(CNN) - John Robert Lewis, the son of sharecroppers who survived a brutal police beating during a historic 1965 march in Selma, Alabama, to become a leading figure in the civil rights movement and a longtime American congressman, died later from a six-month battle with cancer. He was 80 years old.
"It is with inconsolable pain and lasting sadness that we announce the passing of US Representative John Lewis," his family said in a statement. “He was honored and respected as the conscience of the United States Congress and an icon of United States history, but we knew him as a loving father and brother. He was an unconditional champion in the ongoing struggle to demand respect for the dignity and worth of every human being. He dedicated his entire life to nonviolent activism and was an outspoken advocate for the fight for equal justice in the United States. He will be deeply missed. "
Lewis died the same day as the civil rights leader, the Rev. Cordy Tindell "CT" Vivian, who was 95 years old. The double death of civil rights icons comes as the nation is still grappling with racial unrest in the wake of the death of George Floyd and subsequent Black Lives Matter protests that have spread across the country.
It is another anguish in a year full of them, as the United States mourns the death of almost 140,000 Americans by covid-19 and struggles to control the virus.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, announced her death in a statement.
"Today, the United States mourns the loss of one of the greatest heroes in the country's history: Congressman John Lewis, the conscience of Congress," said the California Democrat.
Lewis had promised to fight the disease after announcing in late December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, which was discovered as a result of a routine medical visit and subsequent tests.
“I have been in some kind of fight, for freedom, equality, basic human rights, for most of my life. I have never faced a fight like the one I have now, ”he said in a statement at the time.
This news will be updated with reactions to this death.
John Lewis