John Lewis, an iconic civil rights leader and House of Representatives Member, died this past Friday after a six month battle with pancreatic cancer.

“It is with inconsolable grief and enduring sadness that we announce the passing of U.S. Rep. John Lewis,” his family said in a statement. “He was honored and respected as the conscience of the US Congress and an icon of American history, but we knew him as a loving father and brother. He was a stalwart champion in the on-going struggle to demand respect for the dignity and worth of every human being. He dedicated his entire life to non-violent activism and was an outspoken advocate in the struggle for equal justice in America. He will be deeply missed.”

John Robert Lewis served on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement and committed his life to fighting against racial inequality. He was the son of sharecroppers, and experienced firsthand the ugliness the African American community faced during the Jim Crow Era.

Lewis made headlines in 1965 during what would be historically known as “Bloody Sunday” when a picture of Lewis being beaten by a State trooper in Selma, Alabama appeared in newspapers. At Just 23 years old, Lewis launched organized protests and sit-ins he would refer to as “good trouble.” He also participated in the bus boycott as an original Freedom Rider, and a keynote speaker at the historic 1963 March on Washington.

John Lewis was a follower of Martin Luther King Jr, and credits Dr. King for inspiring his activism.  Lewis was a strong advocate for the African American community, and despite being beaten on almost every occasion, spat on, and being tormented by mobs, he took every blow with the hopes that change would prevail and justice be for all.

“We were in for a long, bloody fight here in the American South. And I intended to stay in the middle of it,” John wrote in his memoir.

The civil rights leader took his passion fueled by the civil rights movement to local government in 1981 when he was elected into Atlanta City Council. He served on the council until 1986. He then was elected into Congress and served for more than thirty years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was the leader of the Democratic Party, served as Chief Deputy Whip, and also Senior Chief Deputy Whip. Throughout his life and services to mankind, Lewis received many honorary awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

John Lewis was willing to sacrifice his life to see that all people were treated with the same amount of dignity and respect. His nonviolent approach to what was a very violent period in American history spoke volumes. The contributions John Lewis made to not only African Americans but Americans as a whole will never be forgotten. His message of fighting hate with unity, love, and peace is a message the world is in great need of right now.