Civil Rights Giant Lewis in Hospital

Georgia rep fell ill on a flight back to Atlanta; expected to be released soon
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 29, 2018 6:07 AM CDT
Georgia Rep. John Lewis in Hospital
Civil rights leader, Rep. John Lewis, of Georgia, speaks at St. Joseph University's Hagan Arena in Philadelphia, Monday, April 16, 2018.   (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Civil rights icon and Georgia Rep. John Lewis is in an Atlanta-area hospital after falling ill on a flight to his home state on Saturday, reports WSB-TV. "There is no cause for alarm," a spokeswoman told ABC News. "He will be fine. He's resting comfortably and expects to be released tomorrow." Lewis was expected at an event in Atlanta on Saturday night, and failed to show. The 78-year-old, once a close friend of Martin Luther King Jr., has held office in Georgia's 5th Congressional District since 1987. His activism hasn't let up in recent years, with ABC noting that he spoke an a rally protesting President Trump's immigration policy just last month, saying, "The world is crying with us. We must show the world that we are better than what is going on in America today." (More John Lewis stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X