Falcons and Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank, who was close friends with Congressman and Civil Rights icon John Lewis, issued a statement on his passing on Saturday.
“At the passing of a true American icon, I join his family, the city of Atlanta, the state of Georgia and our country in mourning the loss of my dear friend Congressman John Lewis,” Blank said in the statement. “Freedom fighter are words that were rightly associated with John all his life. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his decades of service as a Congressman representing our city and for his iconic work as one of the 13 original Freedom Riders during the most turbulent years of the civil rights movement. John wore the scars of a brutal 1965 beating he received while leading the history-changing “Bloody Sunday” march in Selma – to those honored to know him, it was always a reminder that freedom isn’t free. John risked his life to end legalized racial segregation and make America a better place for us and future generations. That’s the enduring legacy of one of the most courageous people I ever met. May he rest well and at peace after such a meaningful, purpose-filled life.”
Blank also issued a joint statement on the passing of Lewis and Rev. C.T. Vivian.
“It’s a tough day for our country and for me personally in losing the influential voices of Rev. C.T. Vivian and Congressman John Lewis,” Blank said. “Both were legendary trailblazers during the 1960s civil rights movement, bravely confronting injustice without violence. Both courageously worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to create a transformative legacy of justice and fairness. Both were men of faith who received our nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom – being at Congressman Lewis’ side in 2011 when he received his medal was one of the great honors of my life.
“As I said last month to all our Associates during a virtual town hall, Congressman Lewis and Rev. Vivian were leaders of conscience who carried the baton of freedom knowing that the journey to equality is not finished. I encourage a new generation to take the baton while running harder and faster than they ever have before.
“On behalf of the Blank Family of Businesses and our Associates, we send our deepest condolences to the loved ones of Rev. C.T. Vivian and Congressman John Lewis.”
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