John Lewis Forever stamp debuted in unveiling ceremony at US Capitol

Angel Saunders
·3 min read
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Rep. John Lewis stamp
Rep. John Lewis stamp

Yesterday (June 21) morning, House leaders gathered to honor the late Rep. John Lewis. Members of both the Democratic and Republican parties were present in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. for the unveiling of the former politician and civil rights activist’s United States postal stamp unveiling ceremony.

According to a press release shared by the United States Postal Service, the photo of Lewis that appears on the stamp was taken by Marco Grob for the Aug. 26, 2013 issue of Time magazine. “Even in the face of hatred and violence, as well as some 45 arrests, Lewis remained resolute in his commitment to what he liked to call ‘good trouble,’” the statement said of the Alabama native’s career, which spanned three decades. Born in 1940 to sharecroppers, he devoted his life to fighting for justice. In 2020, he passed away from cancer at 80.

“This Forever stamp is a beautiful tribute to Congressman John Lewis’ enduring legacy. A giant amongst men, a hero to us all, we honor him by marching forward and continuing the fight to protect and strengthen our democracy,” Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted yesterday. “I may be in a different party. I may have different views, but I’m an American. I got goosebumps, and I got tears thinking how far we had come, and thinking that John Lewis led the march on that bridge and led the introduction that day,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) recalled of the congressman sharing a historic moment with President Barack Obama in 2015 during the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Alabama.

In 2015, Lewis’ infamous “good trouble” phrase was also coined. “The action of Rosa Parks and the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. inspired me to find a way to get in the way, to get in trouble — good trouble, necessary trouble,” he said in a speech. The official dedication ceremony for the John Lewis Forever stamp will take place on July 21 at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

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