“President Lincoln once said that our nation was constantly on a path moving towards equal rights and freedom for all, and his words continue to guide me,” said Quigley. “I am so grateful for the opportunity to not only experience this trip, but to share the journey with a courageous civil rights warrior, Representative John Lewis. We cannot forget the struggles and remarkable victories of those before us, nor can we ever stop fighting discrimination, intolerance, or inequality of any kind.”
“This pilgrimage is about coming together, not as Democrats not as Republicans, but as Americans, men and women who believe somehow and some way that we can find a way to create the American Community. I am honored to have Rep. Quigley join us,” stated Civil Rights legend, Pilgrimage Chair, and U.S. Congressman John Lewis (GA).
Rep. Quigley, along with Congressman Lewis, will also be joined by noted Civil Rights leaders and Americans such as Dr. Douglas Brinkley, Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary), Dr. Bob Zellner, Bernard Lafayette, Bettie Mae Fikes, Carolyn McKinstry, and Dorothy Cotton on this year’s pilgrimage.
Led by the Faith and Politics Institute, the three day passage provides a living history and demonstrates the powerful role that spirituality and courage have played in shaping our nation’s history. Since 1998, The Faith & Politics Institute has led ten bipartisan, interfaith Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimages to Alabama. These journeys have afforded over 100 members of the U.S. House and Senate an experiential journey through the history of the American civil rights movement. Described by many participants as one of the most valuable experiences they have had while in Congress, the pilgrimages bring people together across political, religious and racial lines, offering opportunities for engaged and reflective dialogue on the value of the civil rights movement and its meaning for us today.
One of Quigley’s first acts in Congress was to co-sponsor the Civil Rights Oral History Project, a bill to support the ongoing efforts to document this critical period by collecting audio and video recordings and making first-hand testimonials available to the public. Quigley attended the bill signing in the Oval Office with Congressman Lewis.
You can experience the pilgrimage virtually on the Faith and Politics Institute website by clicking here.
About The FAITH & POLITICS INSTITUTE:
For seventeen years, The Faith & Politics Institute has served hundreds of members of Congress and congressional staff by offering experiential pilgrimages, reflection groups, retreats and public forums. In a world that is increasingly interconnected, we are dedicated to doing this work with the Congress because of their ties to a broad constituency and their leadership in local, national and global policy. Our belief is that our commitment to a relatively small but influential group of people will ultimately reach many.
– U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) today announced his participation in the historic 2011 Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage from March 4 – 6. The pilgrimage will include events, meetings, and tours in Birmingham, Selma and Montgomery, Alabama. The timing of the pilgrimage coincides with the anniversary of the historical Bloody Sunday march in 1965 and will include a commemorative reenactment of the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.