Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Not the best framing, but at least they reminded viewers why apologies were (over)due. Craig Giammona, NBC News:
An Alabama police chief brought Rep. John Lewis to tears Saturday, apologizing to the noted civil rights leader for failing to protect the Freedom Riders during a trip to Montgomery in 1961.
Lewis and fellow civil rights activists were beaten by a mob after arriving at Montgomery’s Greyhound station in May 1961.
On Saturday at ceremony at First Baptist Church, the city’s current police chief, Kevin Murphy, apologized to Lewis and offered him his badge in a gesture of reconciliation, telling the longtime Georgia congressman that Montgomery police had “enforced unjust laws” in failing to protect the Freedom Riders more than five decades ago.
Lewis, who was arrested during civil rights protests in cities across the south, said it was the first time a police chief had apologized to him.
“It means a great deal,” Lewis said. “I teared up. I tried to keep from crying.”
Lewis and other members of Congress were taking part in the 13th Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage to Alabama, a three-day event that also included trips to Selma, Tuscaloosa and Birmingham….
Baud
Good for that guy. Another reminder that nothing is unalterable.
WereBear
That bus trip was a very big deal:
JPL
@WereBear: Where’s the article about Massachusetts. Justice Roberts wants to know.
John Lewis is my son’s representative.
Linda Featheringill
Lovely article.
I have a question for Justice Roberts and the other 8/9 of the Court:
What do “needed” and “Constitutional” have to do with each other? And are we going to go through and strike down each and every law that the Court decides is no longer needed?
NotMax
Video with the police chief from Maddow’s show on Monday.
Patricia Kayden
“It means a great deal,” Lewis said. “I teared up. I tried to keep from crying.”
Nice story.
jayboat
Watching that clip last night it was hard not to get emotional. With such an articulate spokesman in Chief Murphy, the entire thing has such a pitch-perfect sound for wounds too long unattended. Lewis’ body language as Murphy hands him the badge is telling. Wonderful moment.
max
And ten seconds later (in historical terms), the Supremes strike down the VRA because an apology for a fifty-year-old incident totally proves black people are racist.
Meanwhile, TPM: “”Anybody that knows me knows I don’t engage in ad hominem attacks,” Scarborough fired back.”
At this point the correct response is ‘BAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA’ followed by falling on the floor.
max
[‘C’mon team, do unto them as they are trying to do unto you, but do it first.’]
The Ancient Randonneur
John Lewis is a great American.
Schlemizel
painfully slow but inexorably bending toward justice.
Its too little too late but it is better than nothing and never. The sheriff deserves some credit because I bet he gets shit from some sectors that still think they did nothing wrong.
Cheryl from Maryland
While the headline was awful and all about the police chief (sometimes active voice is not your friend), the reporter was great — asking Representative Lewis to discuss Bloody Sunday for younger viewers so we could hear history.
qwerty42
A lot of old guys in the south have re-examined their actions from that time and have come to regret what they did and even what they believed then. Some years ago a member of the Georgia legislature took the well of the House to apologize for his actions. I’m sure others have done so in less public ways, and I believe the remorse is genuine.
the Conster
@qwerty42:
I wonder if some of them have looked at the B&W pictures from those events, of the mindless hate contorting their screaming faces into hideous masks of resentment and ugliness, both the men and the women. Those pictures are a kick in the stomach to humanity and are sickening to look at, probably especially so if one of those creatures was you.
raven
@qwerty42: Ever see “The Best that Never Was” and ESPN 30 for 30 about Marcus DuPree from Philadelphia, Mississippi. He was an incredible talent that never really panned out. An interesting part of the story is how his ability on the field brought the community together. One part of the story is about one of the people convicted of murdering the civil rights workers who, many years later, helps Marcus after his career in football is over. One of the best doc’s I’ve ever seen. The beginning of it is about the killings.
eta It’s worth watching to see the footage of Dr King
celticdragonchick
Looks like the asshole cops at Policeone really, really don’t like this story:
Only one officer was supportive at all.
Aaaaand the cops wonder why a lot of the rest of us don’t like them very much. It isn’t because of the authority they supposedly represent. It is how they use that authority.
celticdragonchick
@Schlemizel:
That would include a lot of law enforcement in the ranks right now.
arguingwithsignposts
That Rachel Maddow show clip led me to her segment on the SCOTUS VRA arguments. Hearing Fat Tony Scalia’s flat out racism made my skin crawl.
raven
@celticdragonchick: So this surprises you?
celticdragonchick
@raven:
Not in the slightest. I just think it is useful and instructional to sometimes illustrate what our dedicated public servants with badges, guns, and coercive power are saying about us and what we believe in.
raven
@celticdragonchick: Yea, you are right, all cops are pigs.
Fred
Just in time to give “Roberts and Friends” the proof they crave (as if they care) to write a sweet opinion about how the New South is all lovey dovey now. “We don’t gotta be slaves all da time no mo.” Just ’cause those ol’ Confederate states keep passing vote suppression laws don’t prove nuthin’. The honorable gentlemen of the south have every right to pass unconstitutional laws and ‘those people’ have every right to spend millions of dollars fighting them in court after the election is over and just in time for the honorable gentlemen to ram through another unconstitutional law, yes sir.
The 21st century is sure a brave new world, ain’t it? Meet the new world, same as the old world.
Kathleen
That video brought back memories of my childhood. What strikes me now is how the media at that time was were afraid to broadcast those clips and how television played a pivotal role in helping the country understand why the Civil Rights movement was necessary and the issues African Americans faced in the South. There was no doubt that what I saw was true and that is was wrong. No “both sides do it”, no Rush Limpbaugh or Fox “News” botcasters to mock or denigrate the protesters. Can you imagine how today’s media would have handled the Civil Rights movement?
kc
What a great story. I hope that chief isn’t catching too much hell from a certain segment of his community.
Keith G
Hearing the coverage of this brought tears to me.
But more importantly, why haven’t you devoted effort to telling us how you feel about The New Republic’s essay about Seth MacFarlane’s near-zero level of taste/tact/intellectual maturity.
Priorities…priorities.
mvr
@Kathleen: That’s a bracing thought, isn’t it. “Both sides do it,” and all that . . .
T dub
@raven: That doc was so good. I def got emotional.