A massive event!  An important event!  The Bridge Crossing Jubilee is truly important, truly massive.  And it is just a part of the National Voting Rights Celebration which is even more massive and important.

            Let’s just get this year’s National Voting Rights Celebration out of the way.  It stretched from the Third Sunday in February to the Second Saturday in March.  In addition to the Bridge Crossing Jubilee on March 4-8, it included the following:   the Jimmy Lee Jackson Memorial Program in Perry County on February 21; the Remembering the Struggle Program in Wilcox County on March 1; a Storytelling of the Struggle in Greene County on Tuesday, March 9; mass meetings in Lowndes County on March 10 and 11; an event at St. Jude in Montgomery on March 12; a full march from Selma to Montgomery commencing on Monday, March 8 and ending with a Mass Meeting in Montgomery on Saturday, March 13.    That’s truly massive, truly important.

            Let me give you just a taste of the Bridge Crossing Jubilee in Selma.  I believe you will agree that it was truly massive.  I will explain why it is so important.  Maybe I should do that now, but I will not.  I promise to do so before I end this Sketches.

            There were some 40 total events over five days.  I will not even attempt to list them all.  But just allow yourself to move with me as I participate in some of these events.

            On Thursday, the 4^th, I missed several events but I made it to the old fashioned Mass Meeting at Tabernacle Church where the first mass meeting was held in Selma during the Voting Rights Struggle in the 1960’s.  It was powerful as Dr. Fred Hayes, III, a minister from Dallas, Texas, held forth.  I made remarks and participated in discussion over a late night dinner with leaders from Alabama, North Carolina, and New York who were here for the Bridge Crossing Jubilee.

            On Friday, I observed a little of the Invisible Giants Conference and attended a symposium on Haiti.  Late that evening, I received a call asking me to come play the role of a lawyer for the defense at the Miseducation Mock Trial.  TV Judge Mablean’s mother died so she could not attend.  However, Judge John England of Tuscaloosa filled in admirably.  I was determined to win even on the spur of the moment, but I lost.  My wife and son were attorneys for the winning side.  Then I attended an event called Public Conversation where author/athlete, Dr. Jack Gaines, spoke and answered questions.  I then shared discussion over dinner with persons from North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Alabama, and other places.

            On Saturday, I went to the Foot Soldiers Breakfast, then to the Bridge Crossing Golf Tournament where as co-founder of the event, I met with leaders of the tournament, two professional football players from Selma and others.

            Then I went to an Alabama New South Coalition (ANSC) meeting which is held each year in conjunction with the Jubilee.  I then went to Selma City Hall where I observed a bit of the parade and made remarks welcoming the Honorable Winnie Mandela, a member of South Africa’s National Legislature and former wife of South Africa’s President, Nelson Mandela.  I rushed back to the ANSC meeting where I reported on several political issues.

            I then went to the National Voting Rights Museum where I helped induct Alabama Supreme Court Justice Sue Bell Cobb into the Women’s Hall of Fame.  I stopped briefly at the outdoor Festival filled with people, music, vendors, etc.  That night I gave the occasion at the Freedom Flame Awards Banquet.

            On Sunday, I gave the occasion at the Unity Breakfast where Mrs. Mandela was the speaker.  I attended Tabernacle where I made remarks and the Haitian Ambassador was the speaker.  Afterwards, I met with Agriculture and Industry Commissioner Ron Sparks before attending the Pre-March Rally on the steps of Brown Chapel Church.  I marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with an estimated 20,000 people.  I participated in a dinner at our home for Mrs. Mandela and others although she was too tired to attend.

            On Monday, I did the closing remarks at the Miseducation Conference at Wallace Community College and made remarks on the Bridge where U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan declared that “education is the civil rights issue of this generation.”  I visited the National Voting Rights Museum with Secretary Duncan and met with him and education leaders from across the Black Belt, the State of Alabama, and the country.  It was non stop for me.  Yes, it was massive.

            Now, back to why this massive commemoration/celebration is so important.  Simply put, the events celebrated forged a revolution that made real the promises of the American Revolution.  It was a gigantic step toward ending nearly 350 years of racial oppression in these United States of America.  That’s worth a massive celebration.

            Now on to the Daily Diary.

            Saturday – From early that morning to late that night, I participated in a series of Bridge Crossing Jubilee events and talked to many leaders from across the country.

            Sunday – From early morning to late night, I participated in many Jubilee events and talked with leaders from across the country.

            Monday – I did the following:  attended a Team Selma Meeting; met with Liz Rutledge of Selma; went to Lowndes County where I met with several county leaders; returned to Selma to make closing remarks at the Education Summit at Wallace Community College; made remarks at a program on the Edmond Pettus Bridge with U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan; and marched across the Bridge with him and other education leaders to the National Voting Rights Museum (NVRM).  I then joined other leaders in an extended discussion about education in Alabama in general and the Black Belt in particular.  I talked with the following:  State School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Morton; Dr. F. D. Reese of Selma; Ginger Avery Buckner of the Alabama Association for Justice; Chancellor of the Two Year College Systems Dr. Anita Hill; Congressman Artur Davis; Lobbyist John Teague; and Dr. Carol P. Zippert of Greene County.  I had dinner with Wallace Community College Selma (WCCS) President Dr. James Mitchell and worked into the night on Sketches and other matters.

            Tuesday -  I finished Sketches and traveled to Montgomery where I did the following:  met with several Senate Leaders; spoke at a Leadership Black Belt gathering; attended a Senate Black Caucus meeting; participated in a Senate Session; met with University of Alabama and Auburn University Trustees and other leaders and talked with many citizens and leaders before returning to Selma.

            Wednesday – I returned to Montgomery where I participated in the following meetings:  Finance and Taxation Education (F&TE) Committee; Finance and Taxation General Fund (F&TG) Committee; Judiciary Committee; Native American Delegation; Higher Education Delegation; New York Times Reporter; and a Public Education Delegation.  I talked with the following:  Donald Stewart of Anniston; Dr. Paul Hubbert of the Alabama Education Association (AEA); and Sally Howell of the Alabama Association of School Boards (AASB).  I worked on the education budget before returning to Selma for a conference call with Twenty First Century Youth Leadership Movement (21C) Members and working into the night.

            Thursday - I returned to Montgomery where we passed the Road Bill in the Senate.  I had numerous meetings on the education budget.  I also met on the following:  several State Senate races; bingo; education; civil rights; and etc.  Among others, I talked with the following: Joyce Bigbee, Norris Greene, Frank Gitschner, Kelly Butler, and Jaeston Ishell of the Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO); State School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Morton and Assistant Superintendent Craig Pouncey; and Dr. Daniel Boyd of the Lowndes County School System; and School Board members Annie Hunter and Dr. Denise Davis-May.  I went to Lowndes County where I had dinner with education leaders, made a report to the Lowndes County School Board about the education budget and returned to Selma well into the night.

            Friday – I worked on Sketches and other maters before traveling to Montgomery to work on the education budget and returned to Selma to speak at Brantley Elementary School.  I worked on Sketches and several other matters before traveling to Nashville, TN where my daughter, Malika, is expecting her fourth child.  I talked with the following:  Sharon Wheeler of the Ron Sparks for Governor Campaign; Consultant Rick Heartsill; Senator Lowell Barron; and various others.

            EPILOGUE – Some celebrations are small but represent important things.  Some celebrations are large but represent small things.  Some celebrations are massive and represent massive things.  Such is the Bridge Crossing Jubilee and the National Voting Rights Celebration.