Edmund Pettus Bridge Anniversary Event Pushed Back
Selma city officials say the 75th anniversary celebration of the Edmund Pettus bridge has been pushed back because of a scheduling concern.
City councilman Susan Keith tells the Selma Times-Journal a celebration that was scheduled for June 19 at the foot of the bridge has been pushed back to June 30.
The initial date coincided with Juneteenth – the anniversary of the end of slavery – and Keith says the celebration could have been considered hurtful or offensive.
The bridge’s namesake, Edmund Pettus, was a two-term U.S senator, a Confederate general and a KKK grand dragon. The span was the scene of violent police opposition to a march for voting rights in 1965, and some lawmakers recently sought to change the structure’s name to the Journey to Freedom Bridge.
