood troubleâ would become his motto for life.
Wu, in a Friday, said: âItâs amazing to meet one of your personal heroes in person. But itâs incredible when theyâre even more wonderful than you thought they would be. Tonight that memory is bittersweet. , wherever you may be now, I know you will keep making .â
Coverage
- (The Davis Enterprise)
- (The Sacramento Bee)
- (ABC 10)