Lewis remembers 'Bloody Sunday' march, beatings

[firedupdem]

SELMA, Ala. — Georgia Congressman John Lewis strolled to the middle of the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Sunday and remembered the incident 45 years ago when he and other marchers were beaten on the day known as "Bloody Sunday."

Lewis spoke shortly before he was to lead hundreds of marchers across the bridge in a recreation of the 1965 march.

Also Sunday in Washington, President Barack Obama marked the 45th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday" by praising "these heroes" who marched into history and endured beatings by Alabama state troopers at the start of their landmark voting rights trek.

The nation's first black president said that despite all the progress since "that terrible day in Selma," more still needs to be done.

Marchers were a few blocks into their Selma-to-Montgomery march on March 7, 1965, when they were beaten by troopers on the bridge.

The march was later completed under federal protection, with Martin Luther King Jr. leading it. It led to passage of the Voting Rights Act, which opened Southern polling places to blacks and ended all-white government.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ggrkyqj3oetYch-Fb9hRuz8k3lCwD9EA155O2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s00-OoZAWno

[Number23]

1. Rec'd. Thanks for posting, firedup

[FrenchieCat]

2. heroes sink like a rock.....or anything about them.....

[Cha]

3. Thank you for this firedupdem.. We've

come a very long way and we still have a way to go.

[TheBigotBasher]

4. K& R

Thanks for this.

What is sad is how recent all this was, too very many people in living memory.

It is good to see how far things have moved on, we must all however be ever vigilant that those gains are not lost.