Attempt to change Edmund Pettus Bridge name fails in state session

Another attempt to alter the name of the Edmund Pettus Bridge failed when the Alabama House adjourned without considering the bill.

SB327, dubbed the Healing History Act, had passed the Alabama Senate by a 23-3 margin and was in the House for consideration when the session ended. This bill would have altered the name of the historic Selma landmark to the “Edmund W. Pettus – Foot Soldiers Bridge.”

Introduced by Sen. Malika Sanders Fortier (D-Selma), the bill would change the name of the bridge, but the current lettering on the bridge would not be altered so it would continue to provide historical context. Instead, the “Foot Soldiers Bridge” would be on a separate plaque that will include a silhouette of marchers on the bridge.

Sanders-Fortier said the idea is to honor those who made history during the 1965 Selma to Montgomery March for voting rights but not alter the historic monument in any way. Because of the large number of marchers injured during the march in March1965, the day has become known as “Bloody Sunday.” Sanders-Fortier said it is important to honor all of the state’s history and “to heal from our past so we can move forward as a state.”

The bridge is named after a Confederate General and member of the Ku Klux Klan. Sanders-Fortier said there are many in her hometown of Selma, including many who have marched for civil rights, who do not want any change in the name of the bridge because it is such a historic and cultural icon.

The attempt to alter the name of the Edmund Bridge rubbed against the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017, which makes it illegal to remove any historical monument in place for 40 years or more. The law provides for funding for the commissioning and protection of new monuments and the preservation of sites that have significance to Alabama history. It was approved while some cities were taking down Confederate monuments and emblems.

The law was introduced by State Sen. Gerald Allen of Tuscaloosa, who voted against modifying the name of the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Allen said the name of the Edmund Pettus Bridge is famous across the world, and the wording should not be added to or changed in any way.