Civil Rights Icon John Lewis Endorses Joe Biden for President

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Civil rights icon Senator John Lewis (D-Ga.) announced his endorsement of prospective Democratic nominee Joe Biden for the presidency.

“We need his voice,” Lewis said. “We need his leadership now more than ever before,” he continued. “We need someone who is going to get out country on the right side of history, and help save our planet.”

Lewis, a key player during the Civil Rights Movement and was severely beaten by police during the 1965 Bloody Sunday protest, also appealed to young black voters who’ve expressed less enthusiasm about Biden’s candidacy.

“I would tell young people the story of Selma and Montgomery and Mississippi,” Lewis said. “If we fail to vote, we don’t count. The vote is the most powerful, nonviolent tool we have in society, and we must use it.”

“We have a choice,” he continued, without naming President Donald Trump by name.

Lewis also shared his thoughts on Biden’s potential running mate.

“It would be good to have a woman,” Lewis said. “It would be good to have a woman who looks like the rest of America. “We have plenty of able women. Some are black, white, Latino, Asian American, Native American. I think the time is long past for making the White House look like the whole of America.”

Lewis is battling pancreatic cancer. He has clashed with Trump before, often calling him out for racist rhetoric shared on Twitter.