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Former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton will be among those gathered to celebrate the late congressman John Lewis for a final time on Thursday.
President Donald Trump is not expected to attend the funeral proceeding, which will take place at the Ebenezer Baptist Church's Horizon Sanctuary in Atlanta later this morning. The upcoming "Celebration of Life" ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. ET, according to Lewis' family.
"Given COVID-19 precautions, this event is not open to the public," the family wrote in a statement. "Attendees will be required to wear face and mouth coverings."
Obama, who awarded Lewis the Presidential Medal of Freedom during his term in office, will deliver the eulogy, several news outlets reported. The former president wrote a lengthy tribute to Lewis' "exceptional" life on July 18, one day after his death.
"America is a constant work in progress. What gives each new generation purpose is to take up the unfinished work of the last and carry it further—to speak out for what's right, to challenge an unjust status quo and to imagine a better world," Obama's tribute began. He went on to highlight just a few of Lewis' contributions to the civil rights movement.
"John Lewis, one of the original Freedom Riders, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the youngest speaker at the March on Washington, leader of the march from Selma to Montgomery, member of Congress representing the people of Georgia for 33 years, not only assumed that responsibility, he made it his life's work," Obama's tribute continued.
Lewis' funeral ends six days of memorial events honoring the civil rights icon and representative for Georgia's 5th Congressional District. Following his death on July 17, loved ones, colleagues and admirers paid tribute to his legacy through a series of commemorative processions across multiple cities. Lewis died at 80, about six months after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
A number of U.S. lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, honored Lewis during an earlier ceremony held inside the Capitol building's historic rotunda on Monday.
Trump told reporters he did not plan to attend the ceremony or visit the Capitol later on Monday or Tuesday as Lewis' body lay in state on the steps outside. "No, I won't be going. No," the president said.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a reply in time for publication.
