miss, be sure to tweet it to us. that's it for this week's show. thanks to my panel and to all of you for watching. i'm stuart varney. catch me weekdays on "varney & company" on the fox business network. we hope you can join us next week. fox news alert, we are waiting for president obama to speak in just a moment. thousands of people gathering in selma, alabama, to mark a turning point in our nation's history five decades ago today. it was march 7, 1965, a peaceful march across a short bridge turning terribly violent. iconic moment in the fight for civil rights and the right to vote. hello, everyone. welcome to america's news headquarters, i'm gregg jarrett in for kelly wright. >> president obama arrived moments ago. we'll of course bring you his remarks live as they happen. the march of course started 50

years ago today. on what became known as bloody sunday when a police attacked hundreds of protesters and martin luther king, jr., went on to organize demonstrations all across the country in a fight for the right of african-americans. let's go first to fox's jonathan serrie. he joins us now live in selma, alabama. hi there, jonathan. >> reporter: hi, there, julie. in fact, the march took place on this structure you see right behind me, the edmund pettus bridge. that's where president obama is expected to deliver his remarks just a few minutes from now. in addition to president obama and former president george w. bush, the event has drawn approximately 100 members of congress including representative john lewis who suffered severe beatings while marching here 50 years ago. thousands of visitors have descended on this small alabama town to relive history. >> i'm so excited. 50 years later to see to where

we have arrived to see the first black president it almost brings tears to my eyes. it's a great day. what would martin say if he were here today? >> residents and visitors gathered at the brown chapel a&e church. it was a rallying cry including for martin luther king jr. we found out what the movement needs to accomplish 50 years later. >> as we assemble this weekend to celebrate i don't know that we can celebrate without legislating. we need legislation that makes it easier to vote and not more difficult. as in some communities that seems to be the case >> reporter: and we're told that on the flight to alabama, the president signed a bill awarding the congressional gold medal to those foot soldiers who marched

on this bridge on bloody sunday. the following march that came to be known as turn around tuesday and then the final voting rights march from selma to montgomery in 1965. gregg and julie? >> jonathan er is jonathan serrie, thank you. police shoot and kill a 19-year-old african-american man. >> black lives matter! >> the crowd gathered friday night chanting black lives matter. police who were responding to calls of a man acting erratically in traffic say officers shot the suspect after he assaulted one of them. so far, police not releasing the name of that man. family however, are identifying himself as tony terrell robinson, jr. they say he was unarmed when he was shot. the criminal investigation is now looking into this case. walter mondale has been released from a hospital after being treated for the flu. he's doing fine right now.

he was supposed to introduce former president jimmy carter at the annual nobel peace prize forum yesterday. but he was admitted to the mayo clinic in minnesota after it was found he had flu. general martin dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff said he believes that government forces will push isis out of the key iraqi city. meanwhile, isis continues its destructive campaign, bulldozing an ancient archaeological site in hatra. it's said to have withstood roman invasion in the second century. well a train carrying crude oil derailing in ontario canada. police there say some of the cars actually caught fire and then fell over into the river

below. no injuries have been reported. it happened early this morning, two miles southwest of ontario. this comes as recent train derailments in the united states and canada increase. one derailed in tennessee and burst in flames. tomorrow marks one year since malaysia airlines flight 370 vanished without a trace. searchers are still searching. and at the time it was carrying 239 people on board. malaysia's transport minister said if they don't find something by the end of may they'll go back to the drawing board and come one a brand new plan. that flight was en route from kuala lumpur to beijing when it veered off course and disappeared. a security lockdown at the white house it was caused by a

fire apparently at a vendor cart on a nearby street this morning. security officers investigating a suspicious vehicle. it delayed president obama's departure to selma alabama, by about an hour. no injuries have been reported and the secret service lifted the lockdown before noon. >> you know with all the exits from the white house for the president you would think that they could have gone out the back side. >> yeah. >> but apparently not. >> no absolutely not. how many entrances do you think the white house has? >> that we know about? >> exactly. >> the ones we don't know that -- >> i like to know that the president is much like me. about an hour late to a huge event. >> she got on the set 30 seconds before air. >> no it was 2 1/2 minutes. >> with an entourage. you should have seen it all. >> i'm not speaking in selma though. at least i got here on time. all right, let's move on. iran and international negotiators making progress in a nuclear deal, but will an agreement really ensure that iran never gets the bomb?

