Washington, DC
March 15, 2007

Selma/Bloody Sunday

On the way home on the train as he traveled from our Winter Meeting in January, President Palmer emailed saying we have to be in Selma on March 4 for the Jubilee Anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” because Atlanta Congressman John Lewis was being honored. This was the 42nd Anniversary, not the 40th or the 50th, but the significance was that Mr. Voting Rights, John Lewis was being honored. And that was good enough for me.

My schedule had me in Warsaw, Poland on that day on an advance trip for our first international Mayor’s Institute on City Design, scheduled for May with Ambassador Victor Ashe hosting and MICD founder Joe Riley, mayor of Charleston officiating, both august past-presidents of our organization.

But soon my mind went back to 1965 and the one and only John Lewis. He had spoken to us at our Winter Meeting, subbing for Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, accepting our award given to Mayor Franklin for her saving the Martin Luther King papers for posterity.

My mind kept going back to 1965. I, as a young man was embroiled in a fight to stop Lester Maddox from being Governor of Georgia. As President of the University of Georgia College Young Democrats, we were working hard trying to muster votes for former Governor of Georgia, Ellis Arnall, in a write-in campaign to stop Maddox. I was flying all over the state in a small plane and moving through the state working the African-American churches, making sure they know how to spell the name “Arnall” - not Arnold. Over in Alabama, John Lewis was the spine, soul, and brains of the Voting Rights effort in Dallas County (AL) against Sheriff Clark.

So, after some thought, I knew I needed to be in Selma at the dinner to honor John Lewis, the icon of voting rights and I needed to be with my Trenton Mayor President Doug Palmer so my regrets went to Ambassador Ashe and Selma was on the schedule. We would go there to pay our respects and honor finally Congressman John Lewis who was almost killed on Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965 on the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Logistics were discussed and after talking further, he told me to call Mr. Emmanuel Avraham, an associate of Mayor Palmer’s I had met at our Winter Meeting. When I talked to Emmanuel he said that there was going to be some “political action” in Selma and that both Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton were coming to Selma and would be there at the same time. I asked if they were “invited” or “confirmed.” He wasn’t clear but said also that former President Bill Clinton was being inducted into the Voting Rights Hall of Fame and he might be there too. I thought to myself – this is getting interesting. But in my mind, I pondered if all that power would be in Selma.

Mayor Palmer and Elena Temple went before me and I joined them on Saturday. You fly to Montgomery and then you drive to Selma, about 40 miles. There ain’t nothing between Montgomery Airport and Selma except, a bunch of cows and farm land.

As you approach the small town of Selma, the Edmund Pettus bridge hits you. You’ve seen that picture before. Gettysburg, the Alamo, Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima – all graphic images of historical structures in our mind and there it is with that sign above and those unique letters – the structure reminding us of the Second Civil War of our nation, the Civil Rights struggle that happened in the last Century in 1965, a hundred years after Lincoln and the end of the other war in 1865. You know when you see and come across that bridge, you are crossing over history and hallowed ground.

Into the hotel I went and reported to my leader and immediately we walked to the Voting Rights Museum. There is so much history here but honestly, while you feel the spirit and history, you know that the museum could be brought more up to date with additional funds and support. My somewhat creative mind started to run and I could see not just the basic photographs pinned to the display, I could see and hear the videos that would capture your imagination of what it felt like to be there in 1965. So much effort has been put into this museum by Ms. JoAnne Bland, executive director and Emmanuel Avraham, a board member of the Voting Rights Museum & Institute in Selma (AL), and yet you could see the potential if more resources were available.

