A new postage stamp featuring John Lewis honors the life and legacy of the late Civil Rights leader and U.S. Representative of Georgia.
The new postage stamp was unveiled in Washington on Wednesday, and features a photograph of Lewis taken by Time Magazine photographer Marco Grob in 2013.
Lewis was an original member of the Freedom Riders, and committed himself to getting into what he referred to as “good trouble” through peaceful protesting. He represented Georgia’s fifth congressional district, which encompasses Atlanta, from 1987 until his death in 2020.
For his continued dedication to Civil Rights, President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010.
In 2020, soon after his death, The New York Times published an op-ed written by Lewis.
“Though I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe,” Lewis wrote. “In my life I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring.”
The stamps will become available on July 21.
