Terri Sewell honors life of Bernard LaFayette on House Floor

Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) took to the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday to honor the life of civil rights activist Bernard LaFayette. 

LaFayette died on March 5 at the age of 85 just days ahead of the 61st Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee. 

"Bernard LaFayette was an extraordinary man who had extraordinary talents and extraordinary courage," Sewell said in her remarks. "As a Freedom Rider and a co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, otherwise known as SNCC, Bernard placed himself on the front lines of the struggle for civil rights, risking life and limb to challenge injustice and dismantle segregation across the South."

LaFayette worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the campaign to establish equal voting rights in the 1960s. He helped organize in Selma during that time. 

"On a personal note, as a proud daughter of Selma, I am forever grateful for the sacrifices made by Bernard LaFayette in the name of justice and equality," Sewell said. "I know that I get to walk the halls of Congress as Alabama’s first Black congresswoman because of the resilience, the courage, and determination of people like Bernard."

See below for a video of the speech by Sewell: