Inspired to 'get in good trouble again:' Black lawmakers salute the legacy of John Lewis

Source: USA Today

Updated July 15, 2025, 3:19 p.m. ET


WASHINGTON ‒ One by one, members of the Congressional Black Caucus honored the legacy of the late Georgia Rep. John Lewis, July 14, reading the works of the civil rights icon and vowing to also get into “good trouble.”

“His words are more necessary today than ever and need to be repeated,” said Rep. Jennifer McClellan, a Democrat from Virginia, who led the hour-long salute on the House floor. “John Lewis understood just as Dr. (Martin Luther) King did he wasn’t going to reach the promised land of that more perfect union. But he fought for it.”

The caucus commemorated the 5th anniversary of Lewis’ death. Lewis who was often called the “moral compass’’ of the House died July 17, 2020. The civil rights leader, a fellow caucus member, had lain in state at the U.S. Capitol and later in Georgia's capitol rotunda.

Lewis would say he was getting into ‘’good trouble’’ in his fight for civil rights. In addition to the Monday night salute, other groups plan to recognize Lewis’ work this week with social media posts and programs. Organizers of nationwide protests against Trump administration policies have dubbed Thursday's demonstrations “Good Trouble Lives On.’’

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/15/john-lewis-remembered-congress-good-trouble/85201921007/