Health News at Your Fingertips

Jennifer Holliday is singing Take My Hand, Precious Lord, after a string of tributes were delivered at John Lewis’s funeral. After her song, Barack Obama is scheduled to deliver the eulogy.

Before this song, Reverend Raphael Warnock, who is officiating the memorial service, read a letter from president Jimmy Carter, who could not attend the ceremony.

Civil rights leader, Xernona Clayton, said when people read about “this wonderful man” in the newspapers, to honor him by acting in accordance with the values he fought for. She concluded her tribute by telling people to vote.

Bill Campbell, Atlanta’s former mayor, said he first met Lewis 40 years ago, when he came to his hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina as an activist. Campbell’s father was the president of the local chapter of the NAACP.

“John Lewis wasn’t on the right side of history, history was on the right side of John Lewis,” Campbell said.

Campbell said in his last visit to Lewis, the congressman told him to make sure people vote in this election, because it is the most important ever.

Jamila Thomspon, Lewis’s deputy chief of staff, said the congressmen would want her to tell the crowd that they look “good” and “beautiful.”

“He got all into our business,” Thompson said, laughing. “And was there in spirit or in person for the big moments.”

Lewis’s niece, Sheila Lewis O’Brien, said: “Let’s continue this celebration of life by taking up the top he has now laid down and endeavor to get into good trouble, necessary trouble.”

Christine Pelosi, House majority speaker Nancy Pelosi’s daughter, posted photos of the memorial book for the service. The book is embossed with Lewis’s quote: “If not us, then who? If not now, then when?”