John Lewis Among Nominees For Trump's Garden Of Heroes Memorial

ATLANTA — The late U.S. Representative John Lewis is among the nominees to be included in President Donald Trump’s Garden of American Heroes, according to a list of potential honorees that was released this week.

The longtime Georgia Democratic Congressman and civil rights hero who died at age 80 on July 17 in Atlanta is among those who may be included in the statue park that Trump announced he intended to create during a July 4 speech at Mt. Rushmore.

“Because the past is always at risk of being forgotten, monuments will always be needed to honor those who came before,” Trump wrote in an executive order that was issued on July 3.

The order specified that a task force would determine who would be included in the statue park and where the park will be located. The committee sent out 2,000 letters to state and local officials around the country to determine who will be included. The park is scheduled to be opened to be the public in 2026.

According to the order, the committee was scheduled to report its findings to the President on Tuesday. While Trump’s offer included 31 people who are to be included in the park including Clara Barton, Billy Graham, Jackie Robinson, Harriet Tubman and others, the nominees that were released this week included civil rights leaders, activists and others.

The list includes Lewis, Rosa Parks and others that officials believe deserve to be recognized including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Treyvon Martin, according to a letter submitted to Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt from Lehigh (Pennsylvania) Commissioner Amy Zanelli.

According to reports, Lewis was nominated by several state officials as part of the nomination process. Several states declined to participate in the nomination process, calling the proposed park a political ploy by Trump.

“History is the foundation of all civilizations. One cannot simply erase the history of a society without leaving cracks in that foundation,” Zanelli wrote in her letter. “It is through the preservation of our history that we as Americans strengthen our foundation so that we may learn and grow as a country.”