(UPDATED)
The first black Vice President of The United States will be in Selma today, but Alabama's Governor will not meet with her. So much for Southern Hospitality: CBS 42 in Birmingham has the story:
SELMA, Ala. (WIAT) — Gov. Kay Ivey will not meet with Vice President Kamala Harris on her trip to Selma this weekend for events commemorating Bloody Sunday.
Gina Maiola, the governor’s communications director, said Friday that Gov. Ivey “has other engagements.”
Maiola confirmed that the governor will not attend Vice President Harris’ remarks and will not greet the first Black Vice President when she arrives in Alabama.
Instead, Gov. Ivey will participate in a luncheon held by the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, which is holding a convention and trade show in Mobile. Ivey had confirmed her attendance at the cattlemen’s event before the Office of the Vice President announced Harris’ visit to Selma, Maiola said*
In 2015, when President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama visited Selma for the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, then-Gov. Robert Bentley attended the event, speaking at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge to scattered boos from the audience.
Bloody Sunday refers to the events of March 7, 1965, when Alabama State Troopers attacked unarmed marchers, including John Lewis, on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Images of the events galvanized the American public and led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act.
(* NOTE: We all knew the Bridge Crossing would attract some major visitor---perhaps the President. But Ivey had pressing business with the Cattlemen's Association in Mobile. Even though their Association headquarters is 500 feet or so away from Ivey's office in the capitol and they could meet anytime.
UPDATE: Statement from The White House:
Statement by President Biden on the Anniversary of Bloody Sunday
On Sunday, March 7, 1965, time stopped and blood spilled as brave and righteous Americans sought to cross a bridge named after a Klansman in Selma, Alabama, to reach the other side of justice. Led by the late John Lewis, they marched to secure their sacred right to vote. Their heroism was met by batons and tear gas. They were beaten, but not defeated. Their absolute courage forced America to look in the mirror and Congress to act. Soon after, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
But over time, the strength of that groundbreaking law has been weakened not by brute force, but by insidious court decisions. Today, we’re seeing states across the country propose or enact laws that make it harder to vote and have that vote counted — an onslaught of deeply dangerous efforts to suppress the vote and subvert entire elections.
In Selma, the blood of John Lewis and so many other courageous Americans sanctified a noble struggle. We are determined to honor that legacy by passing legislation to protect the right to vote and uphold the integrity of our elections, including the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.
My Administration will continue implementing my Executive Order to promote voter participation, increase access to the ballot, and rally the country to protect voting rights and election integrity. Vice President Harris, marching in Selma today, will continue to lead this effort. The U.S. Justice Department has doubled its voting rights enforcement staff to stop discriminatory voting laws as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 empowered it to do. And I will continue to use every tool at my disposal to strengthen our democracy and keep alive the promise of America for all Americans.
The battle for the soul of America has many fronts. The right to vote is the most fundamental.
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