Representative John Lewis to Receive Museum’s 2016 Elie Wiesel Award

January 05, 2016

Washington,DC—The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Elie Wiesel Award, the Museum’s highest honor, will be conferred on United States Representative John Lewis (GA), at the Museum’s National Tribute Dinner on May 4, 2016. Representative Lewis, the only surviving “Big Six” leader of the Civil Rights Movement, is being recognized for his extraordinary moral and physical courage during those defining moments and his lifelong commitment to promoting the human dignity of all people.

Established in 2011 by the Museum’s presidentially appointed governing board, the award is named in honor of its inaugural recipient, Nobel Peace Laureate and Museum Founding Chairman Elie Wiesel. It is presented annually to an internationally prominent individual whose actions have advanced the Museum’s vision of a world where people confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. Engraved on the award are words from Elie Wiesel’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech, “One person of integrity can make a difference.”  

“At a pivotal moment in our history, Representative Lewis took great personal risks to help our society reaffirm its commitment to freedom and justice for all,” said Museum Chairman Tom A. Bernstein. “Like our previous honorees, he is an inspiration to people of conscience the world over.” 

Previous recipients are Judge Thomas Buergenthal and Benjamin Ferencz (2015); Lieutenant-General Romeo Dallaire (2014); Władysław Bartoszewski (2013), as a representative of all rescuers during the Holocaust; the veterans of World War II (2013); and Aung San Suu Kyi (2012).  

The Museum’s National Tribute Dinner will be held on May 4 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park. The National Tribute Dinner will support the Museum’s campaign, “Never Again. What You Do Matters.” Led by honorary chair Elie Wiesel, the campaign will ensure that the Museum can keep Holocaust memory alive as a force for change in today’s world. The dinner is part of the Museum’s Days of Remembrance observance when it leads the nation in remembering the victims of the Holocaust.