By National Action Network
Photos: Wikimedia Commons
NEW YORK, NY (March 8, 2025) – Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), will travel to Selma, Alabama Sunday to mark the 60th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday, during which police brutally assaulted peaceful demonstrators advocating for voting rights as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge. In addition to marching and visiting churches in the area, Rev. Sharpton will host his MSNBC show, PoliticsNation, at 5 p.m. ET Sunday from the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute, which is located at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
“Sixty years ago, John Lewis and scores of peaceful protestors were met with violent hate as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge. That demonstration gave birth to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, expanding the right to fairly access a ballot that they and so many others marched, bled, and struggled to get for generations. On Sunday, we will not only commemorate that fateful day but remember that this fight is far from over. Not only was that legislation gutted by a Supreme Court that has only become more conservative, but our nation finds itself in an even greater fight.
Diversity, equity and inclusion has emerged as the civil rights fight of our generation. Actions coming out of the White House these last six weeks only underscore the existential threat to our right to vote, our right to a job, and our right to a seat at the table. Donald Trump may have the votes in the House and the Senate, but we have a vote with our dollars — one we will continue to use as we carry on the march John Lewis and others began 60 years ago.”
NAN has been a leading advocate for the passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The proposed legislation would both restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was essentially gutted in the 2013 Shelby v. Holder ruling.
Rev. Sharpton has also decried Donald Trump’s attacks on DEI, including his storm of executive orders attacking the policy both in government and the private sector. During NAN’s Annual Convention from April 2 to 5 this year, Rev. Sharpton will identify two companies to boycott over their withdrawal from DEI commitments.
About National Action Network (NAN)
National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency, and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender.
For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net.
