--- title: Full Text of President Obama's 'Bloody Sunday' Speech in Selma description: The President spoke on Saturday in Selma, Ala. canonical: https://time.com/3736357/barack-obama-selma-speech-transcript/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-07T20:18:51.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T09:03:04.455Z article:section: Politics og:title: Read the Full Text of Obama's Speech in Selma og:description: The President spoke on Saturday in Selma, Ala. og:url: https://time.com/3736357/barack-obama-selma-speech-transcript/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8873541167a9b1c2/698782a3f887dc61eee8a7ec/obama-selma-bridge.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: President Barack Obama speaks in front of the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 2015 in Selma, Alabama. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Read the Full Text of Obama's Speech in Selma twitter:description: The President spoke on Saturday in Selma, Ala. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8873541167a9b1c2/698782a3f887dc61eee8a7ec/obama-selma-bridge.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Transcript: Read Full Text of President Barack Obama's Speech in Selma > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=87f5ab8e-f490-45d2-a6d0-27d3ecc70fb2&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Obama Marks 50th Anniversary of Selma March [Watch (HLS stream): President Obama Marks 50th Anniversary of Selma March](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/URPcEsz9.m3u8) (2:52)  _Published 2015-03-07. President Obama Marks 50th Anniversary of Selma March_ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Mar 7, 2015 8:18 PM UTC by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Mar 7, 2015 8:18 PM UTC President Obama spoke before thousands on Saturday during a commemorative ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the events of “Bloody Sunday” when over 600 non-violent protesters were attacked by Alabama state troopers as they attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights. Here is the full text of Saturday’s speech, as prepared for delivery. --- > “” --- _Read next:_ [_Democrats in Selma Gear Up for Long Fight on Voting Rights_](http://time.com/3736548/selma-democrats-voting-rights/?xid=time%5Freadnext) ### See Barack Obama's Historic Event in Selma  President Barack Obama speaks in front of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. on March 7, 2015. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images  President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama hold hands with former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush, and Rep. John Lewis during commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 'Bloody Sunday' historical civil rights march at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. on March 7, 2015. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  President Barack Obama hugs Rep. John Lewis, one of the original marchers at Selma, at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. on March 7, 2015. Saul Loeb—AFP/Getty Images  The crowd takes photos and cheer for President Barack Obama as he speaks near the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. on March 7, 2015. Gerald Herbert—AP  President Barack Obama talks to a young member of the audience after speaking in Selma, Ala. on March 7, 2015. Dan Anderson—EPA  President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, their daughters Malia and Sasha, as well as members of Congress and civil rights leaders make a symbolic walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. on March 7, 2015. Jacquelyn Martin—AP  President Barack Obama, center, walks as he holds hands with Amelia Boynton Robinson and Rep. John Lewis, who were beaten during 'Bloody Sunday,' as they and the first family walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the 50th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, Ala. on March 7, 2015. Jacquelyn Martin—AP [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/?sl%5Fautoplay=true&xid=spl-fullbrief-article) ## Transcript In one afternoon 50 years ago, so much of our turbulent history. The stain of slavery and anguish of civil war, the yoke of segregation and tyranny of Jim Crow, the death of four little girls in Birmingham. The dream of a Baptist preacher, all that history met on this bridge. What they did here will reverberate through the ages. Not because the change they wanted was preordained, not because their victory was complete. But because they proved that non- violent change is possible. That love and hope can conquer hate. We gather here to honor the courage of ordinary Americans willing to endure billy clubs, and the chastening rod. Tear gas and the trampling hoof, men and women who despite the gush of blood and splintered bone would stay true to their North Star and keep marching towards justice. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word we. We the people. [ APPLAUSE ]. [ APPLAUSE ] We shall overcome. Yes, we can. That word is owned by no one. It belongs to everyone. Oh, what a, what a glorious task we are given! To continually try to improve this great nation of ours. 50 years from Bloody Sunday, our march is not yet finished. But we're getting closer. 239 years after this nation's founding our union is not yet perfect but we are getting closer. Our job's easier because somebody already got us through that first mile. Somebody already got us over that bridge. [ APPLAUSE ] When it feels the roads too hard, when the torch we've been passed too heavy, we will remember these early travelers, and draw strength from their example. And hold firmly to the words of the prophet Isaiah. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. [ APPLAUSE ] They will soar on the wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint. We honor those who walked so we could run. We must run so our children soar. And we will not grow weary for we believe in the power of awesome God, and we believe in this country's sacred promise. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3736357/barack-obama-selma-speech-transcript/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3736357/barack-obama-selma-speech-transcript/"},"headline":"Transcript: Read Full Text of President Barack Obama's Speech in Selma","datePublished":"2015-03-07T20:18:51.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-01T09:03:04.455Z","description":"The President spoke on Saturday on the 50th anniversary of 'Bloody Sunday'","url":"https://time.com/3736357/barack-obama-selma-speech-transcript/","keywords":["White House"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8873541167a9b1c2/698782a3f887dc61eee8a7ec/obama-selma-bridge.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maya Rhodan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8873541167a9b1c2/698782a3f887dc61eee8a7ec/obama-selma-bridge.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"President Barack Obama speaks in front of the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 2015 in Selma, Alabama.","caption":"President Barack Obama speaks in front of the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 2015 in Selma, Alabama.","creditText":"Justin Sullivan—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/white-house/","name":"White House"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3736357/barack-obama-selma-speech-transcript/","name":"Transcript: Read Full Text of President Barack Obama's Speech in Selma"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"President Obama Marks 50th Anniversary of Selma March","description":"President Obama Marks 50th Anniversary of Selma March","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/URPcEsz9/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-03-07T22:39:24.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/URPcEsz9.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3736357/barack-obama-selma-speech-transcript/","duration":"PT2M52S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3736357/barack-obama-selma-speech-transcript/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```