It was here that voting rights marchers were violently confronted by law enforcement personnel on March 7, … "The law is clear that the right to petition one's government for the redress of grievances may be exercised in large groups...," said Judge Johnson, "and these rights may be exercised by marching, even along public highways.". 36040, Download the official NPS app before your next visit, The Edmund Pettus bridge became a symbol of the momentous changes taking place in, , and the world. Full Coverage: Racial Injustice The bridge symbolized “Edmund Pettus was a grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. The Edmund Pettus Bridge is hallowed ground of the civil rights struggle. The bridge is a steel through arch bridge with a central span of 250 feet (76 m). Copyright © 2017. | Developed by, Winter Storm Advisory & Notice of Office Closure. Seeing it, then walking across it, in the footsteps of the Voting Rights marchers, was very moving. The bridge measures some 1,248 feet (380 meters) in length and is located in Selma’s historic city center. Pettus’ name has ironically come to also symbolize black freedom and shouldn’t be painted over, some say. “I share that name of Pettus with secessionists, slave owners, and traitors to the United States,” David Pettus, 72, wrote in a statement he sent to several news outlets. Box 595 The bridge is a steel through arch bridge with a central span of 250 feet (76 m). The Edmund Pettus Bridge is a four-lane bridge made of steel and concrete. It was here that voting rights marchers were violently confronted by law enforcement personnel on March 7, … Workers completed the bridge in 1940, and city officials named it for Edmund Winston Pettus. The death of civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis has sparked national debate over the Edmund Pettus Bridge -- a site of history, but one that's named for a Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan leader. A view of the Edmund Pettus Bridge over the Alabama River. ... A float was designed to represent an old Alabama River ferry, … The bridge was named for Confederate officer and U.S. senator Edmund Pettus, who lived in Selma for many years during his political career.The bridge became a symbol of the civil rights … The city is best known for the Battle of Selma and for the Selma to Montgomery Marches. The nation’s first black president plans a speech Saturday from the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., the site of one of the movement’s most stirring moments, and … P.O. 1 talking about this. It was here that voting rights marchers were violently confronted by law enforcement personnel on, This time, 3,200, versus the initial 600, marches headed east out of. 7002 U.S. Highway 80 West John Lewis crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, for the last time on Sunday, as remembrances continued for the civil rights leader and congressman. The Edmund Pettus Bridge is a sacred place in America's civil rights history. Much like apes progressed on to Homo sapiens, the city saw the Pettus Bridge as a sign of its own emergence into a new, proud future. It was here that voting rights marchers were violently confronted by law enforcement personnel on March 7, 1965. Live updates from Selma and Montgomery, Ala., during the second of six days of memorials and tributes for Georgia Congressman John Lewis. Senator from Alabama. This time, 3,200, versus the initial 600, marches headed east out of Selma, across the EdmundPettusBridge and on to Montgomery. If you care about the Civil Rights Movement then the Edmund Pettus Bridge will mean something to you. The Edmund Pettus Bridge was a concrete and steel arch bridge built in 1940 to take US Highway 80 across the Alabama River in Selma, Alabama. Built in 1940, it is named after Edmund Winston Pettus, a former Confederate brigadier general, senator, and grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. It is famous as the site of the conflict of Bloody Sunday on … n March 2015, on the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama, the first African-American U.S. president, delivered a speech at the foot of the bridge and then, along with other U.S. political figures such as former U.S. President George W. Bush and Representative John Lewis and Civil Rights Movement activists such as Amelia Boynton Robinson (at Obama’s side in a wheelchair), led a march across the bridge. The televised attacks were seen all over the nation, prompting public support for the civil rights activists in Selma and for the voting rights campaign. Just 25 years later, the bridge became a global landmark when civil rights marchers were beaten at its base. People in Asia, particularly in China and India, have spoken to me in person about the bridge as a symbol of freedom. Edmund Pettus shouldnt be honored. The name of the bridge comes from the former Confederate brigadier general, US Senator from Alabama of the Democratic Party and the Grand Dragon of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan, Edmund … Hayneville, AL Marches walked 12 miles a day and slept in fields. In 1940, the city of Selma, Alabama got a new steel 'through arch' bridge to replace the old wooden structure crossing the Alabama River. The Edmund Pettus Bridge