Congress Members, Civil Rights Leaders Lay Wreath at Civil Rights Memorial

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By Brittany Bivins

Story Created: Mar 2, 2013 at 7:09 PM CDT

Story Updated: Mar 2, 2013 at 7:09 PM CDT

On Saturday, hundreds of people gathered at downtown Montgomery's civil rights memorials to honor those who died in the fight for civil rights.

"It's incredibly moving, you know, you can feel the courage when you walk in," said Olivia Garcia, who saw the ceremony.

And more than 200 spectators felt the same thing, as Congress members and civil rights leaders laid a wreath at the fountain at the civil rights memorial in downtown Montgomery.

"People feel very, very deeply about the ceremony. The beauty of the memorial, I think puts people into a contemplative mood and in any event, we're just honored always to have them here. It's a humbling experience," said Richard Cohen, President of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which sponsored the memorial.

More than forty names are engraved at the memorial, all people who died in the fight for civil rights. At Saturday's ceremony, more than forty members of Congress came to honor them.

"It was amazing, just to think, all of these different sectors of the community, were able to come together from different parts of the country, different points of view, race, culture, and to form a bond," said Stefany Carey, who attended.

Robert Robinson traveled with Spring Hill College from Mobile to see the museum and memorial. "It means a lot to me, it means what's going on is still very important to members of Congress and to leaders of our country," he said.

 
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