The faces in the crowd, and on the stage Saturday during the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday were the who’s who of leaders — those that currently steer our nation and many that courageously stood up for what they believed in on the Edmund Pettus Bridge half a century ago.

We knew going in that Saturday would be a day unlike any other in the history of Selma, but that didn’t make it any less special.

President Barack Obama gave a rousing speech that will probably go down as one of the best he’s ever delivered.

The most surreal part of the day was watching Congressmen John Lewis stand on the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge 50 years after leading a group of 600 marchers over the historic structure.

Lewis went from being beaten and bloodied in 1965 to the point that he was treated at Good Samaritan Hospital to introducing President Barack Obama Saturday.

Obama spoke about the growth of Selma and the country in 50 years, but spoke with a workmanlike attitude.

A lot of progress has been made in the battle for equality for all but as the president said, there’s a long way to go.

In order to get there, it’s probably best to look to the faces in Saturday’s crowd for inspiration. Along with Lewis, F.D. Reece of the Courageous Eight, matriarch of the voting rights movement Amelia Boynton Robinson and foot solider Albert Southall were among those in attendance for Saturday’s speeches.

There were so many deserving of recognition in Selma Saturday that it’s impossible for this space to do them all justice.

Although it’s been 50 years, there are plenty of others with stories to share that may not be household tales yet. Many, like Jimmie Lee Jackson, didn’t live long enough to see the 50th anniversary, but he still got the credit he deserved.

Early in his speech, Lewis talked about Jackson, the civil rights activist whose death sparked the voting rights movement in Selma.

It’s clear that Selma, like the rest of the world, has work to do in the ongoing battle for total equality. It’s a battle that may wage on forever, but it’s one that can be beaten if enough people band together and push for what’s right and just.

The leaders in the crowd Saturday — ones we’ve written about dozens of times — have been the inspiration for entire generations of growth in Selma and around the country.

Their determination and courageousness is something Selma and the rest of the country should look to as we trek into the future.