US Rep. John Lewis to speak in Peoria next year

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) - U.S. Rep. John Lewis will speak at next year’s Martin Luther King Jr. event in Peoria.

The annual King Day gathering has attracted high-profile speakers in the past. They include comedian Bill Cosby and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Alma Brown tells the Journal-Star (https://bit.ly/1ancV7U) that the Georgia congressman is “a civil-rights icon.” She’s chairwoman of the group that sponsors the luncheon.

Lewis is a former freedom rider and well-known civil-rights leader. He is the only surviving speaker from the 1963 March on Washington.

Next year’s event will be Jan. 19, 2015.

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Information from: Journal Star, https://pjstar.com