Rep. John Lewis, who spent years fighting for civil rights, has another fight ahead of him — against pancreatic cancer.
The Georgia Democrat shared that he is undergoing treatment for stage 4 pancreatic cancer on Sunday in a statement released by his office.
“I have been in some kind of fight — for freedom, equality, basic human rights — for nearly my entire life. I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now,” Lewis, 79, said. “I am going to fight it and keep fighting for the Beloved Community. We still have many bridges to cross.”
His diagnosis was confirmed during a doctor’s visit last month. He said he is “clear-eyed” about the prognosis, but hopeful that new treatment options give him a “fighting chance.”
The civil rights icon, known as the “conscience of the House,” has represented Georgia’s 5th District since 1987. In the 1960s, he embraced Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message of nonviolent protesting. Over the following years, he participated in the Nashville lunch counter sit-ins, the 1961 Freedom Rides, the 1963 March on Washington, and the 1965 Bloody Sunday march in Alabama, during which he was beaten by a state trooper.
Democratic strategist and friend of Lewis, Tharon Johnson, is “confident he’s not going anywhere for a while longer.”
“I still need him. This country still needs him,” he said. “And if there’s anyone that can win this battle, it’s him.”
In his statement, Lewis made clear his intentions to return to Capitol Hill to represent his constituents as soon as possible.
“To my constituents: being your representative in Congress is the honor of a lifetime,” he wrote. “I will return to Washington in coming days to continue our work and begin my treatment plan, which will occur over the next several weeks. I may miss a few votes during this period, but with God’s grace I will be back on the front lines soon.”
The statement added, “Please keep me in your prayers as I begin this journey.”
