#TalkRadio – March 11: Righteous Incivility: Report on 60th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday, Reintroduction of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and Rep. Al Green Protest

SPEAKERS:

Jonnita Dockens: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM Eastern Time
Executive Assistant of the Transformative Justice Coalition

Eldric Coleman: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM Eastern Time (11:00 AM – 11:57 AM Central Time)
Transformative Justice Coalition Voting Rights Alumni,, Sept. 2024 Class; currently serving as the President of the NAACP Alabama Youth and College Division and an Associate Justice of the Student Government Association (SGA); two-time State of Alabama NAACP Youth & College Division President; NAACP Trailblazer Award recipient; Registered over 1,000 voters for November 2024 elections, demonstrating his commitment to civic engagement and political empowerment. Democracy Fellow; TJC Fellow; Worked on TJC’s national “I’ll Rise and Vote” Voter Activation and GOTV Concert Series

Angel Edwards: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM ET
Transformative Justice Coalition Voting Rights Alumni & Fellow, April 2024 Class; Organizer, TJC’s “I’ll Rise and Vote 2024 Voter Activations and GOTV Concert Series” for Jacksonville, Florida; received a degree in Political Science with a double concentration in History and Africana Social Sciences from Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, FL; a Black Voters Matter, Liberators In Training student fellow’s 2024 Cohort; Former Research Fellow at the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center; Community/ Campus Organizer Fellow at Dream Defenders, a call center operator at the Andrew Gillum Campaign, an Operations Fellow at the Museum of Science and History, and an African American History Tutor at Bethune-Cookman University; has participated in several conferences, including the Freedom of Speech Conference at Florida Southern College, HBCU Climate Change Awareness Conferences hosted in Hampton, GA, Howard University, and Xavier University.  Policies and Politics Convenings, Leesburg, FL and Charleston, SC; attended Leadership Trainings in Orlando, Jacksonville,Tallahassee and Phoenix; member of various organizations, including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Red Alliance for Justice, Jacksonville Leadership Coalition, Metro Gardens Association, and Black Voters Matter

Erial Hunter: 12:15 PM – 12:28 PM ET
Caterer for Transformative Justice Coalition’s 2025 Selma Events

Nile Blass: 12:30 PM – 12:57 PM ET
Transformative Justice Coalition-certified Voting Rights Advocate, April 2023 Class; Strategist and Community Organizer; DMV Regional Organizer for the League of Women Voters

INTRODUCTION:

Hi Igniters For Change! The Igniting Change Radio Show on Tuesday, March 11th, 2025, from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern Time, entitled “Righteous Incivility: Report on 60th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday, Reintroduction of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act”, and Rep. Al Green Protest”, with Radio Show Co-Hosts and Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) Co-Leaders Attorneys Barbara Arnwine, Esq. and Daryl Jones, Esq. will feature special guests Jonnita Dockens, Eldric Coleman, Erial Hunter, Nile Blass, and Angel Edwards.

“This year marked the 60th year since Bloody Sunday, and thousands still make the pilgrimage to Selma each year to honor their sacrifices. As marchers crossed the bridge at about noon, rain began to fall while they sang ‘We Shall Overcome.’…Speakers after the bridge crossing urged today’s marchers to maintain the same courage as the marchers from 60 years ago….People need to be prepared to vote in elections this year, said Barbara Arnwine, the president and founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition.” (Source: https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/story/news/local/2025/03/09/original-selma-foot-soldiers-return-for-bloody-sunday-march/82006232007/ )

TJC was a major player in events held this past Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This year, we actually partnered strongly with the National Organization for Women (NOW) on an Invisible Giants program at Selma High School to honor women in Selma, who are making a big difference in the lives of young people. TJC sponsored a very popular candy buffet for Selma High School students. Following the formal program, TJC, NOW, and others sponsored a reception in honor of the Invisible Giant honorees. We also partnered with the National Urban League. Our  Saturday Gen Z & Young Millennial Luncheon was a major hit with a crowded standing-room-only audience and great presentations by our TJC Alumni, Nile Blass, Eldric Coleman, Angel Edwards and Ja’Nise Gentry. Indeed, our sessions drew national civil rights leaders who addressed our workshop including Marc Morial of the National Urban League and Derrick Johnson of the NAACP. On Sunday, we attended the Unity Breakfast and the Tabernacle Baptist Church service, attended by scores of Congressional members where Rev Jesse Jackson was honored. During the Sunday March, hundreds of people proudly marched with our TJC “Protect the Vote” signs (designed by Daryl Jones).  In a sea of thousands, the TJC signs were highly visible. Daryl Jones provided essential leadership and direction for every event. Jonnita Dockens, TJC Executive Assistant, made everything happen with creativity, professionalism and grace. She was ably assisted by her talented sister, Jensen Lewis. And TC Muhammad of the Hip Hop Caucus provided valuable leadership and assistance for Saturday’s programs. We are delighted that TJC “showed up and Showed Out” in honor of John Lewis, Amelia Boynton, and the 600 footsoldiers of the original Selma-To-Montgomery March.

