Forty-seven years ago today, a group of 600 freedom-loving men and women set out on a march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, calling for an end to discrimination and violence against African Americans.

Among those peaceful protesters was Congressman John Lewis, a truly great civil rights leader and my good friend.

Only six blocks from the church where the march began, they were met at the Edmund Pettus Bridge by police dogs, fire hoses and billy clubs.

The terrible violence of that day – known as Bloody Sunday – was broadcast across the country.

March 1965 marked a turning point in the Civil Rights movement, as Americans cried out against the injustice and bloodshed they saw on television.

Later that month, more than 25,000 courageous souls finally completed the 12-mile march from Selma to Montgomery that began on Bloody Sunday.

And six months later President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Last year, I was privileged to lock arms with Congressman Lewis and Congressman Jim Clyburn, two men whom I admire deeply, as we reenacted the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

It was a humbling experience, and one I will never forget.

On this day, I think we should all pause to recognize that, that while we have come a long way together, we still have a long way to go to guarantee the civil rights of every American.

“Today we remember Dr. King, a great American leader who worked tirelessly for a better world and a just nation. He fought with all his might to change the status quo, to prove we could become a better people. We continue that fight today with his actions and beliefs deeply embedded into our minds.

“I applaud those in Nevada and around the country who are volunteering today to help their fellow citizens. I can think of no better way than through service to others to honor Dr. King, a man who measured people by their stance during ‘times of challenge and controversy,’ not when life is easy. By that standard, Nevadans and Americans across this country have stood strong and tall as they fight to keep their jobs, stay in their homes and weather the tough economic times that we’re slowly putting behind us.

“His message continues to resonate today as income gaps grow and injustices remain. Yet we continue marching ahead, knowing that only through persistence will we realize Dr. King’s dream of a becoming a greater people, and having a better nation and a finer world to live in.”

“Today our nation lost a man whose name was synonymous with courage and dedication. Despite beatings, arrests and even assassination attempts, Rev. Shuttlesworth knew giving up was not an option as he marched and demonstrated for equality in the Alabama of the 1960s. ‘Indomitable’ is how Dr. King rightfully described him.

“Because of Rev. Shuttleworth’s tenacity, and that of many other heroes, today millions of Americans of every background enjoy the rights and liberties our founding fathers envisioned. My thoughts, and those of a grateful nation, are with his family tonight.”