John Lewis funeral: Obama gives powerful eulogy after Clinton, Pelosi, Bush and more give moving tributes

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Trump says he won’t go and pay respects to John Lewis at Capitol

John Lewis will go down in history as the founding father of a better America, former president Barack Obama said during powerful eulogy to the civil rights hero.

Mr Obama was the fourth former president to deliver remarks at the funeral after Bill Clinton and George W Bush spoke, and a letter from Jimmy Carter was read out, to mourners gathered at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

"The life of John Lewis was in so many ways, exceptional. It vindicated the faith in our founding, redeemed that faith, that most American of ideas," Mr Obama said.

The celebration of Mr Lewis' life turned to the hope for his legacy as Mr Obama used the famous pulpit of MLK to rally support for voting reform ahead of the 2020 election between his former VP Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

Mr Trump was the only recent living president not to make an appearance of some kind at the service, though his actions cast a long shadow over the messages of speakers.

"There are those in power that are doing their darndest to discourage people from voting by closing polling locations and targeting minorities and students with restrictive ID laws and attacking our voting rights with surgical precision, even undermine the postal service, in the run up to an election that's going to be dependent on mail in ballots so people don't get sick," Mr Obama said.

"I know this is a celebration of John's life, there are some who might say we shouldn't dwell on such things. But that's why I'm talking about it. John Lewis devoted his time on this earth fighting the very attacks on democracy, and what's best in America, that we're seeing circulate right now."

Mr Bush and Mr Clinton earlier focused on the life of Mr Lewis and the better future he created for the country.

Mr Bush had mourners in hysterics as he remembered Mr Lewis's early childhood while Mr Clinton spoke about the lessons he has learned from the late congressman.

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[30 July 2020 19:11 · Justin Vallejo]

Obama references Trump policies at John Lewis funeral

"Today we witness with our own eyes police officers kneeling on the necks of black Americans. George Wallace may be gone, but we can witness our federal government sending agents using tear gas and batons against peaceful demonstrators," Obama said.

"Even as we sit here there are those in power that are doing their darndest to discourage people from voting by closing polling locations and targeting minorities and students with restrictive ID laws and attacking our voting rights with surgical precision even undermine the postal service in the run up to an election that's going to be dependent on mail in ballots so people don't get sick."

"I know this is a celebration of John's life, there are some who might say we shouldn't dwell on such things. But that's why I'm talking about it. John Lewis devoted his time on this earth fighting the very attacks on democracy, and what's best in America, that we're seeing circulate right now."

[30 July 2020 19:22 · Justin Vallejo]

'John, I'm here because of you' - Obama

"On inauguration day... he was one of the first people I greeted and hugged," Obama said.

"I told him, this is your day too. He was a good and kind and gentle man and he believed in us, even when we don't believe in ourselves."

[30 July 2020 19:33 · Justin Vallejo]

John Lewis funeral nears its close

After Barack Obama delivered the final eulogy, the casket of John Lewis will soon leave the church.

[30 July 2020 19:46 · Justin Vallejo]

Barack Obama calls for voting reform and filibuster's end in rousing eulogy for civil rights hero

Barack Obama supports ending the Senate's filibuster rule if that's what it takes to pass voting rights legislation, the former US president indicated during his eulogy for the late Congressman John Lewis on Thursday.

At his speech in Atlanta on Thursday, Mr Obama, the first black president in US history, advocated for several reforms to make it easier for Americans to vote, including:

• making Election Day a federal holiday;
• restoring voting rights to former prison inmates;
• automatically registering people to vote when they turn 18 years old; and
• full enfranchisement for the citizens of Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, which currently lack statehood and thus representation in Congress.

"If all of this takes eliminating the filibuster, another Jim Crowe relic, in order to secure the god given rights of every American, then that's what we should do," Mr Obama said.

Griffin Connolly takes a closer look at the context and consequence of Barack Obama's eulogy turned call to action for the 2020 election.