In a backroom we gathered, and there stood a man who looked like an ordinary citizen. It’s like homecoming. They have all come home to remember. Emmanuel knew him and he said, “Come on, brother, and sing it for us.” All of a sudden the man opened up with a high pitched voice that shook the window panes with the song, “That Lucky Old Sun - ain’t got nothing to do but roll around heaven all day.” You begin to understand, as I already intellectually knew, that the music of the marches of the 1960s was so much a part of the battle. As battles throughout history and bugles of famous wars provided energy and courage, the human voices, cadences and singing were the instruments that provided courage to the marchers. “We Shall Overcome, We Are Not Afraid” gave marchers their courage, their passion to say: if it’s my life, if it’s my bloodied head, it’s okay. So lets keep singing. Let’s keep marching.

Then after that emotional experience, we walked outside and heard a woman’s voice down the way to our left. We were told it was Ms. Jennifer Holiday. I said to Mayor Palmer, “Let’s roll - Jennifer is singing.” So Elena, Mayor Palmer and I moved to the music. There she was on an impromptu stage with hundreds of young African-American children in front as she sang her song, “And I Am Telling You,” not with any orchestra but with taped music. In the original Broadway hit Dreamgirls, she wasn’t in the current movie but her voice is still there and she has still got it.

At the Flame of Freedom Dinner that night, many people were honored all leading up to the great voice of Mr. John Lewis, the main honoree. Mr Lewis’s voice is unique. Some speakers start low and hit a crescendo. With Mr. Lewis his starts with a crescendo, it’s loud, you stop talking, you listen – “On March 7, 1965 I told Sheriff Clark we have come here this morning to vote and we are not moving until we do so,” and he went on telling us the story. He ended his speech talking about how his aunt and cousins survived a tornado in a “shotgun” house. The children would run from one side to the other in the storm to save the house. We were “walking with wind” to save the house. Today and then we must walk with the wind to save our house. We are in the same house together.” The crowd went to their feet. Thunderous applause; what a speech.

The next morning there were several religious services in the morning and all parties would come in front of Brown Chapel afterwards to then move to join the commemorative march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Mayor Palmer and I went to the First Baptist. I was pleased because I was raised a Baptist. “I’ll Fly Away,” “Just a Little Talk with Jesus,” “Pass Me Not Oh Gentle Savior,” “How Great Thou Art” and the “Battle Hymn of The Republic” were the songs of the day. The church was rocking. When we started singing “Just A Little Walk With Jesus,” in walked Senator Hillary Clinton. She was dressed in a lime green suit, looking good and she was singing right along.

After a lot of speeches and history about the church, she was introduced. She rose to the occasion and gave a great speech. Several standing ovations. She hit it. She knew her audience and spoke with passion.

During the church ceremony, my President Doug Palmer was introduced four times, including Senator Clinton. As a staff person I felt good about that.

We then left First Baptist to head to Brown Chapel about 300 yards away. Brown Chapel and First Baptist are historical landmarks, home of many historical events of the Civil Rights struggle.

At the Brown Chapel we hooked up with Senator Barack Obama and Reverend Al Sharpton, Congressman John Lewis and others. There was good chemistry with Senator Obama and Senator Clinton. They both spoke to the large audience outside Brown Chapel. She said it was good that because what happened in 1965 gave Senator Barack Obama, Governor Bill Richardson and herself the opportunity to run for President. An African-American, an Hispanic and a woman, all challenged in our history with voting rights. Mayor Palmer also spoke remembering his beloved mother and letting the crowd know he was there for all of America’s mayors.

Then all bedlam broke loose and chaos prevailed as Mayor Palmer, Elena and I left the steps of Brown Chapel to form the mile-long march to the bridge. People were pushing and shoving and Mayor Palmer and I, along with Elena, just followed the Secret Service and the lime green suit. As we walked through the masses, all of a sudden President Clinton just came out of nowhere as if he had been dropped from the sky. It was great to see him again, so happy to be in Selma with so many people cheering him on.

The march began. Mayor Palmer was positioned in the middle. Elena and I were behind him. The shoving continued. The singing continued. The cheers from the crowd were strong. It was very tight. People were close together and the Secret Service were getting nervous.

