{"id":27231,"date":"2025-03-13T09:41:18","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T13:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/?post_type=article&p=27231"},"modified":"2025-03-13T10:17:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T14:17:25","slug":"ton-vinh-di-san-cua-selma-va-tiep-tuc-cuoc-chien","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/vi\/articles\/honoring-selmas-legacy-and-continuing-the-fight\/","title":{"rendered":"T\u00f4n vinh di s\u1ea3n c\u1ee7a Selma\u2014v\u00e0 ti\u1ebfp t\u1ee5c cu\u1ed9c chi\u1ebfn"},"template":"","class_list":["post-27231","article","type-article","status-publish","hentry","article_type-blog-post"],"acf":{"details":{"summary":"","featured_image":"","article_type":1103,"authors":"","related_issues":[110,2066,169,114],"related_work":false,"location":null},"sidebar":{"helper_enable_sidebar":false,"helper_media_contact":{"heading":"Media Contact","manually_enter_person":false,"person":"","name":"","role":"","phone":"","email":""},"helper_links_downloads":{"heading":"Links & Downloads","links":null}},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"This past weekend, Common Cause joined thousands in Selma, Alabama, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Selma Bridge Crossing\u2014a moment that forever changed our democracy.<\/span>\r\n\r\nWe walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, retracing the steps of the brave marchers who, in 1965, risked their lives for the right to vote. We learned from civil rights leaders, discussing the urgent fight for voting rights today. And we gathered with our partners from the NAACP, honoring those who paved the way while recommitting ourselves to the work ahead.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n

The Fight for Democracy Didn\u2019t Start in 1776\u2014It Began in Selma<\/b><\/h3>\r\nIn 1965, thousands marched for their freedom, knowing they might face brutality on the other side of that bridge.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nBut they pressed forward anyway, refusing to let fear or doubt stop them. They walked 50 miles to Montgomery, demanding the right to vote\u2014and they won.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nTheir courage led to the passage of the <\/span>Voting Rights Act of 1965<\/b>, securing protections that birthed the democracy we know today.<\/span>\r\n\r\nBut this anniversary wasn\u2019t just about looking back. It was a call to action.<\/span>\r\n

Voting Rights Are Still Under Attack<\/b><\/h3>\r\nThe right to vote\u2014what the marchers in Selma fought for\u2014is under attack. Congress is once again considering the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a crucial bill to restore and strengthen voter protections, but Washington is gridlocked.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nWhile federal lawmakers stall, politicians in multiple states are actively working to suppress votes and undermine democracy.<\/span>\r\n\r\nWe were reminded of these modern-day threats to democracy when we had the honor of hearing Patrick Braxton the first Black mayor of Newbern, Alabama. Braxton was elected unopposed in 2020\u2014but white officials in the town refused to recognize his leadership. <\/span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_27232\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"512\"]\"\" Mayor Patrick Braxton recites the oath of office at his swearing-in ceremony at the Newbern, Alabama, town hall on Aug. 3, 2024. (Aallyah Wright, Capital B)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThey held secret meetings, installed an unelected mayor in his place, and locked him out of City Hall for three years. Thanks to persistent legal advocacy and public pressure, he was finally reinstated\u2014but even now he continues to face resistance from a city council that refuses to acknowledge his authority.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThis is voter suppression in its most blatant form. It\u2019s a modern-day Jim Crow tactic designed to strip Black political power and silence the will of the voters. Braxton\u2019s fight is not just about one town in Alabama\u2014it\u2019s about the broader struggle for democracy, fair representation, and racial justice across the country.<\/span>\r\n

What Selma Teaches Us<\/b><\/h3>\r\nSelma reminds us that the right to vote is both sacred and hard-won. It is not something we can take for granted.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nTime and again, history has shown that democracy is cyclical\u2014gains are met with backlash, progress with resistance. But we have seen these attacks before, and we know how to fight back. We have the tools, the knowledge, and the legacy of those who marched before us to guide the way.<\/span>\r\n\r\nNow is the time to act\u2014to organize, mobilize, and, as the late John Lewis said, get into good trouble.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThis moment in history demands our courage and commitment. When the fight for democracy gets hard, we cannot afford to retreat. Instead, we must dig deeper, stand firmer, and push forward with even greater resolve.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe forces working to suppress the vote and undermine democracy want us to feel powerless.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nBut history proves that when we rise to the challenge, when we come together and refuse to back down, we win. Just like in Selma, the road ahead won\u2019t be easy\u2014but together, we will not stop until every voice is heard and every vote counts.<\/span>"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_basic_html","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_basic_html":{"heading":"","code":"

This weekend, we joined thousands in Selma for the 60th #SelmaJubilee, honoring the legacy of those who fought for voting rights and recommitting to the work ahead. \r\n\r\nThe fight continues, but so does our power. \ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f\u270a

[image or embed]<\/a><\/p>— Common Cause (@ourcommoncause.bsky.social<\/a>) March 12, 2025 at 10:19 AM<\/a><\/blockquote>