Memories of my Friend, Congressman John Lewis

An interview by Anika Klix, Human Resources department
with Amadou Ly, Pathfinder at SEA Airport

Anika: How long have you been with the Port of Seattle and what do you do currently at SEA Airport?  

Amadou: For more than a year, I have been an Ambassador for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) working as a Pathfinder in the Aviation Customer Service Department. As Pathfinders, we help passengers find their way in the terminal and ensure they have a positive experience. Every day presents a new opportunity to elevate the customer service experience.

Anika: How did you first meet John Lewis and what was your relationship like?

Amadou: I was fortunate enough to meet John Lewis in 1996 after moving to Atlanta to join the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) as a VIP Coordinator. It was an incredible experience!  I remember Mr. Lewis to be inquisitive and probing, but always guiding. He was soft spoken, yet commanded focus. I remembered him to be a man of few words, but his words were always powerful and meaningful.

My initial meeting with John Lewis morphed into a wonderful journey.  Through his leadership, I became involved in the Multicultural Community Initiatives in Atlanta, Georgia.  It was a celebration of diversity that John conceived.  He called it a celebration of “our beloved community.”  It was also through this work that I received a Congressional award. I was one of five coordinators invited to our nation’s capital to appear before Congress, where our names were called, and we were each presented with the Congressional Merit award for service.  It was an amazing honor. 

Anika: Do you have any personal stories you’d like to share about you and John Lewis?

Amadou: As the VIP Coordinator, part of my responsibility was to transport all incoming VIPs, including corporate sponsors. I received a call to pick up John Lewis at the headquarters of ACOG (Atlanta Committee Olympic Games).  When I greeted him, I offered to open the rear right door of the car, however, he said he wanted to sit in the front seat.  As we drove off, his questions began. He asked, “Where were you born?”  He didn’t ask where I was from.  Asking someone where they are from implies they are not from here. I answered his question, and a conversation ensued about Africa, Senegal, and why I had chosen to make “such a move” to Georgia of all places! We laughed and talked about African music and how he loved to listen to the beats of Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango. This encounter began our friendship.

Anika: What lessons did you learn from him?  How did he personally influence or inspire you?

Amadou:  I learned even more about the power of never giving up, both personally and professionally.  He reminded me that “change is one thing that is always constant, and circumstances change.” Through his counsel and leadership, he inspired me to keep a positive attitude about the most hurtful of life’s circumstances. He said, “Find the good, Amadou.  It will empower you to continue on.” Those words still resonate with me.

John had a profound effect on everyone who had the honor of meeting him and spending time in his presence.  He was very genuine and provoked original thought. To know him was to be connected to a history and a perspective that will never die.  

Anika: How has his loss personally impacted you?

Amadou: Though I called him friend, he belonged to everyone.  What can I say — America lost a Civil Rights luminary.  And I lost my special friend.

Anika: What's the impact of his legacy for our country at this time?

Amadou: John was a gentle giant — not in stature, but in principles. His work always supported equal justice as chronicled by his crossing of the Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma, Alabama, in 1965, to the hallowed halls of our nation’s capital as an elected member of Congress in 1986. Congressman Lewis received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 from President Obama and over 50 honorary degrees over the years. He was known as the “conscience” of his peers.  

John loved this country and spent his life’s work championing the causes of people of color, yet he never forgot the words of our Pledge of Allegiance that says we are, “One Nation, under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for All.” During the Clinton administration, he paved the way for Africans to come to America. He fought to ensure that the process be more equitable to grant visas for Africans, as well as people from around the world. He was a strong supporter of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) that passed Congress in 2000. This paved the way for Sub-Saharan African countries to do business with the United States.  

Anika: How will his legacy inspire you personally?

Amadou: Congressman Lewis was exceptional at connecting people for the greater good. And that inspires me as a Pathfinder at SEA Airport — to provide information, assistance, and a personal connection that elevates everyone’s experience and brightens their day. And always to do the right thing, even if it means getting in “good trouble.”

Large top image photo credit:

"Congressman John Lewis @ Inman Park Parade" by Thomas Cizauskas is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0