‘History is powerful’: Civil rights veterans call Selma key in current voting rights fight

Inside Selma’s historic Tabernacle Baptist Church, long-time civil rights advocates Hank Sanders and Faya Rose Toure watched a new generation gather, filming the calls for justice from their phones. For this influential duo, the message of the day was clear: in an era where democracy feels under siege, the lessons of the past are not just memories—they are survival tools.

The Battle Over Representation

Toure, speaking to 205focus.com, expressed a sense of renewed hope despite the current political climate. The couple, who have spent decades as fixtures in Alabama’s political and legal landscape, joined a coalition of activists to push back against proposed Congressional redistricting plans. Critics argue these redrawn lines are designed to dilute Black representation, while proponents characterize the efforts as standard partisan maneuvering.

Foundations of a Movement

While they may not always occupy the center of the stage in Montgomery or Selma, the couple’s impact is undeniable. In 1992, they launched the annual commemoration of Bloody Sunday, ensuring the 1965 struggle for the right to vote remains in the national consciousness. Their work also includes the founding of the National Voting Rights Museum & Institute, strategically located at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Reflecting on the early days of their advocacy, Sanders—a former Alabama state senator—noted how far the commemoration has come. “When Faya and I came here in 1971, people were not acknowledging Bloody Sunday,” he said. “But over the years it began little by little to grow.”

Reclaiming the Narrative

Organizers of the “All Roads Lead to the South National Day of Action for Voting Rights” integrated Selma into a broader movement that shifted toward the State Capitol. The day served as a reminder that the rights won in 1965 remain under constant scrutiny.

“History is powerful,” Sanders remarked. “If you stand on history, you see further and you can reach higher. But if you don’t stand on history, history will stand on you.”

Challenges for the Future

Despite the annual influx of visitors and political figures, Selma continues to grapple with significant economic hardship. Once home to nearly 30,000 people, the city's population has dropped to roughly 16,000, and it remains among Alabama’s fastest-shrinking cities.

For legendary activist Annie Pearl Avery, who stood on the bridge in 1965, the current state of affairs is a wake-up call. She noted that after years of civil rights progress, complacency allowed federal protections to weaken. “We dropped the ball on everything,” she said. “Just like you’re protecting a baby, you’ve got to watch everything because it can get away from you real quick.”

Both Sanders and Toure emphasized that for real change to occur, the city needs more than just symbolic pilgrimages. They are calling for a unified master plan to stabilize the local economy and ensure that younger generations understand why the fight for the ballot box is essentially a fight for the future of democracy itself.