Scott Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday
SELMA, AL – Today, Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott joined President Obama, Congressman John Lewis, and other Members of Congress at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. On March 7, 1965, a group of brave civil rights marchers marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on their way to Montgomery to demand that African American citizens be given their constitutional right to vote. At the bridge, the marchers were attacked by Alabama State troopers, with billy clubs, cattle prods, and tear gas. Many of the marchers were injured, some of them severely.
"50 years ago, demonstrators marching in support of voting rights were ruthlessly beaten here in Selma," stated Rep. Scott. "The cause these brave men and women marched for would not be deterred by senseless acts of violence. They returned weeks later to continue what they started. Their noble efforts led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most consequential pieces of legislation to come out of the Civil Rights Movement. While we honor the sacrifices these Americans made 50 years ago, we must recommit ourselves to ensure that no one's right to vote is infringed."
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