Amelia Boynton Robinson after being beaten on Bloody Sunday March 7, 1965
Sunday, March 7 was the 56th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” when peaceful marchers crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL were brutally beaten by Alabama State Troopers and local sheriff’s deputies. The march was part of the Selma campaign for voting rights that led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Probably the best known marcher was John Lewis who was a major civil rights leader and later a member of Congress from Georgia. When he died in July 2020, his years of commitment to peaceful protest and racial justice were honored by the nation. Yet especially in this month when we honor the contributions of women, I want to lift up the witness of another longtime civil rights leader who marched and was severely beaten on Bloody Sunday. Her name is Amelia Boynton Robinson, and she was a local leader and organizer of the Selma campaign. She remained active in the movement for racial justice for the rest of her long life. Each year she participated in the annual commemoration of Bloody Sunday through a symbolic crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge including the 50th anniversary in 2015. She died a few months later at the age of 104. The first video posted below features an interview in which she shared her experience with a group of children. Her voice is feeble but her message is strong. Take the time to listen to her and watch the faces of the children who are so focused on this icon of the civil rights movement. Near the end of the video, she summarizes her witness with the powerful words, “A voteless people is a hopeless people.” Amelia Boynton Robinson put her body on the line on Bloody Sunday and continued to dedicate her life to securing and expanding the right to vote. Although she is no longer with us, the struggle for voting rights continues. Our nation is currently facing a struggle over whether to expand or restrict voting rights. A bill passed by the House of Representatives intended to expand voter participation while at the same time there is a rash of proposed bills to restrict access to voting in the majority of states. While these state bills claim to reduce voter fraud, they are actually aimed at reducing voter turnout especially among people of color. The second video is a short report on the latest round of the ongoing struggle for voting rights. The witness and legacy of Amelia Boynton Robinson reminds us to be vigilant in safeguarding the right to vote so that we never settle for any citizen being voteless and hopeless.