carries the country’s Route 80 Business across the Alabama River in Selma, Alabama. walked 12 miles a day and slept in fields. The City of Selma, Alabama, All Rights Reserved. By the time they reached the capitol on Thursday, March 25, they were 25,000-strong. There's a … The Edmund Pettus Bridge carries U.S. Route 80 Business (US 80 Bus.) As the starting point for the historic Voting Rights March from Selma to Montgomery, the Edmund Pettus Bridge is an iconic symbol of the African American struggle for equality under U.S. law. The historical context of the Edmund Pettus Bridge makes the events of 1965 even more profound. SELMA, Ala. — Thousands gathered in this river city in 1940 to dedicate a new bridge in honor of white supremacist Edmund Pettus, a Confederate general and reputed Ku Klux Klan leader. An estimated 40,000 people attended to commemorate the 1965 march, and to reflect on and speak about its impact on history and continuing efforts to address and improve U.S. civil rights. By the time they reached the capitol on Thursday, March 25, they were 25,000-strong. The Edmund Pettus Bridge, now a National Historic Landmark, was the site of the brutal Bloody Sunday beatings of civil rights marchers during the first march for voting rights. Nine large concrete arches support the bridge and roadway on the east side. The Edmund Pettus bridge became a symbol of the momentous changes taking place in Alabama, America, and the world. It is a steel through-arch bridge spanning 250 feet designed by Selma native Henson Stephenson and completed in 1940. SELMA, Ala. (AP) — Thousands gathered in this river city in 1940 to dedicate a new bridge in honor of white supremacist Edmund Pettus, a Confederate general and reputed Ku Klux Klan leader. Ask luv2travel19941953 about Edmund Pettus Bridge. The bridge is a steel through arch bridge with a central span of 250 feet (76 m). The day became known as Bloody Sunday. The Edmund Pettus Bridge is a bridge that carries U.S. Route 80 across the Alabama River in Selma, Alabama.Built in 1940, it is named for Edmund Winston Pettus, a former Confederate brigadier general and U.S. The casket with the body of John Lewis moves over the Edmund Pettus Bridge by horse-drawn carriage during a memorial service for Lewis, in Selma, Alabama, July 26, 2020. I am confident that most of the people of the world have no idea who Edmund Pettus is. The historic Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma is an iconic symbol of the civil rights movement that bears the name of a Confederate general. SELMA, Ala. - The effort to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge to honor the late Rep. John Lewis passed the Alabama Legislature. Less than five months later, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 -- the best possible redress of grievances. The march resumed on Sunday March 21, with court protection through Federal District Court Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr., who weighed the right of mobility against the right to march and ruled in favor of the demonstrators. “The Bridge” has become a symbol of the Civil Rights Movement, a symbol as powerful as any other. The Edmund Pettus bridge became a symbol of the momentous changes taking place in Alabama, America, and the world. The day became known as Bloody Sunday. The Edmund Pettus Bridge is a powerful symbol all over the world. Changing the name would symbolize that this country is … Less than five months later, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 -- the best possible redress of grievances. It was here that voting rights marchers were violently confronted by law enforcement personnel on March 7, 1965. On “Bloody Sunday” in 1965, Lewis’ skull was fractured by Alabama State Troopers as he crossed the bridge for African American voting rights. A California man who bears the surname at the center of a debate about how history is remembered has come out in support of renaming the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Since 1965, many marches have commemorated the events of Bloody Sunday. Built in 1940, it is named after Edmund Winston Pettus, a former Confederate brigadier general, U.S. senator, and leader of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan. The Edmund Pettus Bridge is a historic bridge which is a great symbol of momentous changes that occurred in the US, located in the city of Selma, the State of Alabama, within the United States of America. “The name ‘Edmund Pettus Bridge’ no longer symbolizes Edmund Pettus,” said Pettaway. It is the responsibility of City government to ensure that its programs promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and the community. People in Egypt, South Africa, Mali, Senegal and other countries on the continent of Africa have spoken to me in person concerning this symbol of freedom. The Edmund Pettus bridge became a symbol of the momentous changes taking place in Alabama, America, and the world. The Edmund Pettus bridge became a symbol of the momentous changes taking place in Alabama, America, and the world. Every time I see the bridge, (and recently I have been seeing it constantly) I am embarrassed for my state, … across the Alabama River in Selma, Alabama. 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