Augustans to gather at library for event honoring civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis

Augusta area residents will join on Wednesday for an event honoring civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis.

The event, hosted on the fourth anniversary of Lewis' death at the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library on Telfair Street, will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Lewis, a civil rights activist, served in the House of Representatives for Georgia's 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death in July 2020.

He chaired the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and led freedom rides, the 1963 March on Washington, and the 1965 "Bloody Sunday" march in Selma, Alabama.

During the event, Augustans will call on congress to pass legislation to protect the freedom to vote, end gerrymandering, and get money out of politics to realize Lewis' vision for a democracy, according to a news release.

Residents are demanding congress pass a suite of democracy reform bills, including the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, The Freedom To Vote Act, the Native American Voting Rights Act and the Washington D.C. Admission Act.

"We are gathering to remember the impact of Rep. John Lewis and the need for Congress to take urgent action," said Traci George of the Indigo Honor Society.

Indigo Honor Society and League of Women Voters of the CSRA are hosting the event in partnership with the Declaration for American Democracy, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Black Voters Matter Fund, League of Women Voters, Transformative Justice Coalition, Public Citizen, and dozens of other organizations as part of the John Lewis National Day of Commemoration and Action.

A similar event will be hosted in Waynesboro at the Burke County Public Library until 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

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This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augustans to gather for event honoring Rep. John Lewis