“To many [there]…this year’s march felt more somber than usual. It took place against the backdrop of intense attacks on voting rights, education and fair housing laws by President Donald Trump and his allies. In his first two months in office, Trump has also rolled back a litany of diversity, equity and inclusion programs meant to correct age-old discrimination, and he has sought to restore what the White House has described as ‘merit-based opportunity’ that will promote ‘national unity.’…And then there were more concrete signs of what critics call an attempt to diminish or “whitewash” the nation’s fraught racial history: the historic Montgomery bus station housing a museum honoring the ‘freedom riders’ who helped power the early civil rights movement was among the federal properties that the administration indicated could be sold — though that list was later taken offline. Worry that the country may be on the brink of eroding any progress it has made on issues of race and power hung like a cloud as thousands gathered in Selma and Montgomery in recent days to remember Bloody Sunday. They questioned not only what will happen now, but also who will rise in the next generation to take on what many described as the biggest challenge to civil rights since the 1960s.

“‘People are afraid,’ Selma Mayor James Perkins Jr. (D) told a room of more than three dozen members of Congress and other elected officials, mostly Democrats, who had descended on his majority African American city, where many residents live well below the poverty line. Perkins, who grew up in Selma under segregation laws and is the city’s first Black mayor, likened that fear to what he felt as a child when his grandparents shoved him under a bed to hide as members of the Ku Klux Klan drove through the city terrorizing Black residents.

…

“Just before he and others took to the bridge for the anniversary walk Sunday, the Rev. Raphael G. Warnock, the Democratic senator from Georgia, spoke of a ‘dark pall’ shrouding the country and accused Trump of stirring up ‘old racial resentments’ while pursuing policies that will harm a wide swath of Americans, including those who voted for him. Speaking at the historic Tabernacle Baptist Church in Selma, Warnock, who leads Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached until his 1968 assassination, acknowledged that even he sometimes felt ‘weary’ by what he described as the Trump administration’s ‘war against the poor’ and efforts to undo racial equity…Warnock spoke from the same place where civil rights leaders held their first mass meeting to encourage Black residents to register to vote in 1963 and where activists secretly met ahead of the original Bloody Sunday march. In a similar meeting as part of the 60th anniversary celebration, many speakers not only nodded to the church’s activist history but likened those days to what is happening now.

…

“Part of the uncertainty is who will lead the movement going forward. Ahead of the anniversary celebration, known as the Bridge Crossing Jubilee, Faya Rose Toure, a longtime Selma activist and one of the event’s founders, announced this year’s celebration would be her last — citing her age, 79, and the need for younger leaders to step forward. Toure warned that the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute — which opened in 1993 at the eastern foot of the Pettus bridge — was running out of money and in danger of closing. Days earlier, the building had been vandalized — one of its murals splashed by black paint, which the museum could not afford to remove before the Jubilee because funds were tight. She pleaded with people ‘to keep the museum alive. Because if we don’t, let me tell you what’s going to happen … they are going to rewrite the history of Bloody Sunday,’ she said.

Unlike recent years, the annual march across the Pettus Bridge, which is named after a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan, did not attract members of the current administration or any former presidents or would-be presidential hopefuls. Instead, many of the groups organizing events around the anniversary focused on cultivating a newer, younger generation of activists.

…

“During a meeting at Tabernacle Baptist Church on Thursday, Dr. Willie Francois III, a New Jersey pastor, bluntly acknowledged how Black Americans had witnessed progress — including the election of the country’s first Black president and its first female Black vice president and the confirmation of a Black woman to the Supreme Court. But he argued that the quality of life for many Black people has not improved over the past 60 years — pointing to high unemployment rates, racial disparities in income and the higher rate at which people of color are shot or killed by police. ‘If I can be honest, very little has changed since 1965,” Francois, 38, said. But he argued for persistence. “Slavery failed. Jim Crow failed. The war on drugs failed,’ he said. ‘Make America Great Again’ will fail if we keep on standing up and holding our heads high.’ “ (Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/03/09/selmas-civil-rights-anniversary-fears-rise-about-way-forward/ )

“U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., said they are gathering in Selma for the 60th anniversary ‘at a time when the vote is in peril.’ Sewell noted the number of voting restrictions introduced since the U.S. Supreme Court effectively abolished a key part of the Voting Rights Act that required jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination to pre-clear new voting laws with the Justice Department. Sewell this week reintroduced legislation to restore the requirement. The proposal has repeatedly stalled in Congress. The legislation is named for John Lewis, the late Georgia congressman who was at the lead of the Bloody Sunday march. (Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/bloody-sunday-60th-anniversary-marked-selma-remembrances-concerns-futu-rcna195537 )

