By Yaw Wiafe-Akenten Staff writer
March 7 was the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Ala. More than 70,000 people attended the march and of those 70,000 two were Renaissance High School students Kyla Wright and Lauren Smith. Both are seniors who are members of the Detroit NAACP Youth Council. Here is their response to the historic event.
Kyla Wright: “My trip to Selma, Alabama was a phenomenal, enriching learning experience. My favorite part was the actual march in Selma to the Edmund Pettus bridge where I had the opportunity to march with the honorable Jesse Jackson. To reach the event we had to embark on a long and tiring bus ride but it was definitely worth the wait. [Through this experience] I have gained a new love and respect for the civil rights movement.”
Lauren Smith: “My favorite parts of the march was meeting Jesse Jackson and viewing the historic Brown Chapel. It was amazing to see the thousands of civil rights activists there. I would encourage other teenagers to educate themselves about Bloody Sunday, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Selma to Montgomery March.
