It was spring vacation in my Junior year. I wanted to do battle in the front lines. It might have been good for the movement, if future Republicans hadf murdered a young white boy, not yet 17. But the protestors were better that that. For my own safety, two very large and very kindly black ladies linked arms with me, refused to let go, and kept me well behind the front lines. I didn’t get to see much of the violence, but I did get to see way too much blood. Fifty years later, Obama was upbeat, but realistic.
On this day in 1965, the nation watched as peaceful civil rights demonstrators were savagely beaten by police as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., a bloody sacrifice that historians credit with helping to usher in the passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act days later.
Fifty years later, with the nation embroiled in a fresh debate about race in America, the country’s first black president joined a bipartisan congressional delegation and tens of thousands of marchers at the foot of the iconic civil rights landmark to commemorate a day that forever altered the landscape of American history.
“There are places, and moments in America where this nation’s destiny has been decided,” President Obama told the sea of people who had stood for hours to hear him pay tribute to the day known as Bloody Sunday. “Many are sites of war – Concord and Lexington, Appomattox and Gettysburg. Others are sites that symbolize the daring of America’s character – Independence Hall and Seneca Falls, Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral.”
“Selma is such a place,” he added.
The speech came several days after the Justice Department released a searing report admonishing police in Ferguson, Mo., for engaging in a vicious pattern of racial bias. The police department was home to Darren Wilson, a white officer whose killing in August of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, sparked nationwide protests about police brutality in communities of color throughout the United States…
Inserted from <Washington Post>
The Post was overly generous to call the Congressional delegation bipartisan. Many of the Republicans present attended only after their intended absence became a talking point.
Here is the video of Obama’s address in it’s entirety.
And click here for the transcript.
One key focus of the speech is that the civil rights movement continues today and has helped many different minorities. How sad it is that racism was waning quickly, and we would be much further along had the Republican party not embraced racism, as part of the Southern strategy. Obama alluded to this, but called for us to press on, as the struggle is not yet over.
Another key focus of the speech was the Voting Rights Act. He alluded to those who are keeping it week, without calling out the Republican Party by name. He also said that the Congressional delegation could prove their sincerity by returning to Washington and fixing the voting rights act.
I have no doubt that I’ll have more coverage of this story, because these Republicans now need to prove to their rabid base that their sheets and hoods are still intact. They will immediately return to abusing their power to disenfranchise minority voters.
14 Responses to “Not Yet Over”
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This president amazes me – with so much on his shoulders and so many idiots to deal with, he manages to face issues head on with grace and dignity but also with optimism.
He managed to get in a couple of good points about "loving America" (take that, Mr. Guiliani), he got in some digs at the GOP, and he made it clear that racism is a serious problem. But instead of whining and getting angry, he gave a rousing speech that was inspiring to all. Very impressive.
Obama expressed the past and the current needs for the future well. Unfortunately today I also read where the mayor of Ferguson rejects all charges of racism and discrimination in the DOJ report.
"A white newsman, Bill Plante, who covered the marches then and who is with us here today, quipped that the growing number of white people lowered the quality of the singing. To those who marched, though, those old gospel songs must have never sounded so sweet." I've always thought that, if God listens to our music, he values no music higher than the voice of someone who sings badly, sing his or her heart out from pure love of him.
And that's about all I can say without tears.
"Change "Yes We Can" And Tom you are right "It is not Over" Seeing that picture above says it all.
It was simply an outstanding speech – easily one his "Ten Best" in an illustrious list of which the bottom ten would be the envy of most politicians. (I'm looking at you Jeb and Ted and Scott and "Thirsty" Marco and "Bully" Chris and …)
I would LOVE to see that bridge, currently named for Edmund Pettus, a General in the Confederate Army and later a Grand Dragon of the KKK, to be rechristened "Rep. John Lewis". I know it's not going to happen in Selma Alabama, but it'd be a fitting tribute.
Amen!
Salute for the president! He really got the republikkkans for the way they are treating people. And that was a great speech!
It was a great speech and he made a lot of good points. Hard to believe the racism that still exists in this country! It seems to me that since Pres. Obama got elected the racists have started to flaunt their ignorance more than they did prior to his election. No sitting president, in my lifetime, has been maligned as much as he has.
TC, you were a very brave boy!
Foolhardy!!
I found that as I was listening, I had the urge to stand and sing "We shall overcome".
One part that I particularly liked was that about the Voting Rights Act. But even more, Obama touched on not using the voting rights that are there. He said "…how do we so casually discard the right for which so many fought?" And he is correct! I found that part of the speech exceptional!
His passion was palpable and I hope contagious. For someone who has endured so much emnity over the past 6 years, undeserved emnity from petty little Republicanus/Teabaggerum, it is truly amazing that he can be so composed.
President Obama stressed "WE" many times. It is one of the most important words in the world.
TC – thank goodness those two lovely large black ladies saved your life – God bless them!
Thanks for and amen ro all of the above.