“On March 5th, 2025, Sewell led every House Democrat in reintroducing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. “The bill would restore and modernize the protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), addressing modern-day voter suppression and ensuring every voter, regardless of race or background, has equal access to the ballot box. It is cosponsored by every House Democrat and supported by more than 140 organizations across the nation. ‘Since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965, we have seen state officials advance hundreds of new measures to make it harder for Americans to vote,’ said Rep. Terri Sewell, author and lead sponsor. ] As we prepare to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in my hometown of Selma, Alabama, it is clear; the fight for voting rights is just as urgent today as it was decades ago. I’m proud to be reintroducing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act with the support of every House Democrat. Our bill would give us the tools necessary to address modern-day voter suppression and ensure every American has equal access to the ballot box.’ [House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated, ‘But] voting rights are under attack across America, which is why the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is so critical. House Democrats are thankful for the leadership of Rep. Terri Sewell in reintroducing this important legislation that will put an end to the era of voter suppression in America once and for all.’…On March 7, 1965, in Selma, Alabama, the late Congressman John Lewis and hundreds of Foot Soldiers were viciously attacked by police while peacefully demonstrating in support of the equal right of all Americans to vote. The brutality of Bloody Sunday galvanized the Civil Rights Movement and led to the passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA).

For decades, the VRA prevented states with a history of voter discrimination from erecting new barriers to the ballot box, until it was gutted by the Supreme Court in the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision. Without its guardrails, state officials have enacted at least 94 restrictive voting laws, many in states with a history of racial voting discrimination. Subsequent Supreme Court decisions have further weakened the VRA, making it more difficult to challenge voter discrimination in court. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore and modernize the protections of the VRA. It would establish a modern-day framework to determine which states and localities have a recent history of voter discrimination and require those jurisdictions to pre-clear new voting laws with the Department of Justice. Bill text is available here.” (emphasis in original) (Source: https://sewell.house.gov/2025/3/rep-sewell-introduces-the-john-r-lewis-voting-rights-advancement-act-ahead-of-the-60th-anniversary-of-bloody-sunday )

Read more:  https://www.cbs42.com/news/60th-anniversary-of-bloody-sunday-draws-thousands-to-recreate-march-for-voting-rights/

See photos: https://www.axios.com/2025/03/10/selma-marks-bloody-sunday-60th-anniversary-photos

Watch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kn1r7nrad4

The Transformative Justice Coalition supports the passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. 

TJC also stands with Rep. Al Green. During President Trump’s 2025 State of the Union, Rep. Al Green was thrown out of the speech and later censured. In former President Biden’s State of the Union, he was interrupted repeatedly by Republicans, and engaged in dialogue with those loudly and incessantly interrupting, like Marjorie Taylor Greene. Watch more on Rep. Al Green defending his protest during President Trump’s joint address, saying he was speaking out against Medicaid cuts and was and is prepared for the consequences, therefore he doesn’t blame anyone who censured him: https://www.msnbc.com/politicsnation/watch/rep-al-green-defends-medicaid-protest-warns-of-growing-party-divide-233876549743

Our show will also remind listeners that there is a current Economic Blackout of Amazon through March 14th. We encourage everyone to not watch anything on Amazon Prime, Twitch (owned by Amazon), or buy anything on Amazon. Without current earnings reports, trackers of the Blackouts’ impacts use website traffic data, therefore TJC encourages everyone to not visit these websites either. Your united action sent a resounding message! By withholding your dollars, you make an undeniable stand for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Corporate Responsibility -creating a profound shift that cannot be ignored. Your sacrifice is more than a statement; it is a bold declaration of unwavering commitment to justice and fairness, echoing far beyond a single day.

Co-Hosts Arnwine and Jones will provide tips and explain the importance of this boycott. TJC deleted its Amazon account last month and in January moved from Amazon to other book sellers and have been going directly to store websites to make purchases.

According to Isaac Hayes III’s tweet, Target Corporation’s stock price has significantly decreased, resulting in a roughly $12.4 billion reduction in market capitalization due to a drop of approximately $27.27 per share. Read his tweet: https://x.com/IsaacHayes3/status/1895658865255203244?s=19 

Currently, there is also a 40-day Lent Fast of Target. https://www.targetfast.org/ 

Now is the time to amplify your impact.The momentum you have ignited is a force for lasting transformation. Keep using your voice, your influence, and your power. A sustained fight for DEI will ensure that the legacy of the Economic Blackout endures- and reshapes the future.

