Bridge Renaming Resolution Passed in Senate!

On Wednesday, the Alabama Senate passed a resolution in support of renaming the Edmund Pettus Bridge to the Journey to Freedom Bridge! We love that name because the movement was so much bigger than any one person -- so we wanted a name that could reflect the entirety of the civil rights movement. This was the most progress we've made in our effort to highlight the important work of the people who marched over that bridge instead of Edmund Pettus. And we couldn't have gotten this far without your support. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get the resolution passed in the House. It would have been a real symbolic victory for Alabama if we had -- but not surprisingly, there is opposition to the change. Read more about what happened this week here: http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/06/05/these-students-want-rename-bridge-brighter-future The resolution made powerful points. And we were happy to have worked with Senator Hank Sanders to help convey the importance of renaming the bridge. Here's one part of it: “There are many things in our society to change that are more significant than the name of a bridge, but removing this vestige of the past will serve as a parallel to the ongoing journey towards equal rights, fair representation and open opportunity.” We agree. That's why our work isn't over. We will renew this effort for the next legislative session and we will be even more prepared to show that this is a change the people of Selma and Alabama as a whole support! Thank you so much! Students UNITE P.S. This July, we are hosting our first Nonviolence Summer Institute! We'd love to invite you for an intensive training in nonviolent principles alongside college students from across the country. It's Social Change 101! Register and join us for an enlightening week in Selma: http://bit.ly/1GAAObj