WASHINGTON, DC — The Ripon Forum marks the 60th anniversary of the March on Selma in its latest edition with a bipartisan series of essays examining the impact of this historic event and why the courage demonstrated by the Civil Rights Activists who marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in March of 1965 still resonates in America today. Those writing include:
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) – “As an Alabamian, the struggle for the fulfillment of Thomas Jefferson’s pronouncement in the Declaration of Independence ‘that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights’ that motivated the Civil Rights Movement has always been immediate to me,” Britt writes. “It makes the challenges we face today seem not impossible but inevitable to be overcome. It makes it even less acceptable for us to freeze in fear of facing adversity. If the Civil Rights marchers could put their lives on the line to fight for one of the most important causes ever to exist, we can do the hard things in front of us — and ultimately, that’s what God calls us to do.”
U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) – “Over the last several weeks, the new administration has tried to shred the rule of law and the traditions and institutions our government has relied on,” Coons writes, “President Trump’s efforts to ‘flood the zone’ with shock and awe actions are an attempt to convince the country not just that this is how things are, but how they will always be going forward. It is easy to give into despair and bitterness. Instead, I hope voters will think about John [Lewis] and the Selma marchers, only months away from realizing their dreams of the full right to vote. Through sustained action and engagement, things change in our country. They can change much faster than we expect.”
U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) – “Sixty years later,” Hassan writes, “our democracy again faces challenges to its fundamental promise. I never thought our country would witness an attempt to overturn by force a free and fair election, as we did on January 6. But we did. And the failure to hold those who committed these crimes accountable continues to weaken our beloved country. Surely the Selma marchers did not put their lives on the line to secure the right to vote only for our country to become a place again where the powerful and violent can deny any single American their vote simply because they disagree. It is precisely because of the difficulties of our present moment that I find myself returning to the lessons of Selma.”
U.S. Rep. Jay Obernolte (R/CA-23) – “Our nation was founded on the principles of democracy and freedom, and the Constitution enshrines the right to peaceful protest as a means to advocate for change,” Obernolte writes. “As we reflect on the 60th anniversary of the Selma Bridge Crossing, we do so with a renewed commitment to honoring the sacrifices of those who marched before us. Their courage and determination shaped the America we know today, and it is our responsibility to continue their work by fostering a society that values faith, family, and freedom. In the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., let us strive to be a nation that stands firm in times of challenge and controversy and upholds the American promise for the generations of Americans to come.”
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D/AL-7) – “Soon, we in Selma will welcome elected officials, activists, and community leaders from across the nation to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday,” Sewell writes. “We will once again retrace the footsteps of the marchers and pay tribute to their bravery and heroism. But the truth is that our commemoration will be incomplete so long as the Voting Rights Act remains in peril. If we are to truly honor John’s legacy — and the legacy of all those who marched, bled, and died on that bridge — we should work to restore the law they fought so hard to enact. That’s why, exactly 60 years after the events of Bloody Sunday, I will be reintroducing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in the 119th Congress.”
Dr. Robert Traynham, who serves as President of the Faith & Politics Institute – “This year, FPI will once again bring together a bipartisan delegation and leaders to experience the pilgrimage to Alabama to pay homage to Bloody Sunday and to reflect on the deep sacrifices made,” writes Traynham, “By visiting the Pettus Bridge in Selma, as well as historic civil rights sites in Montgomery and Birmingham, we continue the important work of honoring the past while charting a new path forward … These FPI programs remind us of the shared sacrifices made for equality — not just for a chosen few, but for all Americans.”
To view all of these essays in the latest edition of the Forum, please click here.
The Ripon Forum is published six times a year by The Ripon Society, a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854 – Ripon, Wisconsin. One of the main goals of The Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP’s success. These ideas include keeping our nation secure, keeping taxes low and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people.