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DC sports teams were graced by Rep. John Lewis presents through the years, so they returned the favor in his mourning, bringing to light all the good he did.
WASHINGTON — Pro sports teams from across D.C. honored the late Congressman John Lewis, D-Ga., who died at age 80 on Friday.
DC sports teams were graced by Rep. John Lewis presents through the years, so they returned the favor in his mourning, bringing to light all the good he did.
The Washington Nationals held a moment of silence to honor Lewis, before an exhibition baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park, Saturday.
“The Washington Nationals organization is deeply saddened by the passing of Civil Rights pioneer Rep. John Lewis. Our condolences go out to his family and to all those mourning this enormous loss,” said the Nationals on Twitter.
John Lewis threw out the first pitch for the Nationals in April 2018 as part of honoring Jackie Robinson Day. He dawned a jersey with “Lewis” on the back when he visited Nationals Park for the occasion.
The Capitals shared multiple tweets that honored Lewis, who in 2019, performed a puck drop with NHL legend Willie O’ Ree as part of Black History in Hockey night at Capital One Arena.
“The hockey world mourns the late Rep. John Lewis, the gentle but fierce civil rights/voting rights advocate who overcame poverty, beatings and jailings to become the conscience of Congress and the world,” said The Color Of Hockey in a tweet shared by the Capitals on Saturday.
To honor the death of Congressman Lewis, the Wizards watched the documentary about Lewis called “Good Trouble” from its hotel at Disney’s sports complex in Orlando, where the National Basketball Association (NBA) has been starting back its season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Mystics posted a picture of the team at the congressman’s Capitol Hill office on Twitter with the quote, “You must be bold, brave, and courageous and find a way … to get in the way.”
Lewis was an icon of the civil rights movement who helped organize the 1963 March on Washington and became a 17-term United States congressman.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser responded to the news saying, “In this moment, it is difficult and heartbreaking to comprehend a world without John Lewis. We knew John Lewis as the conscience of Congress, but often, he felt more like the conscience of our nation, the conscience of a generations-long movement to deliver on the promise of equal justice and equal opportunity.”
Bowser asked that D.C. honor Lewis’ legacy.
“John Lewis had faith in our nation and in the next generation,” Bowser said. “He warned us not to get lost in despair. So, in this moment of grief, we are hopeful — we are hopeful that, collectively, we can live up to his legacy. We are hopeful that we can put a lifetime of lessons into action and, together, we can redeem the soul of America.
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