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Demings: ‘It really feels like a part of America died’ with Lewis

Greg Nash

Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) said it “feels like a part of America died” after the death of Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) on Friday, but said the current protests against racism and police brutality are carrying out his legacy.

“It really feels like a part of America died on Friday,” Demings said on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday. “John Lewis was larger than life, I don’t think I’ve ever really met anyone like him.”

“I was in awe of him as a young child growing up in the 60s …  but I was also in awe of him until the day he died,” she added. “It will never be the same in the House of Representatives without John Lewis.”

Demings, who is under consideration to be Joe Biden’s running mate, added that Lewis “just made everybody feel like they were the only person in the room that mattered.”

Guest host Martha Raddatz brought up Lewis’ final public appearance, in which he visited the stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., where the city painted the message “BLACK LIVES MATTER.”

“John Lewis loved the young protesters and demonstrated by his actions, he would always stop and take time to interact with them, wherever they were and wherever he was,” Demings said. “His legacy, he sees it demonstrated every day in the protesters who are out there in all 50 states.”

“John Lewis has left us a great road map and if we can continue to be half the servants fighting for social justice that John Lewis was, then we’re going to be okay,” she added. “We have to continue to fight and finish the work, amazing work, that Mr. John Lewis started.”

Tags Joe Biden John Lewis Val Demings

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