On Sunday, March 7, 1965 the first march set out from Brown Chapel AME Church toward Montgomery, but was turned back just past the Edmund Pettus Bridge when marchers were brutally attacked by law enforcement officers. Two days later, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a second march from Brown Chapel toward Montgomery, but peacefully turned around at the “point” of confrontation” over the Pettus Bridge. On March 21, 1965 a third march under the protection of the National Guard, left Brown Chapel for Montgomery and five days later reached the State Capital. The media coverage brought national attention to the struggle, adversity, violence and determination of the Selma protestors. As a result, Congress rushed to enact the legislation that would guarantee voting rights for all Americans.
The Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6, 1965.
In 1993, the National Voting Rights Museum & Institute had its first Bridge Crossing Jubilee to commemorate these events. Since then the notoriety of the Jubilee has spread across the country and abroad because of the increasing numbers of tourists visiting Selma, Alabama. As a result, tens of thousands of tourists visit Selma the first week in March each year for the opportunity to participate in the Jubilee. They come to hear the personal stories of people who participated in the movement, celebrate and commemorate the Voting Rights Struggle, the March from Selma to Montgomery and to meet and talk with famous Americans, such as, President Bill Clinton, Sen. Barak Obama, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Congressman John Lewis, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Mrs. Amelia Boynton, Russell Simmons, etc. But most of all they share our thankfulness to the heroes and sheroes who gave the world a message of hope when they stood up and demanded the right to vote quietly and non-violently.
The Annual National Celebration of the Right to Vote/Bridge Crossing Jubilee is an unparalleled event designed to foster knowledge and understanding of the ongoing struggle to eliminate discrimination and to increase the stature and influence of this unique museum. For the past decade, the National Voting Rights Museum & Institute has hosted this gathering of over 50,000 plus annual visitors, from all walks of life. Past attendance has included: Reverend Jesse Jackson, Rosa Parks, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King, III, Attorney Johnny Cochran, and President William Jefferson Clinton in addition to many other known and unknown foot soldiers of the voting and civil rights movements from across the country.
Held the first full weekend of every March, to commemorate the right to vote and remember historic “Bloody Sunday”, this March 4-13, 2010, is the 17th Anniversary of the Bridge Crossing Jubilee and the 45th Anniversary of the march from Selma-to-Montgomery. The right to vote will again attract national and international attention and with your support, we will be able to continue this tradition and commemorate the legacy.
As the eyes of the world again focuses on Selma we want ‘The Jubilee’ to:
Be a forum for discussion of the irrepressible power of democracy,
Be an opportunity to teach the powerful lessons which Selma represents, and to show the world just how far we have come and how far we hope to go, TOGETHER,
Be a chance to capture the memories of those who suffered the birth pains, of the voting rights movement while they are still with us.
And, above all, it will be a time to celebrate the irrepressible spark that drives men and women of all colors and creeds to strive for freedom against all odds and in the face of all adversities.
We want you to be apart of this celebration and commemoration of the 45th Anniversary of the March from Selma-to-Montgomery, to join in via support, education and assist us in captivating the memories while they yet remain.
The Bridge Crossing Jubilee includes a plethora of activities held over a 6 day period including:
Invisible Giants Conference – This is a day long gathering that brings young people and cultural activities that highlight the contributions of lesser known people from the Civil Rights Movement. During the morning session the honorees share their stories and wisdom with the audience and take part in interactive activities. In the afternoon the students enjoy a cultural exchange and participate in the ceremony to honor the invisible giants. Past honorees and guests include Bannerman Fellow and song writer Jane Sapp, daughter of slain human rights activist Malcolm X Atahllah Shabazz and civil rights leader Rev. James Orange.
Youth Conference/Hip Hop Summit – A youth leadership conference will be conducted as apart of the commemorative activities. The conference will allow veterans of the voting rights movement to share their knowledge and experiences with youth who know little about a movement that opened doors of opportunity for their generation. Several hundred young people will be given the opportunity to learn lessons from the struggle for voting rights and the importance of participating in our electoral process.
