March 7, 2010=45th anniversary of the Selma voting rights demonstration known as Bloody Sunday

[babylonsister]

Power in the Blood
posted by Melissa Harris-Lacewell on 03/07/2010 @ 5:13pm



snip//

Today I am reminded of the connection between religious fervor and African American political efforts. March 7, 2010, is the 45th anniversary of the Selma voting rights demonstration, which has become known as Bloody Sunday. On Bloody Sunday, more than 600 peaceful, non-violent protesters were attacked by local Alabama police who assaulted the crowd with tear gas and night sticks.

Bloody Sunday was the definitive turning point in the struggle for African American voting rights in the South. Just one week after the attack, President Lyndon B. Johnson addressed a joint session of Congress and called for passage of the what became the 1965 Voting Rights Act. As he argued for the bill, LBJ intoned, in his famous Texas accent, "we shall overcome." It was an act of solidarity and great courage. It was also an act of partisan "foolishness" that initiated the GOP's southern strategy and delivered the former Confederate states to Republican control.

The protesters and the President who stood with them were great American patriots who changed the country despite the unlikeliness of their alliance and the risks posed by their endeavors. For that we remember them.

more...

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/538440/power_in_the_blood

[Faygo Kid]

1. I remember it. I was 13.

The television was extraordinary. After the JFK assassination, it was again traumatic to see this happen in the nation.

LBJ is such a tragic figure. He killed so many, yet he wanted to be FDR. He did well with his commitment to civil rights. That's enough for now.