50th anniversary commemoration in Selma reminds us of the importance of our right to VOTE and need for action now!
This weekend, thousands of people from our Greater Atlanta region and across our nation – including President Barack Obama and former President George Bush – will convene in Selma, Alabama, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge known by many as “Bloody Sunday.” The Urban League of Greater Atlanta Young Professionals and Guild members will be there to represent our agency.
In 1965, images of nonviolent protesters being savagely assaulted as they tried to cross the bridge seared the nation’s conscience, added much-needed urgency to the struggle for voting rights, and ultimately led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The Urban League of Greater Atlanta salutes the courageous men, women and children who risked their lives so that every American could exercise the constitutional right to vote. And we applaud everyone who is acting on the “fierce urgency of now” to halt the erosion of those rights that were won 50 years ago and advocating for all of us to exercise our right and responsibility to vote.
We join so many others around the nation in encouraging YOU to remain vigilant, VOTE and get engaged with organizations that are working to protect the right to vote. We need to defeat laws that are designed to discourage people from voting – whether these measures cut polling hours, employ hard – to – meet identification requirements, unfairly gerrymander voting districts, or distribute confusing literature.
Known and unsung heroes gave their lives to ensure our basic rights. We salute them on this special occasion. And we must honor them every day by acting to protect those rights for generations to come.
