Place. And even when he couldnt fight physically, he kept fighting. The work he did throughout his life is evident here by the people who came out. Me being one. I wouldnt miss this here to honor his life. The legacy. And hopefully i will pass his legacy on through my actions of trying to help others, as he did. Reporter real quick, talking of legacy, how do we all commit to the legacy . Of course its voting. But just talking, having conversations, getting to know people, look around at the crowd today, its a very diverse crowd. Instead of just blocking ourselves off into our own ideologies, getting out, meeting people but definitely voting for your convictions and the things you believe in. Same question. I agree. Voting is number one. And also getting to know people. Not judging people by what you see but getting an opportunity and chance to know people because there are no good, in any ethnicity or no all bad in any ethnicity. And everybody has something to contribute. Sometimes we miss it without getting to know the person. Reporter thats right. John lewis believed you should engage. Thank you. Brian, they are just a few of the many who have gathered. And it a very diverse crowd. They are here for many, many reasons. Many of them personal because john lewis touched their lives, affected their lives, changed the landscape of all our lives simply with his being and with what happened with this bridge and so much else. Brian . Martin, over at the brown chapel, just a couple minutes drive from where you are, a Short Service is now under way. Well show, theres a speaker, a prayer and then well see this move over to the bridge. Tell us more about what its like there in selma today. Weve heard from someone who came a very long distance. Others who are there locally. Whats it feel like to you there, marty . Reporter its not a festive, its a somber mood but theyre celebrating the home going, so much of the africanamerican culture, the culture of the south. Theres so much of celebrating the life and heroism. One of the issues that comes up many times, the name on the bridge. In was the Edmund Pettus bridge. A confederate officer and also head of the klan in alabama, and many find the name offensive. I talked to people about how about calling it the john lewis bridge. Theres a push back, the foot soldiers. Those who are known to have walked with john across that bridge back in the day, back during the civil rights marches. They dont want to change that name. Because, they say, that name is so closely tied with their victory, with the achievements that were made, with the Voting Rights act, with the sacrifice that john lewis and others made on that day. So, surprisingly, they believe the name should stay where it is. But the crowd thats been gathering here since easily 7 30 in the morning just believes this is a moment in time, a moment, of course, not to be repeated, the Last Crossing over of john lewis at a significant moment in a movement and now in the final acts of recognition to his life, brian. Your point about the bridge name is really interesting because a few minutes ago one of the organizations thats trying to change the name of the bridge put out a press release trying to explain its rationale saying the name, the bridge is named after, quote, a treasonist american who prospered from systems of degridation. We need to change the name. So this is notable in the context of what were seeing today. Mar marty, well come back to you in a moment. I wonder if we can head over to brown chapel where well see the service take place. Lets listen to terry sewell. John has left this earth but his legacy remains on. And we continue to benefit from his lifes work. Hes laid out the blueprint for us to pick up the baton and continue his march. For Voting Rights, for civil rights for human rights. John believed firmly the best days of our nation lie ahead of us. I hope his passing causes us to rededicate ourselves to getting into good trouble, necessary trouble. Cant you hear him . Never give up. Never give in. Keep the faith. Keep your eyes on the prize. For john and our nation, lets make him proud. Terry sowell speaking there. She mentioned one of those phrases john lewis was known for, good trouble. The family members, the family of john lewis, who have arrived there at the church ahead of this program, though are wearing tshirts this morning with the words good trouble. Lets listen in for a moment as i believe were about to hear a performance outside of the church. Led me on and let me stand i am tired i am weak through the storm through the night lead me on to the light take my hand precious lord and lead me home when my way take my hand, precious lord, and lead me home. Lead me home. Kristen glover singing. While we listen and watch, were expected to see the john lewis body travel across the Edmund Pettus bridge. I would like to bring in april ryan and Bakari Sellers. April, youve known congressman lewis for decades. I would like to hear what this moment feels like to you, what you see this morning. Im somewhat emotional. I think back to the 50th anniversary the 50th commemoration of bloody sunday and the march across the Edmund Pettus bridge, and i was on that bridge for the 50th commemoration with president barack obama, president george w. Bush and congressman john lewis. And that was a moment that we reflected on what actually happened. The sting on the skin of black people, the bite of the dog on the flesh of black people, and the billy club cracking the skull of john lewis all for the right to vote. As we look at that bridge in selma, alabama, selma still looks the same over 57 years ago. Nothings really changed physically. But because of john lewis, the people of selma, they speak loudly. I think about some of the most recent elections where black women made a change, made a difference. All because of the moments of history, the fight against oppression, the right to vote, the push for the right to vote, and i think about this young man, dr. Martin luther king who marched