Photo shows Bill Clinton among others not wearing a mask at John Lewis’ funeral.
This photo of Bill Clinton is five years old, not from John Lewis’ funeral
If your time is short
- This photo was taken at the 2015 funeral of Rev. Jesse Jackson’s mother.
The funeral of U.S. Rep. John Lewis drew several former American presidents, including Bill Clinton, who spoke during the service.
Like Barack Obama and George W. Bush, Clinton did not wear a face covering as he addressed the people who had gathered June 30 to mourn the congressman and civil rights leader. But while he was seated in the pews of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Clinton’s mouth and nose were covered by a mask. Others were also photographed wearing masks.
A recent Facebook post shows a photo of Clinton among others not wearing masks.
“July 30, 2020,” the post says. “Funeral NOT A MASK IN SITE IS ANYONE AWAKE YET.”
This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
That’s because the photo is five years old and was taken by a photojournalist named Heidi Heilbrunn. It shows Clinton sitting next to Rev. Jesse Jackson during a funeral service for Jackson’s mother at the Springfield Baptist Church in Greenville, S.C.
Getty Images photos from Lewis’s funeral show people wearing masks.
We rate this Facebook post False.
Our Sources
Facebook post, Aug. 5, 2020
C-SPAN, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton at John Lewis Funeral Service, July 30, 2020
People, Presidents Bush, Clinton & Obama reunite at funeral for civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, July 30, 2020
Greenville News, Clinton attends Jackson funeral, Sept. 14, 2015
Getty Images photos of John Lewis’s funeral, July 30, 2020