Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere...

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."  This very famous quote from Martin Luther King, was part of Rev. Cromwell Handy's sermon at the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church this morning.  What a wonderful worship time!  I no sooner entered and was greeted by a lovely old woman named Viola Jordan ("like the river", she said). When I told her why I was in Montgomery, she said, "I was part of the church when Dr. King was pastor."  The next gentlemen informed me that ten feet below the floor we were standing on was where Dr. King launched the Montgomery Improvement Association which boycotted the busses after Rosa Parks was arrested. I was greeted by many members, and the worship was full of gusto--if you've ever been in a southern Black Baptist church, you know what I mean.  The sermon, on Philippians 4:1-9 was wonderful--focusing on the need to actually "do" things like focusing on beauty, truth, etc.  At the end, Rev. Handy began to exhort us about how doing things right leads to justice.  Then he talked about the George Zimmerman not guilty verdict in the Trayvon Martin case last night.  He got quite animated with his despair over the way a teenage African American can be shot and killed, with no recriminations (unlike Michael Vick who got jail time for mistreating dogs--the point was taken).  Then he talked about how their voting rights are again being threatened (the recent Supreme Court decision), and referred to "those of you sitting here today who marched over the Edmund Pettis bridge (site of the 1965 Bloody Sunday march) and rode cabs and walked during the 1954 Montgomery Bus Boycott.  I would be less than honest if I didn't say that I was truly humbled to be sitting in this historic church, worshipping with foot soldiers of the civil rights movement, in the very Church where some of the most significant activism for justice began. I could not have set up a more appropriate way to complete this adventure I've been on.....Then I drove to Selma, and walked over the Edmund Pettus--something I've wanted to do for a long time.  In case you don't know, on March 7, 1965, 600 marchers led by Rev. Hosea Williams and John Lewis began a march to Montgomery (about 50 miles East) to demand the right to vote. They crossed the bridge and were met by state troopers who brutally beat them, loosed their dogs, etc.  The world was horrified as it witnessed this slaughter.  Several weeks later, Martin Luther King came to town to lead a much larger march, walking across the Edmund Pettus bridge and all the way to Montgomery (you can see the photos of the Montgomery part of the march in yesterday's post.)  It was chilling to walk across that bridge and visualize the horror that waited on the eastern side. On the drive there I listened to the freedom songs of the Carlton Reese Memorial Unity Choir--pretty appropriate. Tomorrow I'll visit the National Voting Rights Museum at the foot of the bridge, and then begin the long journey home.  I'd love to hear from you if you've followed this journey.  I am hoping to do a presentation in our Church on the afternoon of September 15, the 50th anniversary of the Birmingham Church bombing.  If you're around, come on over to Ridgewood Christian Reformed Church.
Shalom.

Don't get upset, this was before the worship service--I did not use my camera during!  :-)

The road to Selma--this is the road the 25,000 marchers took to walk to Montgomery.

The Bloody Sunday Memoria

Walking this direction on March 7, 600 marchers were attacked when they reached the foot of the bridge.

Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church--starting point of the Selma-Montgomery Voting Rights march.

Brown