Fifty Years After Selma

Statement

Dear Friends,

Every February, our nation recognizes Black History Month to call particular attention to the countless remarkable achievements of African-Americans in all aspects of American life. This year, Black History Month dovetails with the 50th anniversary of two seminal events in American history -- the voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, and the enactment of the Voting Rights Act.

On March 7, 1965, about 500 peaceful civil rights demonstrators gathered to march from Selma to Montgomery to protest the denial of voting rights to African-Americans in the state of Alabama. As the marchers, including my colleague John Lewis, tried to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, they were brutally beaten back by state and local police officers. The marchers' courage and nonviolent restraint on that "Bloody Sunday" -- which was so eloquently depicted in the recent film "Selma" -- helped awaken America to the savage indignities and injustices of racial discrimination and segregation. "Bloody Sunday" and the two marches to Montgomery that followed spurred momentum that led to the passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act later that year.

Fifty years on, America has made strides towards greater equality for our citizens. But there is still much work ahead to ensure that this and future generations of Americans will have an equal opportunity to vote. In 2013, the Supreme Court struck down a key section of the Voting Rights Act in a decision that, in my view, opened the door for many states to enact increasingly discriminatory voter laws. I will continue fighting to restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act because I believe we must expand and modernize efforts to prevent discrimination, not scale them back or eliminate them.

Across Southwest Connecticut this month, schools, libraries, churches and other organizations are recognizing Black History Month with exhibits, lectures, films and more. This week, I was honored to participate in UConn Stamford's annual Black History Month event, which featured inspiring discussions about our nation's past and its future. These events are an opportunity for people of all ages to gain a richer understanding of the long, hard struggle for civil rights and the contributions of African-Americans like Frederick Douglass, Rosa Parks and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

America's history has been one of enduring struggle to fulfill the promise of our founding principle of equality for all. Earlier generations abolished slavery, secured the rights of women to vote and workers to organize, and defended our civil rights with the force of law. Today, the work continues to end discrimination where it still exists.

As Black History Month draws to a close, let's commit ourselves to remember and honor the achievements of African-Americans -- and all members of our diverse society -- throughout the year.

Sincerely,
Jim

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