50 years ago on March 7, 1965, 600 marchers organized in Selma, AL. They were led by John Robert Lewis and other activists from both the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) and the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference). Soon after crossing over the Edmund Pettus Bridge en route to Montgomery, they were met by state troopers ordering them to stop. As they proceeded, teargas was shot into the crowd and billy clubs used to further bring the marchers down. The event was televised nationally and worldwide. 

A segment from Obama’s speech that was most inspiring to me:

   “…Because the single most powerful word in our democracy is the word “We.” We The People. We Shall Overcome. Yes We Can. It is owned by no one. It belongs to everyone. Oh, what a glorious task we are given, to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.”  -President Obama