The Clintons were to our right and Senator Obama was to our left. The calls to the Clintons were stronger than those to Senator Obama. Seeing the Clintons together, working together reminded me of the political force they are with so many African-Americans, especially from the South. I don’t believe President Bill Clinton will be put on a shelf and not used in this 08 campaign. That’s what Vice President Gore and his crowd did in 2000. They didn’t use President Clinton and Mr. Gore lost.

Mrs. Clinton will use President Clinton. They are both in this running for President and strategically he will help her.

When we reached the middle pinnacle part of the arched bridge, the great one, John Lewis, took the portable microphone and asked us to kneel for a moment of silence. He asked us to remember those who died so that we could vote. A basic request. There was silence.

Then we walked and the chants and singing continued until we went down the bridge where Mayor Palmer went over to a small stage where President Clinton was installed into the Voting Rights Hall of Fame. We had to catch a plane. Elena and I hurried to the car for Montgomery.

Mayor Palmer got on the plane with President Clinton. They rode back together and talked all the time. They talked about our 10-Point Plan. And they talked about daughters they both have. President Clinton wrote a note on the back of a wallet'sized photo of Mayor Palmer’s daughter, Laila. When Mayor Palmer got home, he gave his daughter the photo and note from Mr. Clinton. Laila had met Senator Clinton but has not met President Clinton. Laila said, “Daddy, who gave me this?” Mayor Palmer said, “It’s from Hillary’s husband.”

Selma was a week-end with President Palmer I’ll never forget. With everything that was going on, he was pushing our 10-Point Plan. He was representing you. It’s another example of how we have to be everywhere when there is power. The power was in Selma last week-end. The campaign began for the African American vote last week-end in Selma. It will continue.

Yesterday, Mayor Palmer and I were in Los Angeles meeting with Mayor Villaraigosa, your host mayor for our 75th Anniversary of The United States Conference of Mayors. We want all Presidential candidates, both Republican and Democratic, to be at our Annual Meeting in June. Mayor Villaraigosa was enthusiastic in supporting Mayor Palmer and me to get the candidates there in June. We will promote the 75th Annual Conference of Mayors to the Presidential candidates as the place to be for America’s mayors and cities, large and small, as we humbly request all of them to give us their individual vision and action plans for our cities and nation. The 10-Point Plan of the Conference has been sent to all of you. Sixty-thousand copies went out across America to city halls last week.

Today, I am in Seattle where we are briefing Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and his staff on our new Climate Protection Center. Announced early this month and enthusiastically endorsed by our leadership in Key West, we will provide the ongoing effort on climate protection, on issues that permeate in every region of the nation, and mayors are leading the way. Our 10-Point Plan has climate protection up front and center and we are making progress on legislation providing a block grant to cities to help with the challenge of resources needed for cities, large and small, to do their part to change human behavior and help protect our planet.

Next week, Mayor Palmer and I go to Miami to join Miami Mayor Manny Diaz as he hosts two most important meetings. The first topic will be at-risk youths centering on drop out rates, violent gangs and other challenges. Then while we are in Miami, LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Mayor Palmer, along with other mayors, will meet as part of the USCM Task Force on Poverty, Work and Opportunity. We are continuing in Miami to develop new policy on poverty and work force in America for presentation and adoption in June at our 75th Annual Conference of Mayors meeting.

Mayor Palmer continues this crusade for our 10-Point Plan. We will need your help to pressure the candidates to be at our Annual Meeting in June. With your help we can do it. We need grassroots letters and messages from you supporting President Palmer as he goes forward with you. Be alert to our future messages and requests. With the new Congress and a wide open Presidential campaign on both sides, there is a vast opportunity for us. The voters are lined up with our agenda, our 10-Point Plan more so than ever.

We are working it 24/7. We all must be vocal and active during this period. If not, an opportunity for mayors and cities will lost. We must win. We must act. Let’s do it now.