As the sun set Wednesday, the line outside of the Georgia State Capitol only grew longer as hundreds of people waited their turn to see John Lewis one last time.
Despite having to wait hours to get inside of the Gold Dome, most people didn’t complain. Instead, many were glad so many people showed up to honor the longtime Georgia congressman, who died July 17 at the age of 80.
“He’s given me that drive to vote,” Daryl Blake said after waiting about two hours to enter the Capitol. “(Lewis) showed me how to be a strong, young, Black man — just integrity.”
Credit: Hyosub Shin
Credit: Hyosub Shin
Brady Outlaw, a strength coach on Atlanta’s east side, lugged around an empty orange water cooler so his aunt would have a place to sit as the line slowly moved. He said he forgot to bring a lawn chair and the cooler was the best he could find, but they weren’t going to leave without paying their last respects to Lewis.
“His legacy. We just wanted to pay tribute — to pay homage to just a great man,” Outlaw said.
Amid private visitations for Lewis’ Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity brothers and the Prince Hall Masons, the line’s length quickly grew. By 8:45 p.m., authorities had to redirect the line toward Memorial Drive in an effort to keep the back of the line from completely enveloping the Capitol.
Lewis’ fifth and final public visitation, which began at 3 p.m. Wednesday, was supposed to end at 10 p.m., but that did not stop dozens upon dozens of people from showing up past sundown.
Sanaa Gailor arrived just before 9 p.m., taking her spot in line at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Capitol Avenue — the Gold Dome not even in view. The 19-year-old said she waited about four hours to vote for the first time in 2018, which included a vote for Lewis, and she definitely wasn’t going to let this line scare her off.
“He was pretty much the last civil rights fighter like Malcom X or MLK,” she said. “I live five minutes away, so it would feel wrong not to come out.”
Credit: Hyosub Shin
Credit: Hyosub Shin
A few minutes later, Kay Hackney joined the line after finishing her shift as a nurse at Piedmont Hospital. She wasn’t surprised by the line at all, given how many people Lewis interacted with, helped and spoke to during his decades in Atlanta.
“I saw him every year at (Atlanta) Pride and shook his hand,” she said. “It will be good to see him one last time.”
She almost didn’t get the chance.
Authorities blocked off a segment of the line after 10 p.m. in an attempt to wrap up the visitation, prompting frustration among those who were cut short. However, Capitol Police eventually reversed course to allow the dedicated mourners through.
Lewis’ body will remain at the Capitol until Thursday morning, when it will be transported to Ebenezer Baptist Church for an 11 a.m. funeral.
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