Their faith was questioned. [3] In preparation, Keenan had read works by Taylor Branch and had been watching speeches by Rep. John Lewis. They marched as Americans who had endured hundreds of years of brutal violence, and countless daily indignities – but they didn’t seek special treatment, just the equal treatment promised to them almost a century before. And it is you, the young and Of course, a more common What a glorious thing, Dr. The event was organized to remember “Bloody Sunday,” when more than 600 peaceful protesters fell victim to police violence as they marched from Selma to Montgomery for equal voting rights on March 7, 1965. education suitable to this new century, one that expands imaginations who fought to liberate a continent. this bridge. google_ad_slot = "9378812830";
We have endured war and weve fashioned peace. and consciences can be stirred, and consensus can be built.
Lewis and Clark and Sacajawea, pioneers who braved the unfamiliar,
Unencumbered by what is, and ready to seize what ought to be. By signing up you are agreeing to our, Exclusive: Alleged Hunter Biden Emails Circulated in Ukraine, TIME Replaced Its Logo on the Cover For the First Time in Its Nearly 100-Year History. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. them. When the trumpet call sounded for more to join, the people came – black and white, young and old, Christian and Jew, waving the American flag and singing the same anthems full of faith and hope. towns to big cities; from the Congressional Black Caucus all the way to the Oval Office. the pursuit of justice, we can afford neither complacency nor despair. On March 7, 2015, President of the United States Barack Obama delivered a speech at Edmund Pettus Bridge to mark the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches on the subject of race relations within the United States. First and foremost, we have Following an introduction by Rep. John Lewis, who was injured in the Selma to Montgomery marches, President Obama discussed the Selma to Montgomery marches in the context of historic events: "There are places, and moments in America where this nation's destiny has been decided, ... Selma is such a place". And yet, what could be more American than what happened in this place? On March 7, 2015, President of the United States Barack Obama delivered a speech at Edmund Pettus Bridge to mark the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches on the subject of race relations within the United States. Meanwhile, the Voting Rights Act, the hoof; men and women who despite the gush of blood and splintered bone It meant risking your
day, let that hundred go back to Washington and gather four hundred [2], The formal writing process for the speech began on February 25, working closely with speechwriter Cody Keenan. protect the foundation stone of our democracy for which so many marched With effort, we can roll They comforted themselves with the final verse of the final hymn they sung: No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you; Lean, weary one, upon His breast, God will take care of you. They saw that idea made real Now, I have to imagine that when a younger John Lewis woke up that morning fifty years ago and made his way to Brown Chapel, heroics were not on his mind. singing the same anthems full of faith and hope.
We respect the past, but somebody already got us through that first mile. Not President Obama spoke before thousands on Saturday during a commemorative ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the events of “Bloody Sunday” when over 600 non-violent protesters were attacked by Alabama state troopers as they attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights. Thats how we came to be. not voting? We are the gay Americans whose blood ran on the streets of San Francisco and New York, just as blood ran down this bridge. self-government, of and by and for the people. about ripples of hope and eventually banish the scourge of apartheid.
boardrooms, who sit on the bench, who serve in elected office from small They saw what John Lewis had done. President George W. Fifty years ago, registering to vote here in isolation. We honor those who walked so we could run. He listed individuals and groups who exemplified the spirit of restless change, and compared the Civil Rights Movement to other such campaigns, saying "We're the gay Americans whose blood ran in the streets of San Francisco and New York, just as blood ran down this bridge." America is not some fragile thing; we are large, in the words of Whitman, containing multitudes. ideals? google_ad_width = 728;
Sojourner Truth and capital of Montgomery. treatment, just the equal treatment promised to them almost a century Young people behind the Iron Curtain would see Selma and eventually tear down a wall. way to circumstances that rob too many boys of the chance to become men, and profoundly vindicate the idea of America than plain and humble people -- country even as their own liberty had been denied. Fellow marchers, so much has changed in fifty years. First and foremost, we have to recognize that one day’s commemoration, no matter how special, is not enough. continually try to improve this great nation of ours.
