REDSTONE ARSENAL, Alabama -- About a dozen U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command employees left Huntsville at 4:30 a.m. on March 7 to participate in events commemorating the 50th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, Ala.
The group joined about 40,000 attendees from all walks of life for the historic event.
"It was a joyful celebration of unity among all the diverse groups of people," said Huntsville-native LaJeannia Lacey, records administrator. "I went to Selma to honor those brave souls who marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge the first, second, and third and final time in 1965."
Another attendee talked about recently seeing the movie "Selma" and how it impacted the day for him.
"We had fun," said Tennessee-native Cedric Bailey, electronics engineer. "People were coming together, and there were all different races there. It was a good experience. Especially after seeing the movie. It just put a whole different perspective on it. If you knew the history, it brought everything together."
On March 7, 1965, about 600 marchers approached the bridge in what was intended to be a march from Selma to Montgomery. The marchers were beaten and tear gassed by police at the foot of the bridge. On March 21, 1965, about 8,000 people assembled for a third attempt to march to Montgomery. With the protection of the Alabama National Guard, military police and Army troops, they and an additional 25,000 who joined for a rally at the Alabama Capitol arrive on March 25, 1965. Much of the violence during this time inflicted on the civil rights protestors was witnessed on televisions in homes across America, and led to outrage that fueled a national movement that culminated with the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Claudia Williams, an Information Assurance network officer and South Alabama native, said it was her first time attending the commemoration.
"This was an historic event, and my ancestors are from Selma," Williams said. "I have a friend whose mother and two sisters walked in the original walk, and I used to go to Selma every summer while I was growing up."
Jimmie Sherode, a budget analyst, said it was one of the most monumental events he had ever been a part of.
"My reason for attending was based on my desire to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge and honor those Americans, like Mr. James Bevel, Ms. Amelia Boynton, and Dr. Martin Luther King, who put their lives on the line to help shed light on the blatant racial injustices in black communities, especially in the South and thank them for their sacrifice," Sherode said. "You could feel the admiration and unity throughout the diverse sea of people. Activists, politicians, celebrities, religious groups, and all shades of humanity were in attendance and waiting for their opportunity to cross the bridge. I was even lucky enough to cross the bridge side by side with activist and author, Mr. Dick Gregory."
President Barack Obama was the guest speaker at the commemoration, and about 100 members of Congress attended along with a number of the original civil rights foot soldiers. Some were guest speakers such as Rep. John Lewis, whereas others such as Rev. C.T. Vivian, Amelia Boynton Robinson, and Gregory participated in the events. Gregory is one of Lacey's heroes.
"The highlight of my experience was to be able to talk to Mr. Dick Gregory -- an iconic foot soldier of the Civil Rights Movement. Shoulder to shoulder with Martin Luther King, he led marches in the struggle to register black voters for the 1964 elections," Lacey said. "It was emotional to see those who marched 50 years ago. Their stories are nothing short of inspirational."
This was Lacey's second visit to the Selma commemoration. Her first visit was when she went with her family in 1970.
Bailey and Lacey tried to get as close to the president as possible for his speech, whereas Williams ended up watching the speech streamed in a local church.
"The pastor invited us to stay and watch the speech and told us that his was the only integrated church in Selma," Williams said. "The atmosphere was so happy. Everyone was cheering and clapping like we were there. There were so many people, and everyone was so peaceful."
During his speech, President Barak Obama talked about the significance of Selma.
"As John (Lewis) noted, there are places and moments in America where this nation's destiny has been decided. Many are sites of war -- Concord and Lexington, Appomattox, Gettysburg. Others are sites that symbolize the daring of America's character -- Independence Hall and Seneca Falls, Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral," Obama said. "Selma is such a place. In one afternoon 50 years ago, so much of our turbulent history -- the stain of slavery and anguish of civil war; the yoke of segregation and tyranny of Jim Crow; the death of four little girls in Birmingham; and the dream of a Baptist preacher -- all that history met on this bridge."
The historic bridge was named for Edmund Winston Pettus, a former Confederate brigadier general, Democratic Party U.S. senator from Alabama and the grand dragon of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan.
The history of the bridge made the events poignant for Lacey.
"When I saw the presidential motorcade descend from that bridge, tears came to my eyes at the wonder of it," Lacey said. "Who would have thought? It was very emotional, and a very humbling experience."
During his speech, the president talked about how much things had changed.
"We do a disservice to the cause of justice by intimating that bias and discrimination are immutable, that racial division is inherent to America. If you think nothing's changed in the past 50 years, ask somebody who lived through the Selma or Chicago or Los Angeles of the 1950s," Obama said. "To deny this progress, this hard-won progress -- our progress -- would be to rob us of our own agency, our own capacity, our responsibility to do what we can to make America better."
The president also acknowledged that there is still work to be done.
"First and foremost, we have to recognize that one day's commemoration, no matter how special, is not enough," said Obama. "If Selma taught us anything, it's that our work is never done. The American experiment in self-government gives work and purpose to each generation."
Lacey agreed that America still faces a number of challenges.
"We must teach our children what it was like. If you forget your past, you're bound to repeat it," Lacey said. "We must remind them of the value of education and encourage them to know their self worth, and to be the change they want to see in the world."
The attendance of the weekend was estimated by the Selma Fire Department at about 100,000. The weeklong march retracing the steps demonstrators took in 1965 began Monday in Selma and culminated with a rally Friday at the Alabama Capitol in Montgomery.
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