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Beshear travels to Selma for Bloody Sunday remembrance

The foot soldiers are helped across the Edmund Pettus bridge during the 60th anniversary of the march to ensure that African Americans could exercise their constitutional right to vote, Sunday, March 9, 2025, in Selma, Ala. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
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AP
The foot soldiers are helped across the Edmund Pettus bridge during the 60th anniversary of the march to ensure that African Americans could exercise their constitutional right to vote, Sunday, March 9, 2025, in Selma, Ala. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Gov. Andy Beshear made a trip to Selma, Alabama for the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday — a day that saw Alabama state troopers beat and tear gas men, women, and children during a voting rights protest.

Recording a message on the way, Beshear said he was attending the remembrance of the 1965 demonstration for a number of reasons.

"On this Sunday morning, I'm headed to Selma, Alabama to remember what happened 60 years ago when brave foot soldiers showed a collective courage that ended up showing the whole country what was really going on. Changed our country for the better, ultimately leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act," he said. "We had Kentuckians that marched that day. I wanna make sure I recognize them, but also talk about how we still have a lot of work to do in this country."

Beshear said the country has to "take steps to make up for an imperfect past, adding that we "cannot leave a broken country to our kids and grandkids."

The anniversary comes with renewed concerns that echo those of the past, with speakers addressing voting restrictions introduced after the Supreme Court eliminated key portions of the Voting Rights Act and the Trump administration's rollback of decades old equal opportunity executive orders.