THE COUNTRY.
ALL RIGHT.
NBC’S GEOFF BENNETT, THANK YOU
FOR THAT.
>> AS YOU JUST SAW, CONGRESSMAN
LEWIS WAS A FRIEND OF DR. MARTIN
LUTHER KING JR.
WE WANT TO BRING IN HIS SON,
MARTIN LUTHER KING III, JOINING
US FROM ATLANTA THIS MORNING.
WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU
JOINING US ON THIS MORNING TO
REMEMBER THE LATE CONGRESSMAN.
HE KNEW YOUR FATHER WELL, HE WAS
ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS OF THAT
MARCH ON WASHINGTON.
TALK ABOUT THAT RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN YOUR FATHER AND JOHN
LEWIS.
>> IT WAS -- PART OF THAT
RELATIONSHIP WAS A MENTORING
RELATIONSHIP.
DAD CERTAINLY ADMIRED HIS
ENERGY, HIS TENACITY AND HE
ADMIRED DAD’S LEADERSHIP.
AND SO THAT IS THE REAL
RELATIONSHIP.
DAD WAS INSPIRED BY JOHN LEWIS,
JUST AS I HAVE BEEN -- EXCUSE
ME, JOHN LEWIS WAS INSPIRED BY
DAD, BUT I HAVE BEEN INSPIRED,
AS MANY MILLIONS OF US ACROSS
THE NATION AND THE WORLD HAVE
BEEN INSPIRED BY JOHN LEWIS AND
HIS EXAMPLES THAT HE SET FOR US
EVERY DAY.
>> AND YOU SAY THAT, AND IT
MAKES ME THINK ABOUT THE FACT
THAT CONGRESSMAN LEWIS WAS 23
YEARS OLD WHEN HE MARCHED ACROSS
THE EDMUND PETTUS BRIDGE, THAT
BRAVE MARCH.
IT’S A FIGHT, THOUGH, THAT HE
HAS CONTINUED TO THIS DAY.
HE CONTINUES TO SPEAK OUT TO
YOUNG PEOPLE.
HE SAW THIS WAVE OF PROTESTS ALL
ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS A
CONTINUATION OF HIS BODY OF WORK
WHACHLT DO YOU THINK HIS IMPACT
WILL BE ON THIS NEXT GENERATION?
>> WELL, CLEARLY, WE ARE SEEING
MORE YOUNG PEOPLE ENGAGE IN
VOTING.
HE IS THE ONE INDIVIDUAL THAT
PERSONIFIES, MORE THAN ANYONE,
THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTING.
THIS IS THE 150th ANNIVERSARY OF
THE 15th AMENDMENT, WHICH GAVE
BLACK MEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT LATER.
THIS IS THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF
WOMEN’S VOTING AND 55th
ANNIVERSARY OF THE VOTING RIGHTS
ACT.
I HOPE PEOPLE INSPIRE TO
RE-ENACT THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
THAT WOULD BE A TRUE TRIBUTE TO
JOHN LEWIS INSTEAD OF PEOPLE
FROM ALL ACROSS THE AISLE JUST
PRAISING HIM, WE NEED TO ACT.
JOHN LEWIS WOULD WANT US TO ACT
AND ACT NOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT
EVERYONE CAN VOTE, NO
ENCUMBRANCES.
>> YOU’RE STRUCK, I’M STRUCK BY
SOME OF THE WORDS HE SAID IN THE
LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
HE WOULD REPEAT THE PHRASE BE
CONSTRUCTIVE, NOT DESTRUCTIVE.
WHAT LASTING MESSAGE DO YOU
THINK JOHN LEWIS WOULD WANT TO
LEAVE FOR US?
>> WHEN YOU SAY BE CONSTRUCTIVE,
THAT IS WHAT HE ALWAYS, AGAIN,
PERSONIFIED.
AND I THINK THAT THERE ARE YOUNG
PEOPLE OUT HERE TODAY THAT ARE
WORKING IN A CONSTRUCTIVE WAY.
IT’S MY HOPE THAT CONGRESS DOES
THAT, NOT JUST TALK.
AND WHEN I SAY CONGRESS, I MEAN
BOTH SIDES.
AGAIN, A TRIBUTE TO JOHN LEWIS
WOULD BE FOR US TO CREATE NO
ENCUMBRANCES, MAYBE TO RE-ENACT
THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
THAT’S WHAT HE WOULD WANT US TO
DO.
THAT’S WHAT WE’VE GOT TO DO.
WE’VE GOT TO VOTE EVERY
ELECTION, NOT JUST THIS
ELECTION.
THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST
CRITICAL BUT WE HAVE TO VOTE
EVERY ELECTION.
THAT IS WHAT HE WOULD WANT US TO
DO.
THAT IS WHAT BEGINS THE PROCESS
OF CHANGE IN THIS NATION.
>> MARTIN LUTHER KING III, WE
VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOU JOINING
