Legendary Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) stood on the notorious Edmund Pettus Bridge Sunday to commemorate the day he was gassed and beaten by police as peaceful protesters marched from Selma to the state capitol in Montgomery, Alabama.
"I thought I was going to die on this bridge," said Lewis, who stood with the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as the mass of people crossed the bridge. "But somehow and some way, god almighty helped me here."
"We cannot give up now," he told the crowd turning to today. "We cannot give in. We must keep the faith, keep our eyes on the prize. We must go out and vote like we never ever voted before. Some people gave more than a little blood. Some gave their very lives. To each and every one of you, especially you young people, fraternities, and sororities, you look good and colorful. Go out there. Speak up. Speak out. Get in the way. Get in good trouble. Necessary trouble and help redeem the soul of America. Thank each and every one of you. I'm not going to give up. I'm not going to give in. We're going to continue to fight. We need your prayers now more than ever before. Let's do it!"
"Selma is a different place," Lewis continued. "America is a different place, but we can make it much better. We must use the vote as a nonviolent instrument or tool to redeem the soul of America."
Watch the moment below:
