ORANGEBURG, S.C. — A traveling exhibit featuring the late John Lewis made it's way to South Carolina State University on Friday, where it will remain on display through February 11.
For one week, the statue will be on display as a reminder that the late Civil Rights leader's legacy lives on.
“A public leader like John Lewis symbolizes what a public servant truly is about: Service above others," said state representative Jerry Govan.
The traveling exhibit is a tribute to the work Lewis has accomplished during his lifetime.
Author and historian James Felder worked with Lewis to promote black votership in South Carolina.
“John’s connection remained an interest in South Carolina and what we were doing here," Felder said. "We were able to register 200,000 black people in an 18-month period of time."
The sculptor of the statue is Gregory Johnson. The original version of the statue is in Atlanta's Rodney Mims Cook Peace Park.
School officials say the statue in the traveling exhibit is the only replica made from the same mold. It weighs 500 pounds and stands over 7-feet tall.
The sculpture will make stops in different states until it reaches its final resting place at the National Statuary Hall in Washington D.C.
Orangeburg mayor Michael Butler says he plans to keep Lewis's legacy alive in Orangeburg.
“As we celebrate Congressman John Lewis’s accomplishments during this Black History Month, let us continue to work together to make Orangeburg a place of harmony, unity, and opportunities for everyone," said Butler.
The statue will be on display adjacent to the Orangeburg Massacre Monument on Geathers Street from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, February 11.