>> all of us have an interest in making certain that the countries in the region feel sufficiently convinced that this agreement is meaningful. that it will hold.

international negotiators ironing out the kinks as they get closer to a nuclear deal with iran. the islamic's vice president said that the roadblocks have been cleared but john kerry said there are still gaps to close, adding that the u.s. and europe are on the same page to talking and taking steps to ensure that iran doesn't get a nuclear

weapon. stephen sigmund, senior adviser for global group and brad, let me ask you first. the next round of nuclear talks is set to begin march 15th. when president obama first took office some six years ago, he was criticized by a lot of democrats saying that he wanted to ensue direct talks with ahmadinejad and he believed that would ink a deal. here we are six years later no deal and still talking. what is it going to take to change? >> well, what's going to change is that the fact that obama is now going to handcuff the next american president by making a very bad deal that the next president is going to be bound to. look, iran has never honored any of their obligations. as a matter of fact, they waited the clock on obama and they keep energizing their nuclear program and exbanding on it. remember, the president said in 2009 they're on the verge of obtaining a nuclear weapon. certainly we are six years closer to that and iran knows

they have a president who is weak and desperately needs this deal more than they do. this is not nixon's break through with china. this is neville chamberlain's appeasement to hitler. >> okay stephen? what are you laughing about? >> i'm laughing because the absurdity of that analogy. i mean, really. comparing those two is really outrageous. >> why? he says he want to destroy israel and the united states. >> hold on you talked for three minutes. >> go on. >> the obama administration has already had interimagreements that have stopped the progression of any kind of potential nuclear weapon in iran. you have the six most powerful countries on earth all working together to get an agreement that's a good agreement to stop iran from getting the nuclear weapon and making sure we can inspect at any time. that's why they're all doing it together. that's why it would be an agreement that would actually lead to a more peaceful world and more peaceful middle east, and, you know, i can understand the prime minister of israel coming here this week and

having, you know, protecting the interest of israel, but remember the congressional republicans are bound to protect the constitution of the united states which makes the president the commander in chief, not the prime minister of israel. >> okay. so then you tell me then, brad, you know this march deadline is looming. march 15th. what's going to change? what's going to happen? >> what's going to happen is obama is going to cave to the iranians. steve you can laugh all you want, but the iranians have stood up this week and had massive protests, death to america, death to israel. they seek israel's destruction. you don't have to take my word for it. that comes from the leadership of iran. you can laugh all you want. hitler did the same thing. and 60 million people were wiped off the face of the earth. if you don't think iran is going to get a weapon and use it either to threaten or to use, then you're not dealing with reality. so laugh, steve. >> what's the alternative? the alternative -- >> to allow them -- >> not to allow them to get the bomb. >> of course, that's what we're doing in this deal.

>> no, you're not. they haven't allowed inspections to date. >> there are six most powerful countries in the world that are all working together for this agreement and all think it's a good agreement. if it weren't then they wouldn't be doing that. you're talking about -- >> i disagree with you. >> france and china and russia and germany -- >> china and russia have our best interests at heart? >> they're working together -- >> no, they want us to make a bad deal, steve. they want nothing more than america to make a deal with iran. >> okay. >> what the republicans do over and over again is shift the goal line on the obama administration when it comes to foreign policy. whatever it is. we have already made agreements that have stopped the iranians from continuing -- >> okay. brad, hold on a second, you guys. let's say that russia has our best interests in mind. >> i'm saying they're all working together. >> let's hope so but where are -- what are they working toward? there are complaints -- >> an agreement that the iranians -- >> of course we know what -- we

know what they're working towards. but they have been working towards this for six years during this presidency. i won't say it's just president obama's administration that's unable to reach some sort of negotiation with iran because it happens under president bush. but the five permanent members germany and iran, have become more of an american iranian project. there are objections from france over certain provisions held up in the agreement that basically an interim deal with iran in november of 2013. let's to stop france from doing that again? >> well, what's going -- what would stop that is a strong u.s. president which we do not have. this president has been an abject failure all over the world. the middle east is in an entire melt down. he needs something or the his legacy and he believes a deal with iran that he can make is not a his problem anymore because he's the lamest of ducks. obama will have no effect in the enforcement of the deal he's going to make. >> i'll give you a legacy, okay?

