Congressman John Lewis diagnosed with cancer. In May 2018, Moran Center honored him.

"As a young child, 15 years old, I heard of Rosa Parks, I heard of Martin Luther King, Jr. I met Rosa Parks when I was 17. The next year I met Martin Luther King, Jr. and I got involved in the civil rights movement. If it hadn't been for that movement ... I don't know what would have happened to me, to us, to our nation."

"Too many of our young children are troubled by gun violence. Too many Hispanic children, little children who come here when they are babies and this is the only country they know, why is it impossible to take in these children?"

"The late Asa Randloph, who was the dean of Black leadership, said over and over again when we were planning the March on Washington, 'Maybe our foremothers and our forefathers all came to this great land on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.' That is true today more than ever before ... We are one people, one family, and as Dr. King said, we must learn to live together as brothers and sisters, if not, we will perish like fools."

"We can do it. And maybe if we get it right and rescue our country and our democracy, maybe we can emerge as an example for the rest of the world. They're waiting for us, they're looking for us to lead, to get in the way, to get in trouble, necessary trouble."

It was such sad news to hear about his diagnosis of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer and an awful way to end what has been a truly challenging year.

Here’s to John Lewis and to a better, kinder, more just 2020.