Rep. Bonamici Statement Following Visit to Edmund Pettus Bridge for 50th Anniversary of Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights March
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) released the following statement after commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery civil rights march at the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
“It was 50 years ago when police on the Edmund Pettus Bridge beat peaceful demonstrators on what is now known as ‘Bloody Sunday.’ What happened on that bridge illustrated very powerfully the deep injustices in our country. The disturbing images, seen across the country, helped awaken Americans to the inequality and mistreatment in our country, and led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Today, on this same bridge, we honored the nonviolent protesters who took so many risks and sacrificed so much for civil rights. And as we honor those who did so much for equality, we also must recognize that their efforts were a beginning not an end.”
“Today we are more aware than ever that deep injustice remains in too many of our cities and towns. It’s been a half-century since protesters confronted the physical barrier of a police line, but we see economic barriers and barriers at the ballot box that still disenfranchise people across the country. Much the same way a nation’s collective conscience helped spur the Voting Rights Act, perhaps this 50th anniversary will inspire people to acknowledge and confront the economic, social, and racial injustices that still remain. It was an honor to march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge and recognize those who took a stand to demand equal treatment under the law. Fifty years later we must carry on that cause.”