March 15, 2015
Selma: 50 Years Later
By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Having grown up in the South, I had certainly gone through the City of Selma many times, but nothing prepared me for what happened there on Bloody Sunday weekend! We’ve heard estimates that 20,000 to 100,000+ people were in attendance—but the number of people wasn’t the most significant issue. What mattered most was the contrast between 50 years ago and what we experienced a few days ago.
First, I was housed in a Southern mansion located in the historic district which was owned by a white woman who took excellent care of us. Our wonderful Birmingham Chapter of the NCBW rented the home and several of our members stayed there. We were very near the “Bloody Sunday Bridge” and were able to walk there without concerns held in 1965.
On Saturday, March 7, President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Sasha and Malia Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, former President George W. Bush, Alabama’s Governor, the Congressional Delegation, and many more who came to town to commemorate “Bloody Sunday.” I reflected on the change in Selma, and this country, when President Obama smoothly left his prepared notes to respond to a group of young people who rudely questioned whether change had occurred. Although President Obama acknowledged that much remained to be done, that he masterfully identified many of the changes that have taken place, to include his own achievements .With personal knowledge of how hard he has worked, against the greatest of odds, to make changes for our betterment, I know that any questions about his commitment to creating positive change are undeserved.
It was a great and historic day. Many people of all races and cultures brought their children to witness the presence of a President who readily admits to being the fruit of what our ancestors did in Selma 50 years ago.
This being Women’s History Month, I also thought about Ms. Amelia Boynton, now 105 years old, and what this 50th anniversary must have meant to her. Remembering what she and others did in Selma 50 years ago, I wonder if she believes that those following in “The Movement” have kept faith with the courage and dedication shown in 1965 by her contemporaries. Recalling the pain of that day, I wonder if she feels that “voter apathy” signals a lack of appreciation for the sacrifices made to gain the right to vote on “Bloody Sunday”. Recognizing that we have been dealt significant losses in recent Supreme Court decisions, I wonder how she feels about having to return to the starting line to fight, once again, to regain the ground lost in the quest for equitable voters’ rights. I wonder if Mother Boynton knows how much she is loved and appreciated by millions of others and me for her courage and commitment.
Finally, I am proud of all the women who worked to make the “Fruits of Labor Luncheon” in Selma a big success. The Birmingham Chapter of the National Congress of Black Women served as hosts, as they proudly honored many of those who both worked in the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Movement, and those who benefitted from the fruits of that work—such as those who were the first in the succession of Black people who became mayors, city councilmembers, county councilmembers, school board members and governors.
I left Selma with a feeling of immeasurable gratitude for the collective and individual acts of bravery of those who marched in 1965. I proclaim immense pride in the accomplishments we have attained since then. I have steeled myself for the remaining struggle against those who stand as adversaries in the fight to claim full/equitable citizenship.
Now, let us work to get Loretta Lynch confirmed as U.S. Attorney General. Call your Senator now.
(Dr. E. Faye Williams, National President of the National Congress of Black Women. www.nationalcongressbw.org.)