[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 62 (Monday, April 27, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E986]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE 44TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SELMA TO MONTGOMERY CIVIL 
                             RIGHTS MARCHES

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                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 27, 2009

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I wish to take a moment to 
recognize March 20 as the 44th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery 
marches. These historic marches had a profound affect on the voting 
rights of African Americans throughout the Nation. It is only fitting 
that the brave individuals who endured brutal physical violence, mental 
anguish, and often public humiliation in order to secure their voting 
rights be recognized by this body.
  From the pulpit of Brown Chapel, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., issued 
a call to action after numerous attempts to enfranchise the black 
citizens of Selma came to a halt. Over the next several weeks, the 
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Coalition and the Southern Christian 
Leadership Conference expanded their operations to register black 
voters in Selma and the surrounding area. At a voting rights protest on 
February 18th, Jimmie Lee Jackson was shot while attempting to protect 
his mother and grandfather. Jackson's death prompted Mr. James Bevels 
of the SCLC to call for a march from Selma to Montgomery. This 
demonstration of character and faith took place on March 7, 1965. As 
the peaceful protestors approached the Edmund Pettus Bridge, they were 
greeted by the Sheriff Department and their clubs, tear gas and bull 
whips. We remember this day as Bloody Sunday.
  Local photographers and television crews captured the brutality of 
Bloody Sunday, casting the issue into the national spotlight. Their 
images of cruelty rallied popular support for the cause of the 
protestors and set the stage for the second march, which was to occur 
on March 9th. However, protesters hit a stumbling block, when a 
restraining order was issued preventing the march. Dr. King led a group 
of 2500 protesters to the Edmond Pettus Bridge where he held a short 
prayer; before turning the crowd back, so as to respect the rule of 
law. It is on March 21, 1965 that we see a successful unimpeded march 
from Selma to Montgomery Alabama. Under the protection of Federal and 
State soldiers, FBI agents, and U.S. Marshals, a group of near 8,000 
protesters set out from Selma to march for 5 days and 4 nights down 
Jefferson Davis Highway until they reached the Alabama state capitol. 
Upon their arrival, the number of protestors swelled to 25,000. This 
march had a profound impact on public opinion and just 5 months after 
its conclusion, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965.
  I am confident that there will always be those who boldly defy 
oppression and rebuke tyranny at all costs. One March day, Dr. Martin 
Luther King asked, ``How long will prejudice blind the visions of men, 
darken their understanding and, drive bright-eyed wisdom from her 
sacred throne?'' Dr. King answered his question, saying, ``. . . Not 
long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but is bends 
toward justice.'' It is this spirit that we must cherish. Those who 
decided to command their own destiny in Selma, Alabama in March of 1965 
embody this spirit, and it is my great honor to commemorate their 
efforts.

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