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Boston Bus Goes To Selma To Commemorate Bloody Sunday
ResumeA group of Bostonians bused to Selma, Alabama over the weekend to join events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1965 "Bloody Sunday" march. That march became a turning point in the civil rights movement, after peaceful protesters, trying to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge, were beaten with billy clubs by the police.
The sight and sounds from that attack shocked Americans across the country, and analysts say it helped win the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
At least 15,000 people gathered on that same bridge over the weekend, including President Obama.
Guest
Anthony van der Meer, senior lecturer in Africana studies at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
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The Boston Globe: Ride From Boston To Selma Fueled By Legacy
- The passengers on this bus were determined to retrace the path of the marchers who drove from Boston to cross the bridge half a century ago. In attending Saturday’s anniversary event, they wanted to highlight issues glossed over during the civil rights movement: gay rights, the plight of Muslims in America, misogynistic treatment of black women, immigration reform.