Statement by President Biden on the Anniversary of Bloody Sunday
On Sunday, March 7, 1965, time stopped and blood spilled as brave and righteous Americans sought to cross a bridge named after a Klansman in Selma, Alabama, to reach the other side of justice. Led by the late John Lewis, they marched to secure their sacred right to vote. Their heroism was met by batons and tear gas. They were beaten, but not defeated. Their absolute courage forced America to look in the mirror and Congress to act. Soon after, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But over time, the strength of that groundbreaking law has been weakened not by brute force, but by insidious court decisions. Today, we’re seeing states across the country propose or enact laws that make it harder to vote and have that vote counted — an onslaught of deeply dangerous efforts to suppress the vote and subvert entire elections. In Selma, the blood of John Lewis and so many other courageous Americans sanctified a noble struggle. We are determined to honor that legacy by pas...