osama bin laden is not alive anymore. the ukrainian and russia have actually had -- not a settlement, but have actually stopped the aggression. the mexican border crisis the republicans created has been stopped, okay? isis you have a middle eastern coalition -- >> isis is running circle -- >> coalition is fighting them. >> i wouldn't say that our situation on our borders has been stopped and that there aren't illegals fleeing into this country on a daily basis. >> of course, but many fewer than -- i didn't say they were under control. when ever there's a crisis and the obama administration responds to the crisis the republicans shifts the goal line. and in fact comparing the u.s. president and the actions of this president to stop iran from getting a nuclear weapon to neville chamberlain and saying that -- and comparing it to hitlerism, i mean, it's --

really outrageous. >> no, radical islamism is modern -- >> of course. exactly. he's working to stop it. all you guy have is rhetoric and bluster instead of actual action. >> no we don't have the power -- >> you control congress. >> guys, i have to wrap it up. stephen sigmund and brad blakeman we appreciate you coming on. thanks guys. well, this week we learned the results of two federal investigations in ferguson, missouri. the first into the city's police department. investigators say officers routinely violated the civil rights of african americans. now the second investigation into former ferguson police officer darren wilson who shot and killed the unarmed black teenager michael brown last year. he was cleared though of any civil rights violations. garrett tenny breaks down the findings for us.

>> reporter: for years police officers and court officials in ferguson missouri, have routinely violated the constitutional rights of african-americans. that's according to an investigation by the department of justice after the august shooting death of unarmed 18-year-old michael brown. in a scathing report while blacks make up two-thirds of the city's population, they account for 85% of all arrests. investigators found similar patterns in the city's municipal courts as well and say that the city was more focused on generating revenue through fines than on public safety. included in the report is evidence of the widespread racial prejudices are several e-mails from police and court officials sent from officials accounts during work hours. one e-mail sent shortly after the 2008 election stated that president obama wouldn't be president for very long because quote what black man holds a

steady job for many years? these bias practices contributed to a toxic environment according to the report. >> although some community perception of michael brown's tragic death may not have been accurate, the widespread conditions that these perceptions were based upon and the climate that gave rise to them were all too real. >> reporter: the justice department announcing it will not be filing criminal charges against former ferguson police officer darren wilson in the shooting death of michael brown. brown's family responded with a statement this afternoon reading in part -- while we are saddened by this decision we are encouraged that the doj will hold the ferguson police department accountable for the pattern of racial bias and profiling they found in their handling of interactions with people of color. the justice department has issued more than two dozen recommended changes for the city of ferguson including improved training and measures to reduce bias. if city leaders refuse to make the changes they'll be facing a

federal lawsuit. well, 50 years ago violence broke out on the bridge in selma alabama. we are awaiting for the president to address the crowd. remembering a turning point in civil rights. and digging out of record snowfall out of record snowfall all across the country. but mother nature finally giving us a little breather. we're going to check in with the fox extreme weather center coming up. and what happens when a private sit zenlcitizen finds herself the target of the federal government? fox news reporting "enemies of the state" here on fox news channel. four federal agencyies are looking at the englebrecks, the irs the atf, the fbi and osha. isn't it possible that this was all just a coincidence? >> wouldn't that be great? if you start stacking it all up and at some point, you know, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck. >> did you ever ask any of these agents or agencies why the

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turning back to selma, alabama, where the weather is fine for today's speeches and marches this weekend to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the civil rights marches there. in fact, much of the nation is getting a break from the freezing temperatures and here is janice dean in the fox news weather center. >> weekend after weekend we've been seeing very cold temperatures and storm after storm but i'm happy to report there is relief on the way. look at the map right now. all of the really cold air is bottled up in canada.

