Friend, it's Greg.
I just got back from a weekend trip to Selma, Alabama, to honor the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday — when 600 activists, led by John Lewis, were violently beaten by law enforcement while peacefully marching for voting rights.
As a Jewish member of Congress, I often think about how the Jewish and Black communities have historically supported one another, and the ways in which that has influenced my life in public service and commitment to justice. A quick story for you:
In 1964, three civil rights activists — two Jewish, one Black — were shot and killed by members of the KKK. They had set out to Mississippi from Oxford, Ohio, where I grew up. Their names were James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner.
The three young men bravely traveled south to fight for Black voting rights — speaking at local congregations, helping to mobilize the Black residents, and holding a voting drive. And they were targeted by local KKK members and shot because of it.
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After finding the boys’ abandoned car, they were declared missing persons. The case received national attention, and it wasn’t until 44 days later that their bodies were found in a dam. Schwerner and Goodman had each been shot once; Chaney, a Black man, had been severely beaten in addition to receiving three gunshot wounds.
Seven men were charged and convicted — marking the first-ever convictions in Mississippi for the murder of a civil rights worker. None of the seven men served more than six years.
So, while walking across the Edmund Pettus bridge on the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, I reflected on some of the shared struggles that the Jewish community and the Black community have faced over the years. To all citizens of Southwest Ohio: know that I’m entirely committed to fighting for equality for all.
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Thanks for joining me.
Appreciate you,
Greg
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P.O. Box 413, Cincinnati, OH 45201
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