Local minister and his fraternity chapter honor Rep. John Lewis
Tim Derritt and Kevin Anderson, members of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity-Delta Beta Sigma alumni chapter, let go of their balloons during a balloon release in honor of U.S. Rep. John Lewis on Thursday outside the Oklahoma History Center. [CARLA HINTON PHOTOS/THE
The Rev. Jesse Jackson remembered being part of the crowd that gathered at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 2015 in Alabama to mark the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday.”
Jackson, pastor of East Sixth Street Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Oklahoma City, said he remembered President Barack Obama speaking at the anniversary event.
With the July 17 passing of U.S. Rep. John Lewis, Jackson also thought of Lewis and how he, too, spoke to the crowd.
Lewis, was one of the civil rights leaders and original Freedom Riders who led a group of marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965 on what became known as “Bloody Sunday” because of the violence the marchers suffered at the hands of Alabama state troopers.
“It was just powerful that day for him to be back in Selma,” Jackson, a Mississippi native, said.
The preacher shared his memories at a balloon release held to honor Lewis on Thursday outside the
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and Jay Decoteau, members of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity-Delta Beta Sigma alumni chapter, bow their head in prayer after releasing balloons in honor of U.S. Rep. John Lewis on Thursday outside the Oklahoma History Center.
Oklahoma History Center. Jackson and his Phi Beta Sigma-Delta Beta Sigma alumni chapter fraternity brothers released balloons in the fraternity's blue and white colors to celebrate Lewis' legacy as a civil rights activist.
“I'm happy that we can do this. It's a small thing but I think it was the least that we, his fraternity brothers here in Oklahoma, could do,” Jackson said. “I'm glad that we could celebrate in this way.”
Jay Decoteau of Edmond, chapter president, said the chapter has about 40 members who consider their frat brother Jackson a local civil rights activist. He said he was pleased when several members said they wanted to participate in the brief balloon release and ceremony honoring Lewis outside the history center. “As we all know, he was a Sigma. We wanted to do something to honor him,” Decoteau said.