Spelman College plans scholarship in honor of Congressman John Lewis
Each year, five students will be given a $10,000 scholarship.
Congressman John Lewis‘ life and legacy will live on at Spelman College. The Historically Black College and University is planning a scholarship to honor the late congressman and civil rights icon.
Spelman announced on Saturday that an endowed scholarship bearing Lewis’ name will be given to five students each year. The award will be given to Social Justice Fellows at the school, and they will receive a one-time $10,000 award.
“We believe that the best way to honor Congressman Lewis is to lift up those who are carrying out his work,” Spelman President Mary Schmidt Campbell said in a statement.
READ MORE: Rep. James Clyburn wants Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge renamed after John Lewis
President Campbell told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, that Congressman Lewis visited Spelman last year to speak with students. He reportedly shared a message of hope that encouraged students to stay vigilant about issues that were important to them.
Lewis represented Georgia’s 5th congressional district for more than three decades, but his work as a civil rights activist, which included the historic 1963 March on Washington, elevated him to the national stage.
Congressman John Lewis’ family recently shared a more personal side of the lawmaker.
“He was honored and respected as the conscience of the US Congress and an icon of American history, but we knew him as a loving father and brother. He was a stalwart champion in the on-going struggle to demand respect for the dignity and worth of every human being. He dedicated his entire life to non-violent activism and was an outspoken advocate in the struggle for equal justice in America. He will be deeply missed.”
Congressman John Lewis died on Friday night following a six-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
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