Selma's civil rights bridge is named for a white supremacist. Changing its name isn't so simple Collins Pettaway III
almost 4 years in The guardian
Many locals take pride in the fact that a bridge named to honor a Confederate general now represents civil justice. They must decide its future
This past Sunday, I was privileged to attend the final crossing of the late congressman John Lewis over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in my hometown of Selma, Alabama. Watching him cross the exact bridge where he was beaten decades ago while marching for civil rights was an emotional and full circle moment.
Thinking about John Lewis and his works made me think about how we live in a world driven by trending topics. Every hour of every day is controlled by a new conversation started by either a viral tweet, a lone interview or an online video, such as those of protesters felling Confederate statues this year amid an uprising against police brutality. However, the debate over whether or not to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge, named after a Confederate general and Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, in Selma, is decades in the making, as is the fight for civil rights. And it’s not as simple as it may seem. Continue reading...
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