Congressman Carson to Commemorate ‘Bloody Sunday’ Anniversary in Selma

WASHINGTON, DC – This Friday, Congressman André Carson (IN- 07) will join a bipartisan Congressional delegation on a visit to Selma, Alabama to mark the 50th anniversary of the historic civil rights march that ultimately led to the Voting Rights Act. The pilgrimage will be led by Congressman John Lewis of Georgia, a leader in the Civil Rights Movement.

The Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage to Alabama first started in 1998 and this year's trip will include nearly 100 participants, the largest group of lawmakers ever to participate.

The delegation will visit civil rights landmarks in Birmingham, Montgomery, and Selma before joining President Barack Obama to mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, when state troopers attacked marchers trying to cross Edmund Pettus Bridge into Alabama's capital. The trip serves as a constant reminder of the painful history that called for and led to the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.

"I look forward to joining Congressman John Lewis, my colleagues from both parties, and the First Family in celebrating the march that changed the course of history and paved the way for the Voting Rights Act," said Congressman Carson. "As we remember what took place 50 years ago, we can celebrate how far we've come as a society while also recognizing how far we still have to go."