by Jessica Lane
December 8, 2017
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images
Georgia Rep. John Lewis will not participate in the opening ceremony for The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum this Saturday. Lewis and Mississippi Rep. Bennie G. Thompson released a joint statement in response to Trump’s attendance calling his policies “an insult to the people portrayed” in the museum.
“After careful consideration and conversations with church leaders, elected officials, civil rights activists, and many citizens of our congressional districts, we have decided not to attend or participate in the opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum,” said the representatives in their joint statement.
The Civil Rights Museum is designed to honor the movement and its key figures. John Lewis is one of those figures, but he won’t be at the museum’s opening, saying Trump’s presence makes a “mockery” of what the event stands for. https://t.co/kFUgCvvXwL
— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) December 7, 2017
Lewis and Thompson continued: “The struggles represented in this museum exemplify the truth of what really happened in Mississippi. President Trump’s disparaging comments about women, the disabled, immigrants, and National Football League players disrespect the efforts of Fannie Lou Hamer, Aaron Henry, Medgar Evers, Robert Clark, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, and countless others who have given their all for Mississippi to be a better place.”
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant extended an invite to Trump, and since Trump announced his appearance, the Black political community has spoken out. The NAACP suggested canceling the event because of “his divisive record on civil rights issues,” the Associated Press reported.
In response to the backlash, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement saying, “We think it’s unfortunate that these members of Congress wouldn’t join the president in honoring the incredible sacrifice civil rights leaders made to right the injustices in our history.”
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Despite the controversy, Lewis spoke highly of The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and urged us all to visit and commemorate the many sacrifices made to bring racial equality.
The NERVE of the White House to criticize one of our Civil Rights heroes?! Without him, there would be no museum. Twitter felt the same and had plenty to say….
It’s uhhhh unfortunate that John Lewis won’t honor the sacrifices made by … [looks down at notes] … John Lewis. https://t.co/VOPQmnB0t3
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) December 7, 2017
John Lewis nearly died marching for civil rights while Trump was being sued by Nixon Justice Department for refusing to rent to black tenants https://t.co/3PESAO0GOb
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) December 7, 2017
.@PressSec: “We think it’s unfortunate that these members of Congress wouldn’t join the President in honoring the incredible sacrifice civil rights leaders made to right the injustices in our history.”
Here’s John Lewis in Selma on March 7, 1965, making an incredible sacrifice pic.twitter.com/hlHY9GNCX8
— Rantt News (@RanttNews) December 7, 2017
TELL US: Is Congressman John Lewis wrong for protesting the Civil Rights Museum opening?
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