we still have some cold air seeping across the upper midwest and the great lakes and the northeast but across the south, 50s and 60s for a lot of folks. looking at the radar over the last 24 hours some annoying snow showers over the great lakes and the northeast, the interior northeast but this is not a big deal. just a few snowflakes here for the next 28 to 48 hours and then we'll see the temperatures on the rise and the period of melting as we get into next week. but let's take a look at where we're going to see some springtime showers turning into the potential for flooding over texas and louisiana and mississippi as we head into monday and tuesday, so a lot of moisture streaming in from the gulf of mexico. and the flood advisories will be posted certainly as we get into sunday and monday where we could see easily 3 to 6 inches of heavy rain and the potential for flooding. it's a good news story but too much of a good news thing could lead to some flood issues.. let's look at the temperatures. look, you see some 60s.

it gets even better as we work our way up to the mid-atlantic and the northeast and by tuesday upper 40s which will feel balmy here in new york city julie, back to you. >> wow. >> i don't miss the snow i have to say. >> i'll break out my bermuda shorts for that. >> good lord, keep those deep in your closet. >> i was once voted greatest legs. >> you should know better than to say that in my presence. seriously thousands gathering to remember an iconic moment in u.s. civil rights history. a bloody march across a bridge in selma, alabama, it was 50 years ago president obama is set to speak on it any moment now. defiance is in our bones. defiance never grows old. citracal maximum. easily absorbed calcium plus d. now in a new look.

a fox news alert we are waiting to hear right now from president obama on this 50th anniversary of the selma march. he has now attended. he is there and waiting to speak. tens of thousands of people are gathered in selma alabama, today to commemorate what would become a watershed moment for the civil rights movement. there you see president obama alongside him his wife michelle obama the first lady. today, though, is about paving the way for the voting rights act just months later. hello, everyone, welcome to a brand-new hour of america's news headquarters. >> it was 50 years ago the first of three separate marches from selma, alabama, to the state

capitol, montgomery. the day known as bloody sunday. we are live at selma, alabama, jonathan jonathan, set the scene there. quite the dignitaries on stage. >> reporter: yes, yes. many dignitaries indeed. alabama governor robert bentley has been speaking at the podium and just minutes from now we're expecting to hear from the president addressing this crowd of thousands that have gathered at the base of the edmund pettus bridge. what you see behind me which became an iconic structure of the civil rights movement, synonymous with the bloody sunday protest 50 years ago. in addition to president obama and former president george w. bush who you saw there on the stage the event has drawn approximately 100 member of congress including representative john lewis who suffered severe beatings while marching here in selma 50 years ago and thousand of visitors have descended on this small alabama town to relive history. among them linda blackmon lowery one of the original marchers who

at the young age of 14 was beaten on that very bridge. listen. >> some of the emotions are very, very hurtful and very open still now almost 50 years. and by talking about it i think i've dealt with most of them, but sometimes i can be talking about it and just start crying. >> reporter: and we're told that on the flight to alabama president obama signed a bill awarding the congressional gold medal to those who marched across this very bridge behind me back in 1965. those who marched for equal voting rights. greg and julie back to you. >> all right, jonathan, thanks very much. a high-stakes political test in iowa today turning now to politics, at the state's first-ever agriculture summit. featuring high profile speakers and questions and answers and sessions with potential republican presidential

candidates as they each test the political waters. mike aman joins us live from des moines. hey, mike. >> reporter: hi, we're months away from the voters going to the caucuses but they packed the house here today at this iowa ag summit to hear from likely republican presidential hopefuls. let's take a live look at the event. it's been essentially a packed house for much of the day. suggesting that iowa voters take their role as the first in the nation caucus state very seriously. the republicans considering running for president have been interviewed on a range of policy topics. jep bush, chris christie, ted cruz mike huckabee, rick perry, rick santorum and scott walker are all here which suggests they believe this event is important and they want to make a good early impression. several other potential contenders weighed in our nation's immigration problem. >> canada has more economic immigrants than we do and we're ten times their size. if we want to be young and

dynamic and growing again where the debate isn't about who's taking from whom rather than have an expanding pie where opportunities exist for all of us. >> if you're coming because you hear there is free food free driver's license you might even get to vote, and we'll also give you a free education and free health care, then i think we need to say do you know what, it may not be a good fit. >> reporter: the democrat in the room if you will has been former secretary of state hillary clinton who is a likely presidential candidate on the other side. texas senator ted cruz took this swipe at her personal e-mail scandal -- >> the allegations that have been raised against hillary clinton appear very serious and on the fails of it it certainly seems that her conduct was in substantial tension with if not in clear viceolation of federal law and so there needs to be an investigation as to whether she violated the criminal laws of