across that bridge, and just in the last few months that this gentleman, congressman john lewis, actually marched across that bridge one last time for people. So, this is a moment where its come full circle for congressman lewis as well as for the movement. This is a moment where congressman lewis will cross the bridge one last time. Its essentially passing the baton to the next generation to rise up for Voting Rights. Im thinking back again, you were talking with Martin Savidge a few minutes ago about Edmund Pettus bridge. At that time, john lewis was they say, no, no, dont change the name. We need to remember. But he taught congressman john lewis before his death, talked to the people and said, look, i understand the push and if, indeed, you know, this is going to happen, i will let you all make it happen. So, he was more amenable. He was open to it now to the end of his life for the name change. We are seeing now the movement and the moment come full circle for this great warrior who spoke of nonviolence, who marched nonviolently and spoke and lived his life in peace. Thats wonderful context, april. Im so grateful youre here as we watch this final crossing of the bridge. Briefly on this sunday morning, lets go back to the church, the steps of brown chapel. Otis culliver is speak, the Senior Pastor of the tabernacle church. Grant them your grace, i pray for your peace, the pass of all understanding to guard their hearts and their minds to christ jesus, our lord. Lord, i pray that we who are still remaining, who still have blood running warm in our veins, that we, too, will stand for justice, that we will stand for righteousness, that we will lift our voices for you, lift our choices for the calls that is just and right. Until we hear your welcome voice say well done, good and thankful servant, as congressman lewis crosses the alabama river, we rejoice today knowing hes already crossed the jordan river and hes now resting in your presence. In jesus mighty name, we pray all these things. Amen. Amen. Amen to that. This is the conclusion of the Memorial Service thats taking place outside brown chapel. What were going to see now is about a half mile procession through the streets of selma to the bridge on your screen. Youre looking at it from the other side of the bridge now. Youre looking toward downtown, toward the newspaper office, toward the museum in downtown selma. Here is the view from downtown looking across the bridge. On the other side, that is, of course, where lewis and other marchers were brutalized and bloodied in 1965. Were going to see the horsedrawn carriage carrying the body of congressman lewis cross this bridge in a couple of minutes. This is part of a sixday Memorial Ceremony honoring the longtime georgia democrat, the most respected man in the house of representatives. Were going to see this travel this procession to montgomery, alabama, today, and then to the United States capitol and then back to georgia in the coming days. As you know, the congressman died on july 17th at the age of 80 years old. As we what much this procession thats about to take place, let me bring in Bakari Sellers as well. We were just hearing from april about how the struggle continues, the Journey Continues and the struggle continues. And i wonder what you think john lewis would want people to be thinking about, to be considering on a day like this. Well, as martin so eloquently stated, this is not a sad day for us. We may get emotional, april may get emotional, but this is not a sad day. This is a true celebration, a homegoing celebration for a man who lived with such courage and pride. Attempted to walk onto the pages of history throughout his congressional career. A lot of times we talk about john lewis through his relationship with Martin Luther king jr. That was just one small aspect of the man himself. The day we call bloody sunday was chairman of the student nonviolent coordinating unit. When we think about the relationship between john lewis and his protest movement and snc, we understand with black lives matter rising up, john lewis understood the power of activism, understood the power of getting young people involved in that activism. Its been a very tough last 100 days for all of us. But children of the movement, those who love these heroes because weve lost not just lewis, reverend lowry and c. T. Vivian. When you think of these amazing men, the courage they had, when you think about these moments like bloody sunday, you have to take a day like today, soak it up and have so much pride but understand while we made so much progress, we have so far to go. Ill add a little more context to today, yesterday would have been emmett tills 79th birthday. When you think about that, when you think about how emmett till was taken from us and thrown in the bottom of the Mississippi River for whistling at a white woman, you understand the pain of being black in this country. You think about emmett till and think about bloody sunday, april said it best, you think about the dogs, the water hoses, the baton cracked across john lewis skull and you think about that pain, you think about that trauma and you understand what these men and women went through. And so while we learn and study about john lewis, i dont want us to forget about that important chapter of his life when he was chairman and member of the student nonviolent coordinating committee, one of the more important civil rights organizations in all of the constellation of those organizations. So, today is a day, i said on cnn, a great man is walking across the bridge one last time. And hes crossing this river, but as the pastor said, hes already cross the river of jordan. So rest easy and rest in power. Thank you, bakari. Please stay with us as we show you in selma and in montgomery the events of this celebration of life for representative lewis. In a moment id like to go to Victor Blackwell, who is in montgomery. Lets show you in selma, we showed you outside the brown chapel where there was a service and prayer. Theres a procession