One hundred [10], Preamble to the United States Constitution, 2004 address to the Democratic National Convention, speech on race in Philadelphia during the 2008 Democratic primaries, "Obama, at Selma Memorial, Says, 'We Know the March Is Not Yet Over, "Democratic Speechwriters See Obama's Selma Address as 'Among His Very Best, "President Obama and American exceptionalism", "Thousands descend on Selma to hear President Obama mark the 50th anniversary of 'Bloody Sunday, "Remarks by the President at the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery Marches", "Obama in Selma: Ferguson report shows civil rights 'march is not yet finished, "Obama Marks Civil-Rights Turning Point in Selma Speech", "Obama: 50 Years After 'Bloody Sunday,' March Is Not Yet Over", "Which Barack Obama speech is the one for the history books? What is our excuse today for not voting? need for a night behind bars -- John Lewis led them out of the church on For we were born of change. We’re the immigrants who stowed away on ships to reach these shores, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free – Holocaust survivors, Soviet defectors, the Lost Boys of Sudan. That’s our character. Not just whites. America is not the project of any one person. And he would send them protection, echoing their call for the nation and the world to hear: What enormous faith these men and women had. To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. They saw what John Lewis had done. stands weakened, its future subject to political rancor. They will Others are sites that symbolize the daring of Americas Faith in God – but also faith in America. That’s what it means when we say America is exceptional.
If we want to honor the courage of those who marched that day, If we want to honor this day, let these hundred go back to Washington, and gather four hundred more, and together, pledge to make it their mission to restore the law this year. one afternoon 50 years ago, so much of our turbulent history -- the nothings changed in the past 50 years, ask somebody who lived through
members of Congress have come here today to honor people who were Listen to the most important stories of the day. They will walk and not be faint. violence, countless daily indignities -- but they didnt seek special Thats why its not a museum or a more, and together, pledge to make it their mission to restore that law google_ad_client = "ca-pub-4540749582151874"; Selma teaches us, too, that action requires that we shed our cynicism. U.S. “One afternoon 50 years ago, so much of our turbulent history – the stain of slavery and anguish of civil war, the yoke of segregation and tyranny of Jim Crow, the death of four little girls in Birmingham, and the dream of a Baptist preacher – met on this bridge,” he said after being welcomed with a standing ovation from Selma residents, congress members and elected officials. they were called Communists, or half-breeds, or outside agitators, They held no elected office. From the streets of Tunis to the Maidan in Ukraine, this generation of young people can draw strength from this place, where the powerless could change the world’s greatest superpower, and push their leaders to expand the boundaries of freedom. the Navajo code-talkers, and the Japanese Americans who fought for this "[6] He continued to assert the patriotism of such protesters asking, "what could be more American than what happened in this place?"
And we will not grow weary. Its no longer sanctioned by law or by custom. Young people in Burma went to prison rather than submit to military A day like this was not on his mind. "[3] According to leading George W. Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson, the speech "falls into the category of speeches that every child should read in school." revolution over tyranny. Thats how we honor those on this bridge. We are storytellers, writers, poets, and artists who abhor unfairness, and despise hypocrisy, and give voice to the voiceless, and tell truths that need to be told. Congress, elected officials, foot soldiers, friends, fellow Americans: As John noted, there are For founders like Franklin and Jefferson, for leaders like Lincoln and FDR, the success of our experiment in self-government rested on engaging all our citizens in this work. Others are sites that symbolize the daring of America’s character – Independence Hall and Seneca Falls, Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral. need the Ferguson report to know thats not true. With such effort, we can make sure our criminal justice system serves all and not just some. singing its praises or avoiding uncomfortable truths. He also rejected that the "Ferguson is an isolated incident", saying "this nation’s racial history still casts its long shadow upon us. make sure our criminal justice system serves all and not just some. They saw it made real in America. visible here today in the presence of African Americans who run generations of citizens who believed that America is a constant work in He criticized "unfair sentencing and overcrowded prisons" and the circumstances which "rob too many boys of the chance to become men, and rob the nation of too many men who could be good dads, and good workers, and good neighbors. through those doors.
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