In remembrance of the 55th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” thousands recently gathered at the historic Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, Alabama, a site where civil rights leaders once met and organized in the fight for basic human rights.
With that palpable legacy pulsating through the sanctuary, a group of churchgoers would embody that same spirit of protest against one oppressive force present: Michael Bloomberg.
In hope of solidifying the Democratic presidential nomination, Bloomberg delivered a speech about voter suppression and systemic economic bias - but 10 minutes in, at least eight congregants stood … and turned their backs to the former New York mayor.
And why wouldn’t they?
Bloomberg’s disturbing history of anti-Blackness is one he cannot escape. From ardently supporting stop-and-frisk - a policy that INTENTIONALLY targeted Black and Brown people - to essentially blaming the 2008 housing crisis on redlining, a Bloomberg presidency would only further disadvantage us from the rights we’ve fought so hard for already.
Super Tuesday made it clear that Black people aren’t messing with Bloomberg - he’s quickly dropped his campaign and endorsed Joe Biden, another politician with a similar history of anti-Black policymaking.
In the meantime, let us look to these courageous congregants as an example of the power of protest - and the need to fearlessly turn our backs to what isn’t for us!