Reflections on Congressman John Lewis as he departs DC for the last time

One of the biggest privileges of my job at Georgia Tech has been interacting with our Congressman, John Lewis, for more than 13 years. I don’t feel worthy of that privilege, but I am so grateful for it. These interactions, plus what I have learned about his life, have made me a more compassionate person.

This icon of American history, who overcame so much, was also one of the kindest individuals I’ve ever known. Having a legitimate work reason to introduce Georgia Tech students, faculty, leaders and alumni to Congressman Lewis was always an especially gratifying part of my job.

No matter how many times I did it, walking into his congressional office was astonishing. I can only imagine what it was like for his staff (more later on them) as they tried to discuss policy items with guests who looked like they were in an amazing museum with only a few minutes before closing time.

Once you were in Congressman Lewis’s presence, you never felt rushed. He never glanced at a phone or looked over your shoulder to catch a glimpse of C-SPAN or someone who might be more important. It never felt normal to me to have him offer us a “Coca-Cola product” or ask if we want a photo, no matter how many times it happened. Another amazing aspect of his longtime office space in 343 Cannon was the balcony that offered a spectacular view of the Capitol Dome and served as the perfect background for a photo (as if a photo with John Lewis wasn’t special enough).

He was the same way in Atlanta. The time we spent hosting him at Georgia Tech’s 2011 Fall Commencement in the Georgia Dome demonstrated to me how kind, calm and gentle both the Congressman and his staff were. As anyone in higher education can tell you, commencements are long--especially ones that allow every graduate to cross the stage. But time flies when you’re hosting Congressman Lewis because 1) so many people of all backgrounds want to talk with him and 2) he is so generous with his time. He never seemed put-out, and he treated the security worker at the Georgia Dome just as kindly as he treated the President of Georgia Tech. Of course, the security worker and the President of Georgia Tech were equally in awe of the Congressman. On a personal note, I will always remember him looking me directly in the eye just prior to the ceremony and saying, “You know my middle name is Robert? I knew I was in trouble as a kid when I heard, ‘John Robert!’”       

If you haven’t seen the documentary, John Lewis: Good Trouble, I strongly encourage you to do so (https://www.johnlewisgoodtrouble.com/). It demonstrates his impact, sense of humor and just plain decency. Over the years, Lewis never lost his ferocious spirit. He just chose carefully when to unleash it publicly. Another fascinating aspect of the documentary is that you get to see and hear from his loyal staff. As some of you know, each of the 535 Congressional offices are like its own small business and working for a Member of Congress is often like working in a family business. It can be extraordinarily intimate, intense and tiring. Add to that working for a living legend who is so generous with his time and you can imagine how tough it is to juggle the demands on your time--and the Member’s time. In order to be successful in his office, you too had to have a lot of patience and flexibility!

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting dozens of people who worked for Congressman Lewis over the past 13 years, but I want to acknowledge a few whom I worked with most frequently. Ms. Tuere Butler worked in the Atlanta office for the Congressman for more than 22 years, the last three as his District Director. A graduate of Spelman College, Tuere supervised interns from Georgia Tech, helped our students, researchers and professors from overseas navigate our immigration system and was an enthusiastic supporter of Georgia Tech.

Mr. Jared McKinley worked in the Atlanta office for more than 15 years as the Congressman’s Outreach Director. A graduate of Clark Atlanta University, he was often with the Congressman during his visits to campus and was always so wonderful about helping with letters of support.

Ms. Ruth Riley worked as the Congressman’s district scheduler for 19 years. Ruth had one of the toughest jobs around because so many people from all over the world wanted the Congressman’s time. But she always handled it with amazing grace, kindness and professionalism.

In the DC office, there were three legislative staffers who I worked with most closely. Mr. Will Feeney worked his way up from Intern to Policy Advisor over the last seven years. Will handled Education issues and he is the staffer I worked with as I advocated against the recent ICE guidance related to visas for international students. Kudos to Will for this important and timely work (see https://johnlewis.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-john-lewis-opposes-student-visa-changes).

Mr. Tom Dorney worked in the DC office for 12 years. A self-professed science buff, Tom was always supportive of our requests to support science, technology and innovation.

Ms. Jamila Thompson joined the Lewis team about the same time that I started working for Georgia Tech. Jamila handled appropriations issues for the Congressman and oversaw a packed legislative portfolio. She also was our POC when we had tax issues to talk about (Lewis was a senior member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee). Despite her very busy schedule, Jamila found time to impart very helpful and no-nonsense career advice to a group of our students from the Nunn School in March of 2019. We were all very fortunate to benefit from her expertise, wisdom and work ethic.

Last, but definitely not least, Mr. Michael Collins served as the Congressman’s Chief of Staff for over twenty years. Most Congressional staffers avoid the spotlight and Michael is the epitome of tireless behind-the-scenes support and dedication. A proud Morehouse man, Michael was almost always with the Congressman. Because the Congressman was constantly on the move, Michael had a front row seat to history which he never seemed to take for granted (see https://twitter.com/cmedcollins/status/1230877404450693120?s=20 and https://twitter.com/cmedcollins/status/1159959472745406464?s=20).

My deepest sympathy goes out to every person who worked for Congressman Lewis and to the Congressman’s family. I’ll especially think of you as I watch this week’s ceremonies and tributes that will culminate in the funeral on Thursday at 11:00 am EDT at Ebenezer Baptist Church.              

In closing, I encourage you to continue to learn about the Congressman’s life and think about how his legacy can influence your life and the lives of your loved ones. For those with children, early elementary school aged children may appreciate the book Preaching to the Chickens: The Story of Young John Lewis and older children the March graphic novel series. Of course, there are no shortage of museums to visit once that is safe to do.

I’ll remain forever grateful for the privilege to have worked with the Lewis team and for the influence they had on Georgia Tech, the 5th Congressional district of Georgia and the entire country. As Congressman Lewis makes the last of thousands of trips from DC to Atlanta, I thank him for his extraordinary life and service and for always reminding us that "we all live in the same house."