A DeKalb County task force established Aug. 21 will seek a way to commemorate the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis somewhere in the county.
The John Lewis Commemorative Task Force was proposed by DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson and Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett.
The task force will have six months to make a recommendation to the county about the best way to honor Lewis. It was set to have its first meeting on Aug. 26, according to a county press release.
Lewis represented Georgia’s 5th Congressional District — which includes parts of southern Brookhaven and Buckhead — for 33 years until his death and was known as the “conscious of Congress.” He marched in the Civil Rights Movement and dedicated his life to voting rights.
“John was a giant of a man, with a humble heart,” said Davis Johnson in the press release. “He met no strangers and he truly was a man who loved the people and who loved his country which he represented very well. He deserves this honor.”
Davis Johnson, Garrett and DeKalb County Commissioner Steve Bradshaw appointed 22 other members to the task force.
Some members include former DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis, former DeKalb commissioner Gail Waldorff, Decatur commissioner George Dusenbury, and Avondale Estates Mayor Jonathan Elmore.
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated George Dusenbury’s position.