Congressman John Lewis drew tears when he reflected on his relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a new episode for Oprah’s "Master Class."
The episode, which airs in full Monday on OWN to debut the show’s return, captures Lewis as he recalls on moments from his remarkable life journey and the lessons he’s learned over the years.
As part of the episode, Lewis was asked to reflect on his early days as an activist when he led the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, otherwise known as SNCC, in the late 1960s and worked alongside leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. to demand equality and justice on behalf of black lives.
“Dr. King was my friend, he was my brother,” Lewis recalled one part of the video as he brushed away tears. "He had a heart of gold.”
After President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law in 1964, King and other leaders of the civil rights movement called on the government to pass voting rights for all black people in America. However, opposition was loud and deadly as black lives were killed and people were severely beaten in their fight to secure voting rights. This later led for calls to march from Selma to Montgomery.
“Someone from Dr. King’s organization said ‘John we want you to march with us,’” Lewis recalled in the episode. “I felt then and I feel today that the vote is precious, it’s almost sacred.”
Watch a clip of Lewis on OWN's "Master Class" above.