The U.S. Department of Justice released, in the words of Attorney General Eric Holder, a “scathing” report condemning Ferguson Police for routinely violating civil and constitutional rights of its black residents.
The small Missouri suburb became the epicenter of a movement shining a light on police brutality following the death last summer of unarmed teenager, Michael Brown, and other African-Americans at the hands of police. Thousands of protesters took to streets across the country under the rallying cry “Black Lives Matter.“
Yet, before Ferguson there was Selma. Fifty years ago this week, a few protesters in Selma, Alabama lost their lives fighting to secure voting rights for African-Americans and countless others marched for the cause, led by Martin Luther King, Jr.
The co-founders of the project #BlackLivesMatter — Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi and Alicia Garza — hosted an msnbc Twitter chat on Selma and its impact on civil rights and activism today. Stay tuned to msnbc for special coverage honoring the 50th anniversary of Selma.
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