[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 94 (Monday, June 3, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H3570-H3571]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BLOODY TUESDAY
(Ms. SEWELL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise to observe the 60th anniversary of
Bloody Tuesday that occurred in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and to acknowledge
and respect the SCLC and its Tuscaloosa chapter for their upcoming
commemoration event.
On June 9, 1964, over 500 African Americans gathered at the First
African Baptist Church to take a stand against racial segregation at
the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse. Before they could march even 5 feet,
their peaceful protest was met with violence at the hands of police and
a mob of White citizens.
Protesters were tear-gassed, hosed, and beaten with billy clubs and
baseball bats. Altogether, 33 marchers were hospitalized, and nearly
100 were arrested. It was the largest assault and invasion of a Black
church by law enforcement during the civil rights movement.
Though lesser known, the events of Bloody Tuesday set the stage for
Bloody Sunday and the eventual march from Selma to Montgomery.
I commend the Tuscaloosa SCLC for their work to keep the memory of
Bloody Tuesday alive.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the
60th anniversary of Bloody Tuesday. We must never, ever forget.
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