U.S. Rep. John Lewis joined throngs of people commemorating the 55th anniversary of Bloody Sunday at a march across the Edmond Pettus Bridge in Selma.
Voting rights activists, including Lewis, were beaten by law enforcement on March 7, 1965, when they crossed the bridge into Selma as part of a voting rights march to Montgomery, Ala.
Each year, Lewis and other civil rights leaders, plus throngs of others, have re-enacted the march. This year, his participation was in doubt because he is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.
This year, Lewis rode in a car across the bridge, but then got out into the crowd to deliver an inspirational speech.
“I’m not going to give up,” Lewis said. “I’m not going to give in. I’m going to continue to fight. We need your prayers now than ever before.”
We were beaten, we were tear-gassed. I thought I was going to die on this bridge. But somehow and some way, God almighty helped me here. We cannot give up now. We cannot give in. We must keep the faith, keep our eyes on the prize. pic.twitter.com/eOw9uMYAAL
— John Lewis (@repjohnlewis) March 2, 2020
Lewis also greeted marchers, including former Georgia candidate for Gov. Stacey Abrams and Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., at the apex of the bridge.
“I’m inspired to come back to this bridge and to see so many people who are gathered here today,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Several candidates running for the Democratic nomination for president also marched across the bridge during Sunday’s events.
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