Sometimes we don’t need to miss an opportunity to share with others. It is much easier to be comfortable in the recliner or on the couch than be in the midst of hundreds of people.
The 52nd annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee was held two weekends ago in Selma, AL. There were thousands of people in attendance. I almost decided to have a relaxing weekend, but I was awakened to the duty of honor and respect. Suddenly, I remembered the sacrifice that so many people made for me in 1965. The march over the Edmund Pettus Bridge took place 52 years ago.
Many people gathered, some to remember and others to commemorate the struggles and triumphs that were made for equal rights. The 1965 Voting Rights Acts was one of the most historic and groundbreaking pieces of legislation in our nation’s history.
Therefore, I was compelled to go to the jubilee to honor the legacy of the brave men and women who came before me–from the Foot Soldiers to the Freedom Riders. The Foot Soldiers annual breakfast was held at R.B. Hudson Middle School. Charles Mauldin, who started the Foot Soldiers Breakfast, said what was unique about the movement is that little people became extraordinary. Their stories are not always told in the history books, but they played as much of a part in the movement as anyone.
Mauldin, as well as hundreds and hundreds of others, did become extraordinary. They helped make a difference that was felt across the United States. I know Charles Mauldin’s welcoming words were true, because I lived with a Foot Solider.
The late Rev. C.D. Hamilton, a 1965 Foot Soldier, had attended the breakfast in years past and stood tall
and told his story. Last year the Foot Soldiers were honored with the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Dr. Mae Christian told her story this year and said “Bloody Sunday” was an experience of terror. She lives in Miami and still remembers the horror of the march. Jack Singleton, who drove from Little Rock, Arkansas, attends the Bridge Crossing Jubilee every year. He explained that he came to Selma at the age of 24 by answering the call from Dr. Martin Luther King for ministers to come to Selma and stand with the people of Selma. Singleton and four other seminary students at the Southern Methodist University decided to make the trip.
As we crossed the bridge this year, I saw so many diverse people uniting and continuing in courage and perseverance of what had begun 52 years ago. The Reverend Jessie Jackson, who I have witnessed attending yearly, addressed the crowd with a great shout out of “I am Somebody.”
Some students from Northwest-Shoals Community College attended. There was a strong presence of women attending this year’s march, and many women speakers addressed the crowd.
Women were asked to wear red for International Women’s Day on March 8. Representatives of the Hispanic Coalitions marched and shared their concerns. The weather in Selma was beautiful, and the day was peaceful.
