Apple has updated the front page of its website to honor Rep. John Lewis, who was a congressman and leading civil rights pioneer. Lewis passed away on Friday after a battle with cancer.
Updated on Sunday morning, the Apple website has been refreshed to include a tribute to Lewis, and features a large photograph of Lewis, and includes the following Lewis quote: “Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook also offered a tribute to Lewis on Twitter, saying:
We have lost an American hero. John Lewis guided us toward a more righteous world. He marched in Selma, he marched on Washington—he marched for us all. His life’s work shaped our history and his legacy inspires us to continue the march for racial equity and justice.
We have lost an American hero. John Lewis guided us toward a more righteous world. He marched in Selma, he marched on Washington—he marched for us all. His life's work shaped our history and his legacy inspires us to continue the march for racial equity and justice. pic.twitter.com/WqW11757Io
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) July 18, 2020
In 1961, Lewis became one of the 13 original Freedom Riders. There were seven whites and six blacks who were determined to ride from Washington, D.C. to New Orleans in an integrated fashion.
Representative Lewis was one of the “Big Six” civil rights leaders alongside Dr. Martin Luther King. Lewis was one of the organizers of the 1963 March on Washington and spoke at the same rally that Dr. King delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech. Lewis also helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and served as its chairman from 1963 until 1966.
He was elected to congress in 1986, serving from January 1987 onwards as a representative for Georgia’s 5th district. Lewis was presented by President Barack Obama with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.
Lewis passed away following a battle with pancreatic cancer, it was revealed that the cancer was at stage 4 in December.
