Americans Celebrate Civil Rights at Selma
March 13, 2015
Civil Rights activists gathered together in Selma, Alabama on March 7 to commemorate “Bloody Sunday,” which occurred exactly 50 years before.
Martin Luther King Jr. led his supporters across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965 to advocate for the Voting Rights Act, which was passed shortly after. The event turned violent with the involvement of the police, which explains the name.
Sophomore Claire Morrison acknowledges that Selma was a pivotal event in the the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement.
“Selma was really important to the Civil Rights Movement, and it’s good that we celebrate it because it moved the country forward,” said Morrison.
This milestone anniversary of the day was completed by a speech from the first African American president Barack Obama along with his wife and 100 other members of Congress, according to BBC News. The president held hands with people who marched in 1965 as the crowd crossed the bridge once again.
English teacher Heath Hallman agrees that the Selma march was an extremely important American event.
“The fight for civil rights and true equality is ongoing, and turning points such as Selma deserve to be celebrated,” said Hallman.
Media took advantage of the scene and avidly compared images of protesters with President Obama to those with Martin Luther King Jr. Because so many 1965 marchers also attended Selma 50, the event became very emotional and symbolic to Civil Right activists all over the country.
Senior Anthony Stem thinks that the event was very important to all Americans.
“I think it’s important because we need to know about all the efforts people have put in in the past to reach the levels of equality we’ve reached today,” said Stem. “It’s also important because we still have a lot of work to do, and we can look to leaders of the past… to figure out exactly how we should move forward.”
Social media participated in the event with the hashtag #Selma50, and important figures and celebrities commented on the march.
“An absolutely beautiful and inspiring speech from Barack Obama #Selma50,” said business magnate Russell Simmons.
Racial relations in America currently could be considered rocky with debates such as Ferguson and other Black Lives Matter protests. Reenacting “Bloody Sunday” along with the release of the film based on the life of Martin Luther King Jr., entitled Selma, have been important to America’s racial relations.
Senior Jala Sanders recognizes the impact of Selma and the relevance it has to today’s world.
“A lot of the things happening today are reminding people of what happened in the past,” said Sanders. “No one wants to repeat what’s going on.”
Honoring the efforts of Civil Rights activists and looking back into the past is crucial in improving America’s future.
