Lights and Bells To Commemorate Bloody Sunday March

Posted on: Mar 4th, 2015 | News and Announcements

Lights will go up and bells will toll this weekend in Mobile County as part of the 50th anniversary commemoration of the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery that led to voting rights for African-Americans. Organizing under the theme ?Let freedom Ring ? Bear Witness to Selma,? Mobile County Commissioner Merceria Ludgood has asked faith leaders throughout the county to toll their church bells - or otherwise to recognize the anniversary - at 11 a.m. Sunday in observance of what came to be known as ?Bloody Sunday.? More than 300 invitations were sent out to houses of worship for the commemoration. At the same time, Commissioner Ludgood garnered the participation of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, which will light up their downtown properties with red, white and blue for the historical celebration. ?It is breathtaking to see the distance we have covered in 50 years,? Ludgood said, ?and extremely gratifying to celebrate with so many in our community. It?s an opportunity to remind ourselves of our shared history and to take on the challenges presented to us in the 21st century.? While the march occurred in Selma, its impact is felt throughout the country. In Mobile County, it changed the forms of government at the city and the county, and ultimately paved the way for elections of African-Americans to the top jobs in both venues. Commissioner Ludgood, an African-American, said the country continues to grapple with race issues that include changes to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that threaten to roll back the gains made as a result of this law. Additionally, there are generations of young people for whom Bloody Sunday is a mere ?historical footnote,? and who don?t even value the right to vote enough to exercise that right. ?We have to recommit to the work that remains,? she said.