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A half-century has passed since more than 600 civil rights demonstrators gathered together to make the 54 mile march from Selma, Alabama to the state capital in Montgomery. While they were met with violence by state troopers not long after they began, their patient dedication to nonviolent resistance – even in the face of such harrowing brutality – stirred the conscience of our nation and the entire world. The vision of these marchers was simple, yet profound: that America must fulfill the promise made in her founding documents by allowing all citizens to access their God-given rights. Their efforts led to major progress later that year with the passage of the Voting Rights Act.

America is the greatest nation in history, but our history is not without its dark chapters. Slavery, and the discrimination that followed it, violated our founding ideal that everyone deserves an equal shot at success. Today, we still carry on the fight for equal opportunity. We still have work ahead of us to rid our nation of injustice and bring the American Dream within reach of everyone. But on this day, we remember the Selma march, one of many instances in our history when the courage of a few who dared to stand up to injustice led to a better America for all.