Selma: The Roots Run Deep, part 2
March 10, 2015
I've made it back to the Twin Cities after spending the last five days in Selma, Ala., taking part in the Selma 50th-Anniversary march to Montgomery.
My original plan while visiting Selma was to do some blogging and share a few photos online, but once I arrived, I realized that for me, living in the moment was the best way to take part in the festivities, so all online posts had to wait until my journey was complete. I was able to experience this historic event just as I'd envisioned and was blessed to be able to travel down with my wife, mother, grandson and sister.
Of course, traveling down to Selma with my 79-year-old mother who was born in Selma meant reconnecting her with childhood friends, visiting aging family members and meeting new family members for the first time. In Selma on a nice day, you'll find people sitting out on their porches, and every house you drive past, you're guaranteed to get a wave or a "Hey now."
We visited the Edmund Pettus Bridge each day we were in Selma, but for me, Sunday was extra special; it was my birthday, and what better way to enjoy "my day." As we slowly made our way to the bridge, I thought about my elder family members who lived through a segregated and racist system in Selma and had to deal with discrimination and disrespect on a daily basis, for no other reason than the color of their skin. They decided enough was enough, took injustice head-on, and against the odds, they were able to obtain their right to vote. It's amazing American history and those are my real heroes — those are the foot soldiers who paved the way for my generation.
I'm hoping in 50 years, he'll make it down for the 100th.
What has been done cannot be undone, so as we look back at what took place 50 years ago in Selma, Alabama, let us strive to make America a just society for all. We can play a major role in what will happen 50 years from now with the choices and decisions we all make today.
Selma is in my blood and my blood is in Selma.