the united states. and that role should apply to her just as it applies to everyone else in america. >> reporter: the closer if you will of the major republican contenders is scott walker. the wisconsin governor. early polling and it is very early subjectggests he has a big edge as a neighboring governor. expectations are high and we look forward to hearing from him in a bit. >> mike emanuel, thank you very much. greg? the top u.s. military general is expecting iraqi troops to win the battle against isis in the city of tikrit. chairman of the joint chiefs of staff general martin dempsey saying 23,000 iraqi soldiers and iranian-backed militias are involved in this offensive while isis has just a few hundred fighters. in the meantime, isis reportedly destroying the ancient archaeological site in northern iraq. witnesses say the bulldozers

began demolishes the world heritage site. john huddy is live in our mideast bureau with the latest. john? >> this isn't the first time that isis militants have done this. you may remember last month they destroyed priceless art facts and relics. we're talking about statues and archaeological sites in mosul and in and around mosul and if they continue to go south as they're doing at this point, they're going to meet resistance, however, because the fight continues to rage on for control of teikrittikrit. tikrit, we've been talking about this, is about 140 miles south of mosul and east of aislel baghadi. and the u.s., however, is sitting out in the fight for tikrit. the u.s. is sitting on the sideline because iranian forces are involved with the training and advising and also the arming of those iraqi and shiite

militia fighters. iran is not believed to be involved in the actual ground fight. the ground offensive. however, iranian media is reporting that the general leading the overall operation is the commander of iran's qods force. the involvement in iraq is a concern for many countries including the united states. now, shifting gears going over to libya. we're getting some breaking news regarding isis militants attacking an oil field in libya. and at this point the austrian foreign ministry says that nine people are accounted for including an austrian, one czech and seven others who are non-eu citizens. this is not the first time that isis has attacked various locations in libya. remember, in libya isis militants executed 21 coptic

christians so this is a big concern about isis now rearing its head in libya as well as iraq. of course, and syria as well, greg. >> all right, john huddy reporting on two stories there, john. thanks very much. and we are awaiting president obama momentarily to speak in selma, alabama, marking a watershed moment in our nation's history of civil rights. we're going to bring you his remarks live when they began. and breaking information in the killing of a russian opposition leader. authorities taking custody now two suspects. also new jersey senator bob menendez says he's not going anywhere. but could he? a full report as the justice department prepares to bring criminal corruption charges against him. and wisconsin governor scott walker promising to sign a right to work bill on monday. not everybody is behind the governor, so is this bill more political or economical? >> right to work is as simple a

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a fox news alert. we're watching for president obama to step in front of the microphones and cameras.

there you see congressman john lewis of georgia who took part 50 years ago today in the selma march to alabama. to montgomery, alabama. they did not get very far, about 600 protesters to promote voting rights for african-americans but they were set upon and attacked by alabama state troopers and others on the bridge. and this stage is at the foot of that bridge 50 years later. let's listen to representative john lewis who will be introducing the president of the united states. >> down the sidewalk. not interfering with the free flow of trade and commerce. not interfering with traffic. with a kind of military discipline we were so peaceful, so quiet, no one saying a word.

we were beaten, tear gassed some of us was left bloody right here on this bridge. 17 hospitalized that day. but we never became bitter or hostile. we kept believing that the truth we stood for would help define us there. this city on the banks of the alabama river gave birth to a movement that changed this nation forever. our country will never, ever be the same because of what happened on this bridge. eight days after the bloody sunday, the president of the united states lyndon baines johnson delivered one of the most meaningful speeches ever

made by any president on the question of voting rights. he said, the time for justice has come. i believe sincerely that no force can hold it back. it is right in the eyes of man and god that it should come. he said at times history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man's unending search for freedom. he went on to say, so it was at lexington and concord, so it was at upper madison so it was in selma, alabama. each of us must go back to our homes after this celebration and build on the legacy of the march from 1965.

the selma movement says we can all do something. so i say to you, don't give up on the things that have great meaning to you. don't get lost in a sea of despair. stand up for what you believe. because in the final analysis, we're one people one family the human family. we all live in the same house. the american house. we're black. we're white. we are hispanic. asian american. native american. but we're one people. thank you.

my beloved brothers and sisters, it is a great honor for me to return to my home state of alabama to present to you not to introduce to you, but to present to you the president of the united states. if someone had told me when we were crossing this bridge that one day i would be back here introducing the first african-american president i would have sewed you're crazy, you're out of your mind, you don't know what you're talking about. president barack obama!

