Built in 1851, the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery served as the Confederacy’s first capital – Jefferson Davis delivered his inaugural address as President there in February 1861. In January 1963, Alabama Governor George Wallace stood on the steps of the building and proudly proclaimed, “Segregation now. Segregation tomorrow. And segregation forever!"
The All Roads Lead to the South Rally
On Saturday, I stood with 5,000 mostly Black folks in front of those same steps, joining in their furious response: “We’re not going back!”
In the immediate aftermath of last month’s Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais, Republican-dominated state legislatures in Alabama and across the South have responded by drawing new lines to eliminate Black political power. Lines that violated the Voting Rights Act until just a few weeks ago.
But in Montgomery on Saturday, Black Americans signaled that, as ever, they would rise for the fight. And, “when we fight … WE WIN!”
