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President Joe Biden acknowledged the anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” during his State of the Union address on March 7.

Foot Soldiers Sheyann Webb-Christburg, Bennie Lee Tucker and JoAnne Bland attended the State of the Union speech, invited by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell. All three were involved in the historic day of March 7, 1965, leading to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Perry County Commissioner Albert Turner Jr. also attended. His father, Albert Turner Sr., helped lead the Selma to Montgomery March. The Turners are from Marion.

“These individuals have risked life and limb for the right of all Americans to vote, and their lives are a testament to the power of ordinary Americans to achieve extraordinary social change,” Sewell said. “As our right to vote comes under renewed threat, it is my hope that their presence will bring attention to the sacrifices that so many have made in the name of equality and justice for all.”

During his speech, Biden urged Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Sewell discussed the bill at the  59th annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee on March 3. Lewis was one of several beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge during the events of Bloody Sunday.

“John Lewis was a great friend to many of us here,” Biden said. “But if you truly want to honor him and all the heroes who marched with him, then it’s time for more than just talk. Pass and send me the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and stop denying another core value of America.”

The Foot Soldiers released a statement, thanking both Sewell and President Biden: 

“Your support on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday means so much to our nation’s history but, more importantly, to the legacy of the Foot Soldiers,” Biden said.