By Jospeh Rembert
Joseph is the pastor of New Beginnings Christian Center

Recently, my wife and I arrived in Selma to attend the funeral services for one of Selma’s finest citizens at Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church. Willie F. Marshall served his country, county, city, community, church and children well during his sojourn on earth. His wife, Carrie Marshall, was always by his side.
As we got close to the Edmund Pettus Bridge, we saw many people gathered on the east side of the bridge while countless others were walking on both sides, taking selfies as they made their trek to and from. The park at the foot of the bridge was so crowded that one might think that another commemoration had been scheduled and the announcement had not been made.
Although tens of thousands have petitioned for a name change of the bridge, for the scores who were there on Saturday, black and white, it really didn’t seem to resonate with them. I’m no fan of any Confederate general; but I am a fan of the general population of Selma. I always find myself at odds with both black and white citizens because I call it like I see it.
Thirty years ago, I joined some of Selma’s black community activists in protest of a Confederate general’s name being attached to housing for about 600 black folks in the county. It was the right thing to do.
More recently, I protested a white liberal who meant no harm, but offended me while portraying a white Confederate general who referred to black people as “darkies” on a powerful black radio station. Although some of his peeps referred to me as somebody’s uncle on a talk show, what I did was the right thing to do.
Last year, I assailed the Selma City Council for spending tens of thousands of dollars because they stopped the construction — reconstruction — of the bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest in a cemetery while lauding the national landmark status of the General Edmund Pettus bridge, who like Forrest, was a leader of the KKK. Pettus, unlike Forrest, is buried in that cemetery. I believe that it was the right thing to do.
However, I’m not sure it is the right thing to do to change the name of the bridge, and I’m sure there are others who can’t openly say it who feel the same as I do.
I believe that Selma will be hard pressed to find anything more powerful than the symbolism of the bridge, as it is inextricably tied to the poignant and rich history encapsulated in the park that stands beside it. I don’t believe that anybody in the legislature, black or white, believed that a resolution to change the name of bridge would pass the House of Representatives.
If we must change the name of everything that’s named after somebody who did us wrong, we would certainly have to rename Wallace Community College. Why should we do that when a technology center that is second to none sits there, named after the African American senator whose vision birthed the park at the foot of the Edmund Pettus bridge? The story of how we got over is told at both locations.
It’s not always going to be black and white. Alabama State University trustees took Dr. Joe L. Reed’s name off of the academe, and he never wore a hood and robe.
I am sometimes disheartened when I see so much black on black crime being committed on streets that have been renamed to honor black people who have made sacrifices to better the lives of our people. I commend leaders who have changed the names of streets to honor those who have changed the circumstances and conditions of people who needed somebody to act.
However, until we change, black and white, and find ways to cause tourist dollars to flow beyond the bridge to Brown Chapel, we will not enjoy a full measure of freedom no matter what we call that bridge. Bridge builders will do so much more for Selma than mere name changers.