Today marks the historic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama across the Edmund Pettus Bridge during the height of the Civil Rights Movement.

On Sunday, March 7, 1965, peaceful protestors took to the highway from Selma to Montgomery – calling for the constitutional right to vote for African-American citizens. In response to their nonviolent efforts, state and county troopers brutally attacked unarmed marchers – leaving them bruised, beaten, and bleeding. It was here that Congressman John Lewis sustained a fractured skull: an event that would later be known as Bloody Sunday.

The march played an instrumental part in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and every year on this day, I am reminded of the courage of the freedom fighters who led and bled for the freedoms we have today.

As a native of Selma, it is both humbling and bittersweet to know that my community had such an influential role in crafting the fabric of this nation. The march wasn’t just a turning point in Black history; it was a turning point in American history.

Right now, we’re facing new threats to our sacred right to vote. State legislatures across the country have made it harder to gain access to the ballot box, and Senate Republicans have made it clear that they’re willing to deny us our rights in order to hold on to power.

As the representative of Alabama’s 7th, the Nation’s Civil Rights District, I know it’s my duty to continue on the path to equity for all by protecting and expanding voting rights for disenfranchised communities.

I hope we all take some time today to reflect on the sacrifices made to uphold our sacred right to vote. There will always be unfinished business in the fight for equality -- but in the words of my dear friend, the late Rep. John Lewis: it’s our job to continue the Good, Necessary Trouble of redeeming the soul of this nation.

Thank you for being a part of this movement with me.

In solidarity,

Terri

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