Today, in honor of Martin Luther King Day, groups from our area organized a March from the West side, over the Fox River Bridge, and to the Divine Temple Church on Green Bay’s east side. The March was a tribute to Dr. King, but was also a tribute to one of the defining moments in the struggle for civil rights, the crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. The march stopped on the span of the bridge for reflection and prayer. On March 7th, 1965 marchers trying to cross the bridge on their way to Alabama’s Capital were shoved, knocked down, and beaten by State Troopers and a County Posse. Teargas was also fired into the crowd. Images of this violence and of the injured marchers was televised. One image in particular was shown in the front page of newspapers around the world. It featured Amelia Boynton, one of the organizers of the march, who was beaten unconscious. In response to this, President Lyndon Johnson issued a statement and promised to send a voting rights bill to Congress. In introducing the bill, the president quoted Martin Luther King stating, “It is not just Negroes, but really it is all of us, who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice. And we shall overcome. We were honored to be invited by Pastor Green and other leaders to participate in this event as part of a united community. We value all members of our community and honor the legacy of Dr. King and his message of peace. Police marched side by side with community members. The theme for this year’s event was “Building Bridges, Building Dreams” and we were very happy to be a part of it. Below are a few photos of today’s event.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 21:57:38 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015