Bloody Sunday 2021: How to experience the civil rights commemoration weekend
Updated Mar 14, 2021;
Posted Mar 05, 2021
Marchers walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge during the annual Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee on March 1, 2020. (Shauna Stuart for AL.com)
Facebook Share
The commemoration of Bloody Sunday in Selma will look largely different this year. Sunday, March 7 marks the 56th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the day peaceful protesters were brutally attacked and beaten by Alabama state troopers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965 while marching for their right to vote.
Events surrounding the commemoration, which normally take place the first weekend of March, will be mostly digital due to efforts to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The weekend’s largest event, the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee, will be completely digital this year.
This weekend you’ll have the opportunity to hear directly from a civil rights icon during Black History Month.It’s an opportunity that’s available to everyone, thanks to Oklahoma Christian University. Gary Jones, Oklahoma Christian’s assistant dean of students, takes us back to Selma, Alabama, 1965. Bloody Sunday. You find a photo where there is a young lady, kids on this bridge, and through some digging, I find Joanne Bland,” he said. Bland was just 11 years old at the time, beginning a lifelong journey of civil rights activism. Jones tracked her down for Oklahoma Christian’s “History Speaks” series. I wanted to find a story I felt like hadn t been told in a broad sense,” he said. A story about a life spent fighting for justice, for the right to vote, for equality. Jones said you can expect to hear some things that may surprise or even shock you. A lot of people are starting to pay attention for things the Black community has been saying for a long time,”
Many local historical societies opened in the nineteenth century and existed to celebrate a specific history namely, that of the white “pioneers” who first colonized that part of the world. They were founded by community boosters who are long dead, and the stories they tried to tell are not necessarily meaningful today. This leaves historical societies trying to figure out how to appeal to new audiences, many of whom are younger, as well as people of color who were often deliberately excluded from those histories.
Mahoning Valley Historical Society is an excellent example of this struggle. Founded in 1875, The Mahoning Valley Historical Society in Youngstown, Ohio, began as the sort of “pioneer heritage” institution that was common to many historical societies, but by asking tough questions and reshaping itself for the 21st century, it has not only survived, but it has expanded even in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. By hosting community conversations on current e
January 29, 2021
The South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race, SOMA Action Racial Justice Committee, and SOMA Justice will partner to bring Black History to life through a virtual presentation and conversation with
Civil Rights activist, Joanne Bland, Thursday, February 4th at 7:30 PM.
Ms. Bland began her activism in 1961 at the age of 8, attending a freedom and voters’ rights meeting presided over by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and later participated on the front lines at age 11 on “Bloody Sunday,” March 7, 1965 crossing the Edmund Pettis Bridge with John Lewis and others.
This virtual event is a great opportunity for youth, as well as adults, to hear first-hand about this day and other historic events that took place on our country’s continuing journey towards racial equality. Ms. Bland’s presentation will be followed by a Q&A with participants. If you are unfamiliar with John Lewis, or “Bloody Sunday,” the Coalition recommends that you watch the “Joh
Whether it was service throughout her more than 30-year career in the military or through her many community involvements, retired Lt. Col. Terry Owens always has emphasized care for others.
A newly elected member of the Radcliff City Council, Owens has been active in several community organizations since moving to the Fort Knox area in 2007.
Originally from Newport News, Virginia, Owens earned a bachelorâs degree in biology in 1987 and a masterâs degree in elementary education in 1990 from Hampton University. Also in 1987, Owens joined the U.S. Army Reserves as a combat medic in the 18th Field Hospital in Norfolk, a decision that foreshadowed a long career in military leadership.