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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
March 5, 2024
Contact: Cheri Hardmon
(517) 643-7236
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Secretary Benson travels to Selma to commemorate 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday
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*SELMA, AL* - On Friday March 1, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson traveled to Alabama to commemorate the 59th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday," where on March 7, 1965, white state troopers attacked Black voting rights marchers attempting to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.?A few members of Secretary Benson?s staff accompanied her on this personal trip to Alabama this weekend.
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?From Birmingham to Montgomery to Selma, people marched on Sunday to learn from the past and honor our heroes, while thinking about our own part in protecting every voice and every vote now*,? Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said,* ?I want to thank voting rights warriors for reminding me who I am and who I seek to be.?
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During the trip, Selma Mayor James Perkins, the city?s first African American mayor, presented Benson with a key to the city as well as a proclamation to highlight the work she has done throughout her life and career to protect and defend democracy.
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?The freedom fighters who fought and bled for democracy in Selma in 1965 inspired me to build a career that sought to continue their work,? *Benson said.* ?It?s incredible to be honored by the city that has given so much to American democracy.?
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Secretary Benson started her career in Montgomery, investigating hate groups and voter suppression. She also worked as an associate with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, focused on voting rights and election law. As Michigan Secretary of State, Benson has continued her work to secure and protect voting rights across the state and nation. ?
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Secretary Benson and Sheyann Webb
Secretary Benson crosses the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma with Sheyann Webb, who was a part of the bridge crossing on Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965, as a 9-year-old.
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Secretary talks with fellow marchers
Secretary Benson speaks with a group in Montgomery on March 2.
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Secretary at Liuzzo moment
Secretary Benson visits a memorial for one of her personal heroes, Viola Liuzzo, who was killed by the Ku Klux Klan on the last night of the Selma Voting Rights March in 1965.
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Secretary given key to city
Secretary Benson holds a proclamation and key to the city presented to her by Selma, Alabama officials on March 2.
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