Jubilee Parade and Festival – One of the most enjoyable components of the Bridge Crossing Jubilee is the outdoor festival held on Saturday. This festival is an exciting adventure into the past and into Selma’s future possibilities. The music, arts, exhibits, dancing and storytelling of Jubilee capture the spirit and lives of this historical time. Children, parents, and grandparents journey to Water Avenue to spend their day listening, learning and liberating their minds and bodies with messages of hope delivered through gospel music and down-home blues, African dance, reggae and rap. They come to share a moment of history with the known and the unknown. They come to recognize and honor the value of the voting rights struggle, and simply, to have a good time together. Every year the crowds get larger and the spirit gets higher. The plans for the 45th Anniversary Jubilee Festival are the most ambitious to date. The 2010 festival includes (1) continuous musical entertainment on a main stage featuring all musical genres, (2) continuous gospel entertainment on a gospel stage, (3) a living history stage devoted to the stories and experiences of the voting rights movement, and (4) a children’s stage featuring storytelling, hands on activities, musical entertainment and a variety of educational activities. There will also be the opportunity to experience the warmth and ambience of a traditional African village and enjoy African arts and crafts. While the Jubilee festival will be offering nourishment for the soul, it will also providing food for the body. Several food vendors will participate offering a variety of tasty opportunities for the Jubilee attendee.
The festival is more than the elements that define it—more than the music and activities. The Bridge Crossing Jubilee outdoor festival is a celebration of community and a commemoration of the voting rights struggle. It is the joining of families and friends and a festival of commonality that reaches beyond the everyday experience. Past grand marshals for the parade include Johnnie Cochran, Reverend Jesse Jackson, and former President Bill Clinton. Immediately following the parade is the Jubilee street festival. This event, which fills the streets of Selma with people of all ages and races, has 3 stages, over 100 vendors, and a children’s village. The stages which include one for Hip-Hop/R&B acts, and the other two for gospel and Jazz/Blues respectively have featured such nationally and internationally known artists such as Outkast, Jagged Edge, Jennifer Holiday, Ann Nesby, Tremaine Hawkins, Lenny Williams, H-town, Master P. with Lil’ Romeo,and Chingy.
The Freedom Flame Awards – This annual gala affair is the Jubilee’s sumptuous event. The 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement joins with the National Voting Rights Museum to honor the “keepers of the flame of freedom” from the past and present. This formal occasion is attended by various legends from the Civil Rights Movement as well as some of the biggest names in the media. This year’s Freedom Flame Awards theme is music, media, and movies. It is a celebration of artists and entertainers who have contributed to the movement—past and present.
Bloody Sunday Re-enactment/Slow Ride to Montgomery – The third day of the Bridge Crossing Jubilee is the culmination of the weekend long event. Sundays morning begins with service at the 4 churches in Selma that were pivotal during the movement. The sermon at each church is conducted by prominent black leaders from the Civil Rights Movement as well as national leaders in the Black community today. Following the services the community and visitors to the Jubilee participate in the re-enactment of the bridge crossing. During this time heroes from the civil rights movement who were actually on the bridge in 1965 re-enact the symbolic crossing of the bridge that started the long, arduous walk to the state capitol in Montgomery. The Jubilee commemoration ends with a slow car ride to Montgomery and a service at Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’s church the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church
Interfaith Service - Sunday, area religious leaders and church choirs will join in an ecumenical service signifying the unity of faiths that spoke against voting discrimination thirty years ago. The event will be a celebration of the cultural and spiritual diversity of the voting rights movement and a call for people of all faiths to work together.
Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony – Following the commemorative March, the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute will induct individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Voting Rights Movement into National Voting Rights Museum & Institute Hall of Fame. The name of the individuals recognized with this honor will be inscribed on a window in the National Voting Rights Museum & Institute facing the Edmund Pettus Bridge, which spans the Alabama River.
Join us for the Annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee 2010!
