00:00All of those watching today, when they ask what do we do in this moment, I feel helpless.
00:07What action can I take?
00:08It is time for the North to pull up to the South.
00:13It is time for New York to pull up to Alabama.
00:18It is time for all of us to come to Georgia, to Louisiana, to Tennessee, to Mississippi,
00:25and let them know exactly what they have on court with this injustice.
00:31They think they can draw us out of power.
00:34They do not know the sleeping giant that they just awakened.
00:39How's it going, Montgomery?
00:45Microphones here. There's a lot of them.
00:47I love you, too.
00:54How are we all doing today?
00:59I'm so grateful to be here in this moment and in this fight alongside each and every one of you,
01:07shoulder to shoulder, as we fight to continue the legacy and expand upon that of Montgomery, Alabama.
01:17I was with Senator Warnock last Sunday, and we were at Ebenezer Church in Atlanta.
01:27And after his beautiful sermon, Senator Warnock took me to the original Ebenezer that Martin Luther King Jr.
01:38had preached at and had organized in.
01:42And we sat inside that sanctuary.
01:48And what had struck me was how small it was.
01:53And Senator Warnock turned to me, and he said,
01:57this sanctuary only fit 300 people.
02:02And he said, Congresswoman, can you believe that this sanctuary of just 300 people changed the world?
02:15Those 300 congregants at Ebenezer Baptist Church turned into those congregants at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church right behind us here
02:26today.
02:28And from Dr. King's work right here on Dexter Avenue, we saw the launch of the Montgomery bus boycotts.
02:38And it was right here in Montgomery where we saw some of the most cruel repression in the history of
02:46America,
02:47where we also saw the highest angels of American history rise to create our democracy.
02:56Because it wasn't until the Voting Rights Act of 19—it wasn't until the Voting Rights Act that was passed
03:04that we even had a democracy in this country.
03:09There was no democracy in America until every human being born here was guaranteed and protected the right to vote.
03:19But we know what happened after those bus boycotts.
03:24And we know what happened on the trail to make sure that we got that legislation passed.
03:30Because with every expansion, there is an attempt at regression.
03:35This Supreme Court under Justice Roberts is part of that long history of regression and repression in America.
03:45But they do not triumph, Montgomery. You triumph, Montgomery.
03:51And I am here today because I want to make sure that we all understand that Montgomery is not alone.
04:00That you all are not alone.
04:03And for all of those watching today, when they ask what do we do in this moment,
04:09I feel helpless, what action can I take?
04:13It is time for the North to pull up to the South.
04:18It is time for New York to pull up to Alabama.
04:22It is time for all of us to come to Georgia, to Louisiana, to Tennessee, to Mississippi,
04:29and let them know exactly what they have uncorked with this injustice.
04:35They think they can draw us out of power.
04:38They do not know the sleeping giant that they just awakened.
04:44Because it is not a coincidence, and our whole country must understand,
04:49that it was not until voting rights were ratified in this country that we got the great society.
04:55Because when black Americans have the right to vote and that vote is protected,
05:01our schools get funded.
05:03When voting rights are protected, health care gets expanded.
05:08When voting rights are protected, our country moves forward.
05:13And Montgomery, that is what they are actually afraid of.
05:17They are afraid of us coming together.
05:19They are afraid of us protecting one another.
05:22Alabama is the crucible.
05:25Georgia is the crucible.
05:26Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi is the crucible.
05:30So if you are not from here, it is time to pull up.
05:35Because what they thought was the final blow is actually just the opening silo.
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