Like many of you this week, I was inspired and moved by the memorial service of Congressman John Lewis. His legacy in American history will be eternal, as will his impact in the fight for racial justice and equity. President Barack Obama during the service spoke of Lewis with love and admiration, recognizing that without Lewis’ work, he could not have served as the 44th President of the United States of America. Obama spoke of the young age at which Lewis started his advocacy work and activism, and how inspired he was to see today’s generation carrying on the work of racial equity in such tumultuous times.

President Obama launched My Brother’s Keeper in February 2014 to address persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color and to ensure they reach their full potential. On June 5th of this year, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance held a virtual Town Hall on the topic “Mental Health and Wellness in a Racism Pandemic.” President Obama joined Congressman John Lewis, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative Bryan Stevenson, writer and survivor of police brutality Leon Ford, Jr., and youth leader LeQuan Muhammad, in a conversation moderated by activist and author Darnell Moore, to discuss the mental toll racism takes on people of color. In honor of John Lewis I hope you take the time to watch this video as you continue the work that Congressman John Lewis began all those years ago. May he rest in peace.