Sewell welcomes 11 Congress members to Selma as part of the Faith and Politics Institute

Rep. Terri Sewell welcomed a congressional delegation and civil rights leaders to Selma for the Faith and Politics Institute’s annual Civil Rights Pilgrimage on Saturday.

In a press conference at the top of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Sewell said she brought 11 Congress members to Selma for the Faith and Politics Institute’s visit during the Bridge Crossing Jubilee that commemorates the 59^th year since the Bloody Sunday march for equal voting rights.

“Every year, we come to Selma to commemorate what happened here, but we have to remember that Selma is a town of 19,000 people - that real people live here, work here and dream here. I grew up here,” Sewell said, adding the members of Congress, local government officials, and business leaders use the Faith and Politics Institute visit to convene, reflect, and engage in meaningful dialogue on our shared history.

Congressman Steven Horsford, who is chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, joined Sewell in the press conference and in the Faith and Politics visit to Selma. Horsford said the Civil Rights Pilgrimage is a good time to recognize how far the country has come with giving rights, freedoms and more opportunities to all. But there are still challenges ahead.

Horsford points to the Voting Rights Advancement Act spearheaded by John Lewis before he passed away that provides even more improvements for voting equality and added protections for rights and freedoms.

Selma Mayor James Perkins Jr. welcomed the delegation, saying the Faith and Politics Institute leaders told him years ago that they come to Selma during Jubilee for the energy to take back to their communities to continue the fight for equality. 

“My goal is to make certain they get all the energy and fight we can muster up,” Perkins said. “We give of ourselves willingly. We only ask in return that when we come to Washington, they give some us time to talk about the finances we need for our community.”