It was so much hope so much optimism after the March on Washington when people left
Dr.. King suggested
We went back home back to the heart of the deep south
So many of us went into the state of Mississippi. We went in to Alabama. We went to Selma in
Selma
only 2.1%
The African American were registered to vote
The only time you could even attempt to register to vote
Was the first and third Mondays of each month get to stand in line get a copy of the so-called literacy test in
Hundreds and thousands of people will fail the so-called literacy test. They were told they could not read or write well enough
African American lawyers doctors teachers
So we store it a series of demonstration
standing in line at the courthouse
One evening there was a demonstration
For the right to vote
nearby Selma Confrontation occurred
And the young man tried to protect his mother. He was shot in the stomach and a few days later
He died at the local hospital in Selma. We made a decision
to attemPt to March from Selma to Montgomery to
Dramatize to the Nation into the world that people of color
Wanted to register to vote
We start walking
It was one of the leaders of that effort I
Was when a backpack before became fashionable to wear back tank in
His backpack, I had two books. I thought we were going to be arrested and that we were going to go to jail
So I wanted to have something to read in Jail, I
Wanted to have something to eat in that backpack. I had an apple and I had an orange
Since I thought we were going to be arrested and go to jail
And I be in jail with my friends my colleagues and neighbors. I wanted to be able to brush my teeth
add toothpaste and toothbrush
We get to the highest point on the epithet astray. It's down below. We saw a sea of Blue, Alabama State Troopers
if we continue to walk
We came within hearing distance of the state troopers
And a man spoke up and said I'm major John cloud at an Alabama State troopers
This was an unlawful march it would not be allowed to continue. I
Give you three minutes to disperse
and return to your homes or
to your church and the young man welcomed assignment by the name of Jose William
From Dr.. King's organization said major give us a moment to kneel and pray
Before we can pass worth dying for people to kneel and pray the major said Troopers advance
And you saw these men puttin on a gas mask
They came Toward us
Beating us with nine states
Tramping us were horses releasing the tear gas was hit in the head by a state trooper with a nightstick
my legs went from under me I
Thought I saw death I thought I was going to Die I
thought it was the last nonviolent protest to me I
Don't recall I made it back across that bridge
Across the Alabama river to the streets of Selma back to their little church, but I do recall being back at the church
school to capacity
More than 2,000 people not side trying to get in to protest what had happened?
If someone asked me to assess something and I stood up and said something like I don't understand it
I president Johnson can send troops to Vietnam
And cannot send troops to Selma, Alabama to protect people who only desires to register to vote
In the next thing I knew had been admitted to the good Samaritan hospital
There in Selma, Alabama with 16 other people in the next morning
Dr.. Mardis akane, Jr.. And his colleague the reverend Ralph abernathy came to visit us in the hospital and Dr.
King so don't worry. We will make it from Selma to Montgomery
If we get a vote and right back path and he told us that he had to urge religious leaders to come to Selma
So on Tuesday, March 9th
More than a thousand ministers priests rabbis and nuns came to Selma
And in watch to the point where we had been beaten two days earlier
There Tuesday night
One of the young minister went out with two of us
To find something to eat and home the way back from the little restaurant to attack by members of the Klan
this young minister James reeb
was from Boston
He was so severely beaten
He was taken to a hospital in Birmingham, Alabama
Where he died?
two days later
um
Selma Gave us a voting rights act the
Way Brehme ham
Gave us the super anxiety and the March on Washington gave us this of the right side
Hadn't been for Selma had been for the March on Washington
We went before we are today and there would be no Barack Obama is president of the United States of America
you