Buy the t-shirt of all future economic boycotts: https://thepeoplesunionusa.creator-spring.com/listing/buy-the-comfort-tee?product=369&variation=6513 

Igniting Change Co-Hosts Arnwine and Jones and guest Jonnita Dockens will also discuss TJC’s #NoDEINoBUY Campaign. We applaud all entities that have announced their continued commitment to DEI. Our campaign will support and defend those who have aligned themselves with truth telling and needed change by standing on the promise of a diverse, equitable and inclusive USA. We urge the people of America to take a stand to ensure fairness, justice, and equal opportunity for all, rejecting systems that uphold exclusion and inequality. Your voice and engagement can make a difference! TJC will unite with others in a multi-phase campaign to support boycotts, economic fasting, protests, litigation, communications and other strategies to demand change, following the profound and lasting spirit of our ancestors.

Join Us!! https://bit.ly/NoDEINoBUY 

QUESTIONS:

[Co-Hosts Arnwine and Jones and guests will begin the show discussing upcoming TJC events: thanking everyone who is participating in the Amazon Economic Blackout through March 14th and the Target Fast for Lent, and those who have taken even greater measures in their own individual boycotts; and will thank recent donors and call for people be sure to donate to our voting rights work]

• Welcome Angel and Eldric. You were both panelists for the Gen Z and Young Millennial Luncheon that we held this past weekend in Selma. Please describe what that experience was like for you to present to a packed room.
• What was the main message that you wanted everyone to receive from your participation?
• Jonnita, this was your first time ever attending the Selma Jubilee. What, for you, was the highlight of the three days of activities?
• As the Gen Z Luncheon and other TJC-sponsored sessions transpired, a number of foot soldiers joined the audience. Indeed, Foot Soldier Richard Bland actually sat at our registration table and offered his portrait and stories of his experiences in 1965. What did it mean to all of you to be in the presence of these foot soldiers?

(~ 12:15 PM) 

• Welcome Ariel to Igniting Change. You provided the delicious food for the luncheon. A number of your staff were intensely watching and listening to the panel. What have you heard about their reactions to the panel discussions? What did you think?
• Jonnita, as you helped to register people for the sessions, what to you were the most meaningful interactions from the attendees?
• Were you surprised by how many people came to this year’s Sunday bridge crossing?
• Erial, what does it mean to the people of Selma for the Jubilee to be held each year?
• Erial, Selma is a severely economically depressed city, purposefully neglected by the state of Alabama for its history. What can our listeners do to help Selma throughout the year?

(~ 12:26 PM) 

• Thank you for all of your hard work. How do our listeners get in contact with you, especially if they want to go to Selma and contract with your catering services for some delicious food?!

(~ 12:30 PM) 

• Welcome to the show Nile. How many times has this represented for you to come to Selma?
• Nile, how did your experience this year differ from prior years?
• Nile, Eldric, and Angel, you are all TJC Alumni. During the panel, you really mixed it up a lot. What did you find the highlight of each others’ remarks?
• [Barbara Arnwine will mention to the audience of the March 5th re-introduction of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. To get more information, people can go to sewell.house.gov. That’s S-E-W-E-L-L dot house dot G-O-V. And when you make those daily calls to the Congress at 202-224-3121, be sure to tell your Congressperson to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act!)
• Nile, Eldric, and Angel, how have you utilized the lessons, connections, and guidance you acquired during TJC Voting Rights Leadership Training subsequently?
• [Daryl Jones will discuss Rep. Al Green’s protest and censure and what our audience can do about it]
• What were your reactions to Rep. Al Green’s protest and the aftermath?
• [TJC has recently unsubscribed from Amazon completely. Barbara and Daryl will share tips for how to participate in a complete Economic Blackout of Amazon or the week-long boycott March 7th – the 14th.]
• CLOSING NOTES: So far this year, the government has cut 62,530. Last year this time, only 151 positions were cut. If the judges weren’t blocking various broad firings this year, there would be more fired. Nearly all federal employees serve a one or two year probationary period. Don’t forget about the Economic Blackout of Amazon through March 14th and the Target Fast for Lent, and thank you to those who have taken even greater measures in their own individual boycotts. Don’t forget to make your daily calls to your Congressperson at 202-224-3121 and to call Rep. Al Green’s office to express your gratitude. Please consider becoming a monthly donor to TJC.
• What are your final one-minute thoughts?
• Thank you so much for joining us today. How do our listeners get in contact with you?

[TJC will continue to vigorously defend the rights of all Americans and will fight the implementation of Project 2025 and our future shows will continue to cover any hate crimes and how we effectively protect ourselves while advancing our agenda for justice.]

[Daryl, Barbara, and guests may share their favorite books and encourage people to donate towards TJC’s giveaways of banned and affirming books.]