Washington D.C. – In observance of the 58th anniversary of Bloody Sunday (March 7, 1965) when 600 marchers were violently attacked in Selma, Alabama, as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge during a peaceful demonstration in favor of voting rights, People For the American Way President Svante Myrick released the following statement:

“It was 58 years ago today that American heroes like Congressman John Lewis and hundreds of other men and women were violently beaten as they peacefully protested for voting rights. This demonstration also commemorated the death of a young man shot and killed by an Alabama state trooper while trying to protect his mother from a brutal police attack during a civil rights demonstration weeks earlier. Decades later, far-right forces and right-wing politicians are still trying to suppress the votes of millions, and we cannot give up the fight to protect this sacred right. Finding solutions to some of our nation’s toughest issues like transforming public safety, equal access to inclusive education, and taking back our courts depends on the right of every citizen to have their voice heard in our democracy. To ensure that we have that democracy, we must pass the Freedom to Vote Act.”

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About People For the American Way 

People For the American Way, a national progressive advocacy organization, inspires and mobilizes community and cultural leaders to advance Truth, Justice and the American Way. We convene courageous Americans, produce compelling media and organize campaigns to defend our democracy from authoritarian threats and advance America’s promise that everyone will enjoy freedom, safety and a vote that counts. Learn more: https://www.pfaw.org