were expecting to see shortly through the streets of selma on its way to the Edmund Pettus bridge. Bakari mentioned mlk. I want to show you the horsedrawn carriage is being led by two black horses and modeled after the one dr. Martin luther king jr. Had for his funeral. Lets go to montgomery and Victor Blackwell, cnns Victor Blackwell is there with whats going to happen later today. Were seeing these events at selma. Montgomery is the next stop in this celebration of life. Victor, tell us about the significance of where the congressmans heading. Yeah, brian, we heard from people who were there in selma with Martin Savidge. The mayor here, mayor reed of montgomery has asked people to line the streets to receive their son and the late congressman john lewis. Thats expected to start soon. Im seeing a few people here waiting for the arrival of the congressman. There is a quote that you mentioned dr. King that i know bakari uses often and that even president obama had sewn into the rug in the oval office. That the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice. As i stand here just a few feet from the capital of this state, the concept of john lewis now being honored with lying in state in the rotunda, this is an honor that was extended to george wallace, a governor, a segregationist governor here who was the governor of this state in 1965 on bloody sunday when john lewis was beaten at the foot of the Edmund Pettus bridge. When the congressman arrives here this evening to lie in state, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey will receive him here at the doorway. We know that wallace was known for standing at the doorway of foster auditorium, at the university of alabama, refusing to desegregate. Just a few feet from me is where dr. King delivered that speech and using that line thats been quoted so many times, the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice. Across the street is dexter street. Now king memorial baptist church, where dr. King was the pastor for several years and where after the march from selma to montgomery resumed, the 25,000 people who gathered along that march and who were here waiting for the marchers from selma, where that all ended. So, this is a period, these six days to honor the late congressman, that are orchestrated not just to show the major points of his life, the accomplishments of the congressman, but the progress of this state and this country, but still a long way to go. The congressman will lie in state here after a small ceremony here that is will be led by the governor, and then he will head on to the other cities that choose to honor him. Atlanta, washington, where hell be in the rotunda and then his homegoing ceremony on thursday, brian. Victor, i cant help but think about the timing of these events, these six days. Two months after George Floyds death, massive protests, continued protests in major cities from new york to seattle. Fears about Voter Suppression in the coming election. John lewis was, of course, ill. He was suffering from cancer. He was battling cancer in his final months. To have him pass away in the summer of 2020, in the midst of these this convulsion thats happening in america, i wish he were here to see it. Yeah, you know, he was there with d. C. Mayor bowser standing on that mural that was painted at the height of the protest. As people start to line these streets, brian, it makes sense to expect that there will be young people here, not just people who knew john lewis as a younger man, but people who have learned about him since his renewed effort to get gun control laws passed in this country, after the pulse shooting in orlando, after his support for the black lives matter movement, and as they learn that john lewis himself started as a foot soldier, as a protester, as the leader of the student nonviolent coordinating committee, as a young man. He was just 17 years old when he wrote to dr. King and became known as the boy from troy, as dr. King referred to him, and joined the movement. So, it is that commonality of young people standing up and fighting for their futures as they saw john lewis as well. We expect they will come here today to pay homage, to pay tribute to congressman lewis. Yes, a source of inspiration to this day and many, many days ahead. I believe, victor, were about to see the casket transferred onto this horsedrawn carriage. As i mentioned, two black horses in front of this wagon. They will be moving through the streets of selma. About half a mile. And then to the Edmund Pettus bridge, as viewers can see, if we drop the banner for a moment, there are rose petals that are adorning the entire length of the bridge. Back to brown chapel were about to see this transfer take place and we can see some of the residents who have come outside to witness this moment to pay their respects. As Martin Savidge mentioned a few moments ago, hes over by the bridge, there are also folks who have come from far away to witness this moment of history. Martin, can you tell us more about the scene over there . Its been about 20 minutes since we spoke. Now we do see at the chapel this procession about to begin. So, i would expect that the folks where you are are going to witness this in a few minutes. Reporter right. Theyre waiting. Theyre happy to wait. John lewis, for them, is a hero in many ways. And he is a symbol of everything they believe in that is right. Theyll wait as long as it takes. Brown chapel, all of this, we should point out, this journey john lewis is on, it is all symbolically tied to the history of his life, beginning with yesterday. You had that very first goodbye, the first Memorial Service took place in troy. His hometown, born and raised in alabama. Everyone may know him as a congressman from georgia but he is a son of alabama. It was in this state that he got the foundation from which he built his own life, the strength he relied upon and the commitment and the way he remained true began here. You heard the personal remarks from his family members yesterday. A