Lewis, who died Friday night of pancreatic cancer, was the last surviving organizer of the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. He was also the last living speaker who, along with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., addressed the crowds at the Lincoln Memorial that day. Lewis appeared in numerous television documentaries recounting his role in the Civil Rights Movement, including PBS' landmark 1987 14-part documentary Eyes on the Prize and American Experience's 2011 documentary Freedom Riders. In January, Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek sent a message of support to Lewis, pointing out that they were born five months apart in 1940 and were both fighting pancreatic cancer. “We’re starting a new year, and let’s see if we can’t both complete the year as pancreatic cancer survivors,” Trebek said. One of Lewis' final interviews was with Gayle King on CBS This Morning on June 4. “You cannot stop the call of history," he said amid the Black Lives Matter protests. "You may use troopers. You may use fire hoses and water, but it cannot be stopped. There cannot be any turning back. We have come too far and made too much progress to stop now and go back.”
TOPICS: John Lewis, PBS, American Experience, CBS Mornings, Eyes on the Prize, Alex Trebek, Gayle King, Documentaries, Obits