Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Thursday invoked the late Rep. John Lewis of Georgia to urge people watching the Democratic National Convention to get out and vote.
Ms. Bottoms described Lewis, the civil rights icon and voting rights advocate who died last month, as “our teacher, our friend, our conscience, our congressman.”
“We have cried out for justice, we have gathered in our streets to demand change, and now, we must pass on the gift John Lewis sacrificed to give us, we must register and we must vote,” Ms. Bottoms said on the final night of the modified DNC.
Her comments preceded a tribute video to Lewis that featured comments from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, among others.
Ms. Bottoms had been mentioned as a potential vice presidential pick for Joseph R. Biden.
She has clashed with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, over the state’s coronavirus response and said she feels “really good” after she said last month she had tested positive herself.
She also dealt with the fallout from the death of Rayshard Brooks, a Black man who was shot and killed while fleeing police after being questioned on suspicions of drunk driving.
Atlanta’s police chief resigned and the officer who shot Brooks was fired.
Brooks’ death came just weeks after the death of George Floyd, a Black man, while in Minneapolis police custody, which sparked protests across the country, some of which escalated into violent rioting and looting.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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