On the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison released the following statement:

“59 years ago, over 600 activists marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in opposition of Jim Crow laws and in search of a more fair and just world. Led by giants of the Civil Rights Movement like John Lewis, their peaceful protest was met with a bombardment of violent attacks by Alabama State Troopers. 

“Yet, when met face-to-face with evil and bigotry, they stood tall, stood strong, and kept marching. They marched for their ancestors who grew up in the fight for freedom, they marched so their children could thrive in a land of opportunity, and they marched for a better and brighter future for our country.

“The activists on Bloody Sunday paved the way for voting rights legislation that for so long was the foundation of our democracy – that is, until those protections were gutted by the Supreme Court. Today, we find ourselves carrying forward the fight for civil rights and as we’re asked to follow in the footsteps of the activists who came before us, we must answer the call and become a new generation of leaders.  

“In order to face the battles ahead of us, we must be our own inspiration and once again stir up some ‘good trouble.’ 

“59 years ago, John Lewis stood on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, looked hatred in the eyes, and decided to spend the rest of his life in the battle for love, justice, and peace. While Republicans refuse to pass the voting rights legislation that bears his name and work to enact anti-voting laws across the country, we must honor his fight and keep marching for a future that we can all be proud of.”