A video of Georgia Democratic Congressman John Lewis has gone viral, and it’s causing a lot of people to smile.
The lawmaker put his best dance moves to the song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams while dancing with at least two people from a crowd at a campaign event, according to reporting from the Hill . At times snapping his fingers, other times clapping, Lewis, 78, shows that he still has what it takes to dance along to the popular tune.
The moment was captured on camera, which was uploaded to social media — where it quickly spread.
The dancing took place at an event for Democratic candidate for Georgia governor Stacey Abrams, who is in the middle of a contentious election campaign against her Republican opponent, current Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp. The specific event that Lewis was dancing at featured former talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who spoke about the importance of voting — specifically to honor those in the African-American community who fought and died for the right to do so decades ago.
“I’m here today because of the men and because of the women who were lynched, who were humiliated, who were discriminated against, who were suppressed, who were repressed and oppressed, for the right for the equality at the polls,” Winfrey said at the event, per previous reporting from the Inquisitr . “And I want you to know that their blood has seeped into my DNA, and I refuse to let their sacrifices be in vain. I refuse.”
John Lewis dancing to “Happy” is my favorite thing today. This 78-year-old man puts me to shame on the dance floor. ? pic.twitter.com/ydjmBxwFdm
— Holly Figueroa O’Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) November 2, 2018
Lewis was among those who fought for that right. During the march from Selma to Montgomery, also known as “Bloody Sunday” in 1965, Lewis was beaten and received a skull fracture during the demonstration, according to an article from the National Archives .
This week, however, Lewis has every reason to be “Happy.” A poll from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution regarding the gubernatorial race shows his preferred candidate, Abrams, is tied with Kemp. Each candidate garnered 46 percent support from respondents in the poll.
A tie may not mean good news elsewhere, but for Georgia — a traditionally Republican state — it’s a big deal. It also means that the campaign season for that office may go longer.
Although the midterm elections are slated for this Tuesday, which includes the Georgia governor’s election, the outcome of said race may not be known for a few more weeks. State law dictates that a candidate in the gubernatorial race can only win if they get a majority of votes. That means that if neither Abrams nor Kemp exceeds 50 percent of the raw vote, the contest will proceed to a runoff election on December 4, according to additional reporting from the Hill .
