17th Annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee
March 3-7, 2011
The annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee is held the first full weekend of every March to commemorate the right to vote and remember historic Bloody Sunday. The 2011 and the 17th anniversary of the Bridge Crossing Jubilee and the 46th Anniversary of the march from Selma-to-Montgomery will be held on March 3-7, 2011. The right to vote will again attract national and international attention and with your support, we will be able to continue this tradition to commemorate the legacy.
On Sunday, March 7, 1965, of what would be the first march attempt from Selma to Montgomery, 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” on 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.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law on August 6, 1965.
In 1993, the National Voting Rights Museum & Institute with partnership with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement had its first Bridge Crossing Jubilee to commemorate these events. Since then the notoriety of the Jubilee has spread across the country and abroad increasing the numbers of tourists visiting Selma, Alabama. 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, President Barak Obama, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Congressman John Lewis, Harry Belafonte, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Mrs. Amelia Boynton, Rosa Parks, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King, III, and Attorney Johnny Cochran etc. 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 non-violently. Co-sponsorship of the Jubilee has grown to include The Bridge Crossing Jubilee, Inc. the city of Selma and Wallace Community College.
The Jubilee is:
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A forum for discussion of the irrepressible power of democracy,
A forum for discussion of the irrepressible power of democracy,•An opportunity to teach the powerful lessons of the Voting Rights Movement, and to show the world just how far we have come and how far we hope to go, TOGETHER.
An opportunity to teach the powerful lessons of the Voting Rights Movement, and to show the world just how far we have come and how far we hope to go, TOGETHER.•A chance to capture the memories of those who suffered the birth pains, of the Voting Rights Movement while they are still with us.
A chance to capture the memories of those who suffered the birth pains, of the Voting Rights Movement while they are still with us.•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.
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.Bridge Crossing Jubilee Activities
The Bridge Crossing Jubilee includes a plethora of activities held over a 5-day period. The following are signature events:
Friday
Invisible Giants Conference – This is a daylong 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 songwriter Jane Sapp, daughter of slain human rights activist Malcolm X Atahllah Shabazz and civil rights leader Rev. James Orange.
Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies – The National Voting Rights Museum and Institute inducts living legends of the Voting Rights Movement.
A Public Conversation – A Public Conversation is named in memory of legal guardian legend, J. L. Chestnut. Now in its third year of the Jubilee, previous presenters include Dr. Cornel West and Maxine Waters.
Saturday
Hip Hop Summit – A youth leadership conference is conducted as apart of the commemorative activities.
Jubilee Parade and Festival – One of the most enjoyable components of the Bridge Crossing Jubilee is the parade and outdoor festival. The festival is an exciting adventure with music, arts, exhibits, dancing, and storytelling. There are Hip Hop/R&B and Blues/Gospel stages. Children and youth, parents, and grandparents journey to Water Avenue to spend their day listening, learning and liberating their minds and bodies with messages of hope. Merchandise and food vendors participate offering a variety of crafts, artwork and other merchandise, and American and international foods. Vendors continue their services on Sunday.
The Freedom Flame Awards – This annual gala affair is the Jubilee’s signature event. The 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement joins with the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute 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.
Sunday
Church Services at Historic Churches – Sunday morning begins with service at the four churches in Selma that were pivotal during the movement. Prominent black leaders from the Civil Rights Movement as well as national leaders in the African American community conduct the sermon at each church today.
Interfaith Service – Area religious leaders and church choirs join in an ecumenical service signifying the unity of faiths that spoke against voting discrimination thirty years ago. The event is a celebration of the cultural and spiritual diversity of the Voting Rights Movement and a call for people of all faiths to work together.
Pre-March Rally and March Reenactment – After the church services, a pre-March rally is held in front of historic Brown Chapel and lineup for the re-enactment of the bridge crossing follows. Heroes and sheroes from the Voting and Civil Rights Movements lead the re-enactment with a symbolic crossing of the bridge that started the long, arduous walk to the state capitol in Montgomery.
Post-Reenactment Activities – A post March rally is held immediately after the March reenactment.
The National Voting Rights Museum and Institute inducts foot soldiers of the Voting Rights Movement into National Voting Rights Museum & Institute Hall of Fame.
Slow Ride to Montgomery – The Jubilee commemoration ends on the following Monday with a slow car ride to Montgomery and a service at Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’ church, the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church
