George Sallie honored by Terri Sewell in House of Representatives

Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) honored Civil Rights foot soldier George Sallie on the floor of the House of Representatives after his passing at the age of 94. 

Sewell highlighted his presence at Bloody Sunday and his tour in the Korean War. See below for a transcript of her speech: 

Mister Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mr. George Sallie who, at the age of 94, was among the oldest living Foot Soldiers from Bloody Sunday before his passing on January 18, 2024.

An Alabama native and the son of sharecroppers, Mr. Sallie dedicated his life to the betterment of his community.

A Korean War veteran who served honorably, Mr. Sallie risked life and limb to protect our American ideals at a time when our nation refused to address the injustices of segregation.

After his military service, he became involved in the Civil Rights Movement, a path that led him on that fateful day, March 7, 1965, otherwise known as Bloody Sunday. It was on that fateful day that he and his fellow marchers like John Lewis were brutalized by state troopers for their peaceful pursuit of racial equality.

Mr. Sallie’s life stands as a testament to the power of ordinary Americans to achieve extraordinary social change. He never missed a bridge crossing commemoration, and I was honored to stand alongside him and President Biden last year as he marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge for one last time.

I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the inspiring life and legacy of Mr. Sallie. May his sacrifices and those of the Foot Soldiers not be in vain. Congress should take up the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and pass it now.