Selma anniversary: Fifty years on,

thousands gather to remember a

defining moment of America's civil
rights movement

With President Barack Obama made a symbolic first visit since

taking office. thousands of people gathered in Selma as part of the
weekend to commemorate the anniversary of the 50 to one of the
.defining moments of the civil rights movement in the United States
Along with Mr. Obama and the First Lady, were placed about 100 of
the US Congress members to gather in the town to mark the day in
1965 when demonstrators trying to walk from Selma to Montgomery
to demand an end to discriminatory practices ballot were attacked
.by the police
Violence, on Sunday, February 7th preceded peaceful march to
Montgomery, that occurred two weeks later. Both helped to build
momentum for congressional approval of the Voting Rights Act later
in the same year - legislation that planned to remove the constraints
.that prevent blacks from registering as voters
one of a number of incidents across the county that has sparked a
debate about policing and race in the US . where a black man was
shot by a white officer last year, setting off demonstrations and that
.has a signed special recent events in Ferguson, Missouri
Selma is not just about commemorating the past. Its about
honouring the legends who helped change this country through your
actions today, in the here and now, he said at an event ahead of
his visit to Alabama
The celebrations will be seen as a healing exercise by some, while
.others see it as a springboard for the future

it was set to give a speech from Obama last night at the Edmund
Pettus Bridge where the 1965 crackdown took place is hoping to
.accentuate
Selma is now. Selma is about each of us asking ourselves what we
can do to make America better, he added. As the nations first
black President, Mr. Obama has received pressure from some areas
to use the suitable anniversary to take a stand over issues such as
.discriminatory policing
I travelled through the night from central Florida to join the throng
to Selma, saying she was both honouring the past and teaching
young people about the to protect civil rights. For me, this could be
the end of the journey, since Im 72, she said. Im stepping back
.into the history we made. Madeline McCloud said
Ms Sails said I want to make sure I understand the past so I can
plan the future" which Ms McCloud travelled with Dennet Sails to
teach young black people about what it took to get equal rights in
.the US
Alabamas governor, Robert Bentley, was on hand for the
anniversary, and said he hoped it would help the state to clear the
ugly images and healing wounds that they get used to it for back
generations
Alabama has been behind the curve not just for 50 years, but for
150 years, Mr Bentley said. We are just now starting to get out
.from under the stigma