FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 3, 2005

LARSON JOINS U.S. REP. JOHN LEWIS ON CONGRESSIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS PILGRIMAGE THIS WEEKEND IN ALABAMA
Occasion Marks Struggle for Civil Rights, 40^th Anniversary of the Voting Rights March

WASHINGTON, D.C.- U.S. Congressman John B. Larson (CT-1) will join fellow Congressman John Lewis in attending the 7th Annual Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage in Alabama this weekend, marking the civil rights struggles of African Americans in the south and the 40th Anniversary of the historic Voting Rights March. Lewis played a critical role in shaping the Civil Rights movement and is leading the pilgrimage.

�This is an extraordinary opportunity to commemorate the struggle that took place here which helped break down the barriers of racial injustice that stood for so long in this nation,� said Larson. �I am especially privileged to join this pilgrimage led by Congressman John Lewis, who represents living history of the struggle for civil rights in America and has dedicated his life to securing and protecting human rights and civil liberties. I think its important for Members of Congress to go there not only to remember, but also to remind us of the remarkable courage possessed by the men and women who helped shape the civil rights movement by standing up against oppression and discrimination. The events and people we honor this weekend in Alabama helped ensure full freedom, equality and peace for generations of their fellow Americans, in the face of terrible brutality. Their sacrifices and bravery will never be forgotten.�

The sites that will be visited by Larson and other Members of Congress on the trip will include the 16th Street Baptist Church, a tour of the Rosa Parks Museum, a wreath laying at the Civil Rights Memorial, a visit to the Voting Rights and Slavery and Civil Rights Museum, and a reenactment of the 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. The weekend will also include discussion groups on the Civil Rights movement.

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