The foundation named after the late Rep. John Lewis and his wife is set to hold its first public event this spring.
The John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation announced on Monday that it will hold an inaugural gala in D.C. in May, according to a news release obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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“When my Dad established the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation, it was his vision that it would support good work, inspire good troublemaking, and do its part to make the world a better place,” his son John-Miles Lewis wrote in a message on the website. “I am excited about the Foundation’s focus on young people and on bringing people from diverse places, backgrounds and experiences together to listen, learn and dialogue.”
The announcement came on what would have been the congressman’s 82nd birthday.
As described on the website, the foundation’s mission is to strengthen “democracy through civic engagement.”
“This year has forced an overdue reckoning with U.S. racial history and democratic principles. The year’s events have elevated public awareness of the existence of systemic cycles of evil,” a statement on the website reads.
Linda Earley Chastang, Lewis’s former chief of staff, will be the president of the foundation.
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The foundation was established by Lewis in 2018 to preserve his legacy. In July 2020, Lewis died after battling pancreatic cancer.
