TSU President Glenda Glover Joins Bernice King, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Thousands to Commemorate 50th Anniversary of Selma to Montgomery March

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover joined Bernice King, daughter of the late civil rights activists Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, and others for the "Bloody Sunday" commemorative march in observance of the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery March.

TSU President, Dr. Glenda Glover (right) marches the streets of Selma, Alabama with noted civil rights activist, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and others, as they commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March. (courtesy photo)

President Glover met presidents from Historically Black Colleges and Universities from around the country in Selma, Alabama to celebrate the historic 1965 event. National leaders including the Reverend Jesse Jackson, head of Rainbow PUSH, and Dr. Charles Steele, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) called for HBCU presidents to make the journey for the anniversary.

“The Selma to Montgomery March is the single most galvanizing moment in our nation's history in the fight for civil rights, particularly voting rights,” said Dr. Glover. “What happened on the Edmund Pettus Bridge was engrained in the minds of millions of Americans as we watched in horror and disbelief - yet trusting that it would bring about change for all Americans."

While in Selma, President Glover met with other college presidents, educators, civil rights leaders, students, community organizers, and several service groups. The Selma journey was also significant for Dr. Glover as it gave her the opportunity to memorialize the people and place where thousands of leaders came together to march for the “paramount victory” in the fight for equality.

“I am honored to make the journey to Selma as president of Tennessee State University to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of this historical event. This 50th Anniversary has personal relevance for me because of my father's role in the Civil Rights Movement in Memphis, Tennessee.  I also appreciate the impressionable role of the TSU Freedom Riders in the Civil Rights Movement. I am pleased to go back to Selma in honor of my father's memory and in dedication of those who fought for freedom everywhere.”

Glover made a contribution in the name of Tennessee State to Brown A.M.E. Church for $1,000. The church was a starting point for the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965 and, as the meeting place and offices of SCLC during the Selma Movement.

"We appreciate President Glover's commitment to advancing education, economics and human rights,” Dr. Steele remarked. “She is clearly a leader in higher education, and brings a unique perspective in engaging students. Glover is dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation of leaders."

It is estimated that as many as 70,000 people took part in the commemorate march. One of the highlights included President Barack Obama's address mark at anniversary.