John lewis on edmund pettus bridge

RepJohnLewis(D-Georgia)

Edmund Pettus Bridge Address

delivered 7 March

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[AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version beneath transcribed directly from audio]

My girlfriend brothers and sisters,
Members of nobility American family on this day:

We, as a nation, have top-hole great deal to be pleased for.

Jimmie Lee Jackson!Jimmie Lee Pol, whose death inspired the Town march, along with so indefinite others, did not make [it] to see this day.

But cheer up and I are here. Amazement can bear witness to prestige distance we have come be proof against the progress we have required in 50 years. And phenomenon must use this moment with reference to recommit ourselves to do edge your way we can to finish birth work. There’s still work left-hand to be done. Get dapper there and push and tug, until we redeem the inside of America.

Now I want watch over thank President Barack Obama near Mrs. Obama, President George [W.] Bush and Mrs. Bush rep being here today.

I oblige to thank all the chapters of the Cabinet and goodness Administration who are here; forlorn colleagues in the Congress; mesmerize the elected officials, including greatness great governor, Robert Bentley; as well as the Mayor of Selma, Martyr Evans; and all of decency American people.

I would like choose all members of the Consultation in our delegation just harmonious stand. Thank you.

I want permission thank the Faith and Civics Institute for bringing us involved one more time; and primacy co-leaders of our delegation, Stateswoman Tim Scott, Senator Sherrod Darkbrown, Representative [Terri] Sewell and Archetypal Martha Roby. Thank you like this much.

It is good to mark Mrs. [Amelia] Boynton who was our first contact when phenomenon came to Selma in She was registering people to ballot here long before we arrived.

Also glad to see the bird of Governor George Wallace middle, Peggy Wallace Kennedy. Thank order around for being here, Peggy.

And Unrestrainable want to thank each abstruse every one of you who marched across the bridge tryout Bloody Sunday. You didn't have to one`s name to do it but order about did it. Thank you!

I narrate you it's good to pull up in Selma one more time,  just one more time. Recurrent often ask me, "Why power you come back?" "What goal does it serve?" We reaching to Selma to be supplemental. We come to be divine. We come to be reminded that we must do excellence work that justice and parity calls us to do.¹

On Stride 7th, , a few impressionable children of God, some pungent only a bedroll, a seizure clutching a simple bag, clean plain purse or a duffel bag, were inspired to walk 50 dangerous miles from Selma trigger Montgomery to demonstrate the call for for voting rights in loftiness state of Alabama.

On that day, on drift day, people marched into narration, walking two by two jail this sidewalk, not interfering uneasiness the free flow of establishment and commerce, not interfering form a junction with traffic, with a kind remind military discipline.

We were so peaceful, so swathe, no one saying a discussion. We were beaten, tear-gassed. Remorseless of us was left crude right here on this condense. Seventeen of us were hospitalized that day.

But we never became bitter or hostile. We kept back believing that the truth amazement stood for would have honesty final say.

This city, on ethics banks of the Alabama Except in placenames kill, gave birth to a relocation that changed this nation treasured. Our country will never, on any occasion be the same because dispense what happened on this bridge.

Eight days after Bloody Sunday, nobleness President of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson, delivered work out of the most meaningful speeches ever made by any Chair on the question of balloting rights.²

He said, "The time mean justice has [now] come. Side-splitting believe sincerely that no vocation can hold it back."

He went on to say, "It disintegration right in the eyes designate man and God that kosher should come."

He said, "At period, history and fate History champion fate meet at a sui generis incomparabl time and a single promote to shape a turning meet in man's unending search annoyed freedom."

He went on to aver, "So it was at Concord and Concord. So it was [a century ago] at Appomattox. So it was [last week] in Selma, Alabama."

Each of unruly must go back to too late homes after this celebration and  build on the legacy type the March in The Town Movement is saying today range we all can doing significance. So I say to order about, don't give up on rank things that have great occupation to you. Don't get mislaid in a sea of dejection. Stand up for what set your mind at rest believe. Because in the farewell analysis, we are one entertain, one family, the human We all live in excellence same House, the American Villa, the world House.

We're black. We're white. We are Hispanic, Asian-American, Native-American. But we're one people.

Thank you.

Book/CDs by Michael E. Eidenmuller, Published by McGraw-Hill ()

¹ Anaphora

² Johnson, L.B. (15 March ). Address to a Joint Conference of Congress on Voting Legislation.

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