Tributes flow for John Lewis

Sen. Tim Scott, the only African American Republican senator, tweeted Saturday morning that he is "deeply saddened" by the passing of his "good friend" Rep. John Lewis.

Scott said Lewis welcomed him to Congress with "open arms."

"He was a giant among men; his life and legacy will continue to serve as an example for the generations to come. I am encouraged by his courage, determination, and perseverance, characteristics that we can all try to emulate – especially in the wake of current events," Scott said.

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In a statement released on Saturday morning, former President Jimmy Carter said that John Lewis "made an indelible mark on history through his quest to make our nation more just."

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International leaders on Saturday took to social media to pay tribute to John Lewis and his legacy.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted Saturday: "A lifetime of struggle for civil rights. A lifetime of getting into 'good trouble,' of fighting for a world that is more just. A true hero. Indeed, 'because of you, John.'" 

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said he learned of Lewis' death "With great sadness," calling the congressman "a hero and an inspiration to us all."

Meanwhile, UK Labour MP and shadow justice secretary David Lammy said Saturday: "So sad to hear about the death of congressman John Lewis. A titan in the struggle for civil rights, equality and freedom. The fight goes on, inspired by his fearless legacy and MLK dream."

Rev. Jesse Jackson has shared his reflections on Lewis' death, saying: "John Lewis is what patriotism and courage look like."

In a lengthy statement posted to Twitter Saturday morning, the civil rights activist and clergyman said that in the 1960s "John became valedictorian of our class."

Tributes are pouring in for Lewis from around the world.

Oscar-winning actor Viola Davis thanked Lewis for his courage and commitment to change, saying "You did great with your time on this earth."

Samuel L. Jackson wrote of Lewis: "Sometimes it's Good to meet a Hero. I was blessed every time we met."

Director Ava DuVernay also praised Lewis for his "care and kindness," writing: "Will never forget what you taught me and what you challenged me to be. Better. Stronger. Bolder. Braver."

Two towering figures of the American civil rights movement died Friday, a major loss for a nation still grappling with protests and demands for racial equality decades later.

John Robert Lewis died at age 80 after a battle with cancer. Rev. Cordy Tindell "C.T." Vivian died at age 95 of natural causes.

Both men were the epitome of "good trouble" -- Lewis' favorite saying and an approach to confronting injustices guided by his belief in nonviolence. They worked alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the forefront of the historic struggle for racial justices in the 1960s.

At the time, their bloody beatings during protests shocked the nation and galvanized support that led to key changes in the fight for equality. For their years of arrests, confrontations and unyielding demands for justice, they received the highest civilian honor from the nation's first Black President.

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US President Barack Obama hugs Congressman John Lewis, during an event marking the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery civil rights marches at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on March 7, 2015. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Tributes paid to John Lewis, who has died at 80 years old, have come from across the political spectrum.

Former President Barack Obama said John Lewis will "continue, even in his passing, to serve as a beacon" in America's journey towards a more perfect union.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called John Lewis "one of the greatest heroes of American history" and "the conscience of the Congress" in a statement mourning his passing.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has called John Lewis a "pioneering civil rights leader," saying the 80-year-old put his life on the line to "fight racism, promote equal rights, and bring our nation in to greater alignment with its founding principles."

Rep. Justin Amash, the Republican-turned Libertarian described Lewis as "gentle and strong and kind. His message was justice, and his voice was powerful. May his memory be eternal," he said on Twitter.

In a statement, The Congressional Black Caucus said: "The world has lost a legend; the civil rights movement has lost an icon, the City of Atlanta has lost one of its most fearless leaders, and the CBC has lost our longest serving member.

"Congressman John Lewis spent his life fighting racism and injustice wherever he confronted it, from boycotts, sit-ins, and other protests in the streets, to championing bold, progressive policies in Congress."

US Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights legend and longtime congressman, has died at the age of 80.

"He was honored and respected as the conscience of the US Congress and an icon of American history, but we knew him as a loving father and brother," his family said in a statement. "He was a stalwart champion in the on-going struggle to demand respect for the dignity and worth of every human being. He dedicated his entire life to non-violent activism and was an outspoken advocate in the struggle for equal justice in America. He will be deeply missed."

Lewis was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer last year. He represented Georgia's 5th Congressional District, which includes much of Atlanta, for more than 30 years.

In the 1960s, Lewis was chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. It was one of the groups that organized the 1963 March on Washington, and Lewis was the youngest keynote speaker at the historic event.

In 1965, Lewis helped organize the Selma to Montgomery marches, which were held to protest discriminatory practices that prevented many Black people from voting in the South. He suffered a fractured skull when Alabama state troopers used brutal force to break up the march.

By his own count, Lewis was arrested more than 40 times during his days of civil rights activism.

Lewis addresses the crowd during the 1963 March on Washington. Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images

Lewis has tape on his head, marking the spot where he was struck during racial violence in Montgomery, Alabama, in May 1961. That month, the Freedom Ride movement began with interstate buses driving into the Deep South to challenge segregation that persisted despite recent Supreme Court rulings. In some cities, the activists were arrested and brutally beaten. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

John Lewis and his wife, Lillian, attend a campaign rally in Atlanta in April 1977. He was running for Congress but lost the Democratic primary that year to Wyche Fowler Jr. Dwight Ross Jr./AP

John Lewis is joined by Pelosi and US Reps. Jim Clyburn and Joe Crowley as Democrats sing a song outside the US Capitol in June 2016. Democrats were closing out a marathon sit-in on the House floor after 25 hours of emotionally charged speeches demanding action on gun control. Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg/Getty Images

John Lewis prepares to pay his respects to US Rep. Elijah Cummings, who was lying in state in October 2019. Melina Mara/Pool/Getty Images

Civil rights activist and Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga. is introduced before speaking at the unveiling of a U.S. Postal Service stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, on Friday, August 23, 2013, in Washington, DC. Charles Dharapak/AP

Tributes are pouring in to mark the passing of John Robert Lewis, a towering figure of the civil rights movement and a longtime US congressman, who has died after a six-month battle with cancer. He was 80.

Who was Lewis? Lewis, a Democrat who served as the US representative for Georgia's 5th congressional district for more than three decades, was widely seen as a moral conscience of Congress because of his decades-long embodiment of nonviolent fight for civil rights. His passionate oratory was backed by a long record of action that included, by his count, more than 40 arrests while demonstrating against racial and social injustice.

A follower and colleague of Martin Luther King Jr., he participated in lunch counter sit-ins, joined the Freedom Riders in challenging segregated buses and -- at the age of 23 -- was a keynote speaker at the historic 1963 March on Washington.

Lewis was the son of sharecroppers who survived a brutal beating by police during a landmark 1965 march in Selma, Alabama.

Images from that "Bloody Sunday" shocked the nation and galvanized support for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Despite the attack and other beatings, Lewis never lost his activist spirit, taking it from protests to politics. He was elected to the Atlanta city council in 1981, then to Congress six years later.

In 2011, after more than 50 years on the front lines of the civil rights movement, Lewis received the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, placed round his neck by America's first black president.