MONTGOMERY, ALA. — Martin Luther King III was among the final speakers at the Human Rights Rally culminating a weeklong reenactment of the Selma-to-Montgomery March on the 47th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

Marchers End Weeklong Protest on Dexter Avenue

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Demonstrators descended on the old Alabama Capitol Friday at the culmination of the 47th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the Selma-to-Montgomery March. This year held special significance, since the unions got involved and called it the March for America. Immigrant groups got involved due to the assault on their rights by Republicans nationally and in the states. Women got involved due to the assault on women’s privacy rights and freedom of choice.

WHITE HALL, Ala. — Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis spoke on the importance of organized labor joining the civil rights movement to fight the Republican attack on American human rights in state houses and Congress. Check out the video for a major snippet of the main message she brought down to the folks along the Selma-to-Montgomery March 47 Anniversary.

She also emphasized that the Justice Department would not be fighting drastic state immigration laws around the country, in Alabama, Arizona and other states, if not for the leadership of President Barack Obama.

“If it was not for President Barack Obama you would not be having the Department of Justice fighting to contest this erroneous law in federal court right now,” she said.

Former Presidential Candidate Insists Every High School Senior Should Register and Vote

by Glynn Wilson

SELMA, Ala. — The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a former candidate for president and founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, said while he was there to help provide inspiration for demonstrators in town to commemorate civil rights and fight for immigrant rights, labor rights and women’s rights, he insisted that “information” is a necessary ingredient for “inspiration.”

Without the meat of information, he said, the inspiration “gravy” is “just water and grease.”

He went through a long list of facts about the inequities in society, from the percentage of minorities in jail to the growing economic divide between the rich and poor.

Watch the video for a snippet of Jackson’s presentation to the human rights marchers in Selma Tuesday night.

Glynn Wilson

by Glynn Wilson

SELMA, Ala. — The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a former candidate for president and founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, said while he was there to help provide inspiration for demonstrators in town to commemorate civil rights and fight for immigrant rights, labor rights and women’s rights, he insisted that “information” was the meat “inspiration” should be based on.

“Otherwise, your gravy is just water and grease,” he said. He went through a long list of facts about the inequities in society, from the percentage of minorities in jail to economic statistics.

A video is in the works to show what he talked about, but for now, we thought a black and white feature photo was in order. Too bad my friend good Spider Martin was not around to photograph this event.

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SELMA, Ala. — William Lucy, a member of the executive council of the AFL-CIO and and president of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, said for a story published earlier this year that Alabama’s immigration law completely destabilizes a lifestyle of thousands of workers across the state of Alabama, the ability to do normal things like drive and go to work and to interact with government agencies.

He marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Sunday and said people still understand what the struggle is about for civil rights, voting rights, worker’s rights and immigrant rights. He said he had a feeling this might be the biggest march ever.

“People recognize where there’s an effort to turn back the clock,” he said. “The old hangups of the past are falling by the wayside.”

Jack Steele, 3rd Vice President for the Alabama NAACP, and Faya Rose Toure, led a rally for voting rights Monday night at Tabernacle Church in Selma. Speakers included National NAACP President Bernard Simelton, Alabama NAACP President Della Bryant, NAACP Education Chair Dr. Gregory Graves, Associate Executive Secretary of the Alabama Education Association, Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network.

For the rest of the week, here’s a partial speaker list. More are being added every day.

TUESDAY RALLY
at First Baptist Church in Selma from 6 to 8 p.m.

Senator Hank Sanders will lead a rally on issues of concern to black farmers, health care and women’s issues in light of the controversy over Rush Limbaugh’s comments on contraception. Speakers include the Rev. Jesse Jackson, founder of Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. Others to be announced.

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SELMA, Ala. — The biggest crowd to ever attend the Selma-to-Montgomery March crossed the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge on Sunday on the 47th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. Labor unions, Hispanics and women swelled the crowd this year to protest anti-union legislation, controversial anti-immigration laws and anti-choice laws proposed by corporate and religious Republicans in Alabama and across the nation. Watch the video and get the feeling you are right in the middle of the march as it crosses the historic bridge over the Alabama river on the way from Selma to Montgomery, the state capital.

Glynn Wilson

SELMA, Ala. — Official estimates are not in yet, but it appears the 47th Anniversary of the historic Civil Rights march from Selma-to-Montgomery could be the largest ever, in part due to the involvement of organized labor incensed at the anti-union activities of Republicans across the country, as well as Latinos taken aback by controversial anti-immigration laws passed in Alabama and other states, and even women now fired up due to the anti-choice measures being proposed nationally and in the states. The march was led by officers of the group that started it all, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

More photos below…
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