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P a g e 40 M ART IN L UTHER K ING J R . 2 0 1 5 s p e c i a l e d i t i o n J a n u a r y 1 4 , 20 1 5 S e lm a M a r ch St i l l Vi v i d f o r J o h n L ew i s ‘ ‘B loody Sund ay ’ d e f in ing mom en t fo r c iv i l r igh t s (AP ) - Fo r ty -n in e y e a r s a f t e r “S e lm a , ” t h e f i lm co -w r i t t e n a nd John L ew i s and f e l low m a r ch e r s d i r e c t ed by Av a DuV e rn ay , i s t r i ed to c ro s s th e Edmund P e t tu s b a s ed on th e 1965 m a r ch e s f rom B r idg e in S e lm a , A l ab am a , th e th e A l ab am a c i t i e s o f S e lm a to m emo r i e s o f “B lood y Sund a y ” a r e Mon tgom e ry , l ed by th e R ev . D r . s t i l l v iv id in h i s m ind . I t w a s on e o f M a r t in Lu th e r K ing , J r . th e d e f in ing mom en t s o f th e c iv i l “ I t i s v e ry pow e r fu l . I t i s v e ry r igh t s e r a . mov ing . I t i s r e a l . I t i s so r e a l , ” “W e w e r e b e a t en , t e a r g a s s ed , L ew i s s a id . “ I t s ay s som e th ing t r amp l ed and ch a s ed by m en on abou t th e d i s t an c e w e ’v e com e in ho r s eb a ck , ” s a id L ew i s , a c iv i l l ay ing down th e bu rd en o f r a c e . ” r igh t s a c t iv i s t and long t im e D emo - The son o f sha rec roppe r s , c r a t i c cong r e s sm an f rom G eo rg i a . L ew i s g r ew up on a f am i ly f a rm “M any o f u s a c c ep t ed th e w ay o f ou t s id e T roy , A l ab am a , and a t - non -v io l en c e a s a w ay o f l i f e , a s a t end ed s eg r eg a t ed pub l i c s choo l s . w ay o f l iv ing . W e w e r e w i l l ing to Du r ing th e c iv i l r igh t s mov em en t , U .S . Rep . John Lew is , D -Ga . , d iscusses the h is to r ica l d rama “Se lma ” and c iv i l r igh ts in the Un i ted b e a r r e s t ed , to b e j a i l ed . W e a c - h e o rg an i z ed s i t - in d emon s t r a - S ta tes du r ing a recen t in te rv iew . Fo r ty -n ine yea rs a f te r Lew is and o the r ma rche rs t r ied to c ross the c ep t ed th e b e a t ing s . And w e n ev e r t ion s a t seg rega ted lunch Edmund Pe t tus B r idge in Se lma , A la . , memo r ies o f “B loody Sunday ” a re s t i l l v iv id in h is m ind . g av e up . ” coun t e r s in N a shv i l l e , T enn e s s e e . (AP pho to ) In a r e c en t in t e rv i ew w i th Th e In 1963 , h e add r e s s ed th e h i s - a t y e a r o f th e l andm a rk Vo t ing A s so c i a t ed P r e s s , L ew i s - who i s to r i c M a r ch on W a sh ing ton - two th po r t r ay ed by th e a c to r S t eph an y e a r s b e fo r e h e and hund r ed s o f R igh t s A c t , wh i ch op en ed po l l ing l a c e s to m i l l ion s o f b l a ck s and J am e s in th e h i s to r i c a l d r am a o th e r s m a r ch ed on “B loody Sun - p end ed a l l -wh i t e gov e rnm en t s in “S e lm a ” - s a id th e t im ing o f th e d ay . ” e Sou th . f i lm ’ s r e l e a s e w a s f i t t ing and ap - On M a r ch 7 , 1965 , L ew i s and th e b rok e down tho s e s ign s p rop r i a t e a f t e r p ro t e s t s o f g r and o th e r s w e r e b e a t en by s t a t e t roop - “W a t s a id , ‘Wh i t e W a i t ing , ’ ‘Co l - ju ry d e c i s ion s no t to ind i c t wh i t e e r s a s th ey b eg an to m a r ch to th o r ed W a i t ing , ’ ‘Wh i t e M en , ’ ‘Co l - po l i c e o f f i c e r s in th e d e a th s o f Mon tgom e ry . r ed M en , ’ ‘Wh i t e Wom en , ’ ‘Co l - b l a ck m en in F e rgu son , M i s sou r i ; T h e m a r c h i s c r ed i t ed w i t h h e lp - o r ed Wom en . ’ W e go t a Vo t ing and N ew Yo rk . ing bu i ld mom en tum fo r p a s s ag e o In th is Ma rch 7 , 1965 f i le pho to , John Lew is (cen te r ) o f the S tuden t Nonv io len t Coo rd ina t ing Comm i t tee is fo rced to the g round by a s ta te po l ice o f f ice r as t roope rs b reak up the demon - s t ra t ion on wha t has become known as “B loody Sunday ” in Se lma , A la . Suppo r te rs o f b lack vo t ing r igh ts o rgan ized a ma rch f rom Se lma to Mon tgome ry to p ro tes t the k i l l ing o f a demons t ra - to r by a s ta te t roope r and to imp rove vo te r reg is t ra t ion fo r b lacks , who a re d iscou raged to reg is te r . (AP pho to ) R igh t s A c t p a s s ed 50 y e a r s ago , a th e f a c t th a t Am e r i c a i s a d i f f e r en t C iv i l R igh t s A c t p a s s ed . Bu t , w e Am e r i c a . Ev en in th e h e a r t o f th e s t i l l h av e a d i s t an c e to go , ” s a id D e ep Sou th , tho s e s ign s a r e gon e . L ew i s . And , th ey w i l l no t r e tu rn . P eop l e “ In m any commun i t i e s tod ay , r eg i s t e r ed . And , th ey a r e vo t ing . ” th e qu e s t ion o f r a c e i s s t i l l v e ry L ew i s w a s f i r s t e l e c t ed to Con - r e a l . You c an f e e l i t . You c an a l - g r e s s in 1986 . H e w a s r e - e l e c t ed to mo s t t a s t e i t . Bu t , you c anno t d en y a 15 th t e rm in Nov emb e r . T e Ad v e r t i s e w i t h d i v e r s i t y in h P o r t l an d O b s e r v e r C a l l 503 -288 -0033 ad s@po r t l andob s e r v e r. com
