迈克尔·柯林斯，已故众议员的前办公室主任约翰·刘易斯，加入了美国广播公司的“早安美国”联合主持人罗宾·罗伯茨，反思这位民权偶像的生活和遗产，记录在他的新书《继续》中
柯林斯与刘易斯共事了21年，他说这本书的灵感来自于刘易斯生命的最后几个月。
“那是他生命的最后几个月，我们有机会真正思考他的遗产，以及他将留下什么。这是他想抓住的机会之一，这是为了讲述一个关于他是谁，这个人的简单的故事，”柯林斯说。
“这很难，因为那是在他生病的时候，他没有太多的精力。但他努力去真实地讲述这个故事。这才是最重要的。他想一直讲这个故事，”他补充道。
柯林斯说，《继续》将让读者有机会更多地了解刘易斯的乐观精神。
“他醒来的时候就好像是全新的一天，他欢迎每一个人，欢迎他对这一天的想法。他会说，‘我们准备好吧。新的一天到来了。“我们走吧，”这只是一次你永远不会忘记的经历。对他来说，这只是让他每天保持乐观和热情，”柯林斯说。
指向刘易斯倡导平等权利的遗产，罗伯茨问柯林斯，他认为刘易斯将如何回应国家的当前的种族气候。
“他会在很多方面感到失望。仇恨，种族主义——这将是非常困难的，对他来说将是困难的，但他会乐观。他会直面它，他会看着它的本来面目，但他会乐观地认为会有更好的一天，”柯林斯回答说。
他补充说，尽管刘易斯对紧张的种族气氛感到沮丧，但他从抗议前线的年轻人身上找到了灵感。
“他很难过，但他受到了所有年轻人的鼓舞，全国所有年轻人的鼓舞。他并不宽恕暴力，但他喜欢看着人们和平、非暴力地抗议，因为这再次让他想起了不久前他还年轻的时候，”柯林斯解释道。
转移到当前关于投票权，罗伯茨问刘易斯将如何应对最近DOJ对佐治亚州提起的诉讼，佐治亚州是刘易斯的家乡，由于该州立法机构通过了限制性投票法。
“他会拥护它。非常肯定。你知道，投票是珍贵的，神圣的。这就是他总是谈论的，他觉得每个人都应该有投票权。这就是他一生奋斗的目标，”柯林斯说。
罗伯茨在采访结束时问柯林斯，他是如何实现自己的遗产的。
“我在努力活出他的遗产。这是一段旅程，这是一段旅程，”他说。“我很幸运，现在为美国副总统工作。她的领导能力是我期待在这个世界上开始的。这是我和他一起做的工作的延伸，我对此非常期待。”
Former chief of staff to Rep. John Lewis reflects on life, legacy of his colleague and friend
Michael Collins, the former chief of staff to the late-Rep.John Lewis, joined ABC's "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts to reflect on the life and legacy of the civil rights icon, chronicled in his new book "Carry On."
Collins, who worked with Lewis for 21 years, said the inspiration for the book came in thefinal months of Lewis' life.
"It was the last months of his life, and we had an opportunity to really think about his legacy, and what he was going to leave. And this was one of the opportunities he wanted to take, and this was to tell a story of just who he was, the simpleness of the man," Collins said.
"It was difficult because it was during the time that he was sick and he didn't have a lot of energy. But he made effort to really tell the story. And that's what's important. He wanted to always tell the story," he added.
Collins said "Carry On" will give readers an opportunity to learn more about Lewis' optimistic spirit.
"He woke up as if it was a brand new day, literally, and he welcomed everybody, he welcomed his thoughts for the day. And he would say, 'Let's get ready. Got a new day. Let's go.' And it was just an experience that you never forget. And for him, it just allowed him to just keep going on with optimism and fire every day," Collins said.
Pointing to Lewis' legacy of advocating for equal rights, Roberts asked Collins how he believed Lewis would respond to the country'scurrent racial climate.
"He would be disappointed in a lot of ways. The hatred, the racism -- it would be very difficult, it will be difficult for him, but he would be optimistic. He would face it head on and he would look at it as it is, but he would be optimistic that there would be a better day," Collins replied.
He added that, though Lewis was dismayed by the tense racial climate, he found inspiration through the young people at the forefront of the protests.
"He was very sad, but he was inspired by all the young people, all the young people across the country. He didn't condone the violence, but he'd love to watch the people protest, peacefully, non-violently, because again it reminded him of a time not so long ago when he was young," Collins explained.
Shifting to thecurrent debate overvoting rights, Roberts asked how Lewis would react to the recent DOJ lawsuit brought against Georgia -- Lewis' home state -- due to the state legislature's passing of restrictive voting laws.
"He would champion it. Most definitely. You know, the vote was precious, sacred. And that's what he would always talk about, and he felt like everybody should have the right to vote. And that was what he fought for his entire life," Collins said.
Roberts concluded the interview by asking Collins how he was carrying out his own legacy.
"I'm trying to live out his legacy. It's been a journey, it's been a journey," he said. "I'm fortunate enough to now be working for the vice president of the United States. Her leadership is something that I'm looking forward to just embarking on in the world. And this is an extension of the work that I did with him, and I look forward to that tremendously."
