Congressional Pilgrimage Tour Wraps Up In Selma
It’s been a weekend full of events for United States Congress members in Alabama. More than fifty have been on a pilgrimage, touring sites that highlight the state’s civil rights history.
The pilgrimage is organized by the Faith & Politics Institute non-profit, which has brought hundreds of congressional leaders to the state for the three-day tour in the past twenty years.
The tour covers cities that played a major role in the civil rights movement: Birmingham, Montgomery, and Selma.
“We bring leadership of both parties and loads of members to learn the character strengths and virtues of those who came before us, who changed our history for the better,” President of the Institute Joan Mooney said.
On Sunday, the tour wrapped up Selma, where congress members could be seen walking across the Edmund Pettis Bridge in honor of the 55th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery march.
“Its’ really an opportunity for reflection and renewal of these important dates in history and the people who made history,” Mooney said. “And we know in a democracy, it’s a struggle, it’s a battle of ideas. But we are all together Americans working to pull our nation forward,” Mooney said.
Lastly, the group headed to Brown Chapel AME Church for one final service before returning home to Washington D.C.
“Before the initial Selma to Montgomery march and Bloody Sunday, there they sought inspiration for their journey. We are ending seeking inspiration. We have (House) Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking first, Pastor Leo DeStrong, and we’ll worship with the congregation,” Mooney said.
More than fifty Congress men and women took part in this year’s tour..
While in the state, the group toured Montgomery’s Legacy Museum, The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and Selma’s Interpretive Center.
