LOS ANGELES  –  Please attribute the following statement on the passing of Rep. John Lewis to Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund):

“The remarkable life of John Lewis will resound forever across the globe as the epitome of lifelong commitment to justice.  He never tired of the righteous struggle, and he deeply understood — and assiduously acted upon — the connection between the oppressions experienced by different peoples.  The fight for civil rights will continue in the bright light of his example.”