>> well, you know i love you back. it is a rare honor in this life to follow one of your heroes. and john lewis is one of my heroes. now, i have to imagine that when a younger john lewis woke up that morning 50 years ago and made his way to brown chapel heroics were not on his mind.

a day like this was not on his mind. young folks with bed rolls and backpacks were milling about. veterans of the movement trained newcomers in the tactics of nonviolence the right way to protect yourself when attacked. a doctor described what tear gas does to the body. while marchers scribbled down instructions for contacting their loved ones. the air was thick. and they comforted themselves with the final verse of the final hymn they sung. "god will take care of you.

lean, weary ones, upon his breast, god will take care of you." and then his knapsack stocked with an apple a toothbrush, and a book on government all you need for a night behind bars john lewis led them out of the church on a mission to change america. president and mrs. bush governor bentley mayor evans congresswoman sewell, reverend strong members of congress elected officials, foot soldiers soldiers, friends fell he americans. as john noted, there are places

and moments in america where this nation's destiny has been decided. many are sites of war. concord and lexington, ap poe mat tax, gettysburg they are sites of america's character. independent falls and seneca falls, kitty hawk and cape canaveral. selma is such a place. in one afternoon 50 years ago so much of our turbulent history history the state of slavery and anguish of civil war the yoke of segregation and tyranny of jim crow, the deaths of four little girls in birmingham and

the dream of a baptist breecher. all that history met on this bridge. it was not a clash of armies but a clash of wills. a contest to determine the true meaning of america. and because of men and women like john lewis, joseph lowery jose williams amelia buntham, diane nash, ralph abernathy, c.t. vivian, andrew young fred shuttlesworth dr. martin luther king jr., so many others, the idea of a just america and a fair america, an inclusive america and a generous america that idea ultimately triumphed.

now, as is true across the landscape of american history we cannot examine this moment in isolation. the march on selma was part of a broader campaign that spanned generations. the leaders that day part of a long line of heroes. we gather here to celebrate them. we gather here to honor the courage of ordinary americans willing to endure billy clubs and the chastening rods, 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. they did as scripture instructed rejoice and hope, be patient in tribulation be

constant in prayer. and in the days to come, they went back again and again. when the trumpet call sounded for more to join, the people came. black and white. young and old. christian and jew. waving the american flag. singing the same anthems full of faith and hope. a white newsman bill plant who covered the marches then and is with us here today quipped the growing number of white people lowered the quality of the singing. to those who marched, though, those old gospel songs must have never sounded so sweet. in time their chorus would well up and reach president johnson.

and he would send them protection. and speak to the nation echoing their call for america and the world to hear -- we shall overcome. what enormous faith these men and women had. faith in god but also faith in america. the americans who crossed this bridge, they were not physically imposing, but they gave courage to millions. they held no elected office, but they led a nation. they marched as americans who had endured hundreds of years of brutal violence countless daily indignities but they didn't seek special treatment, just the equal treatment promised to them almost a century before.

what they did hear will reverberate through the ages. not because the change they won was preordained not because their victory was complete but because they proved that nonviolent change is possible. that love and hope can conquer hate. as we commemorate their achievement, we are well served to remember that at the time of the marches many in power condemned rather than praised them. back then they were called communists or half-breeds or outside agitators, sexual and more dejen rats and worse, they

were called everything but the name their parents gave them. their faith was questioned, their lives were threatened their patriotism challenged. and yet what could be more american than what happened in this place? what could more profoundly vindicate the idea of america? than plain and humble people unsungs, the downtrodden the dreamers not of high stations, not born to wealth or privilege not of one religious tradition but many, coming together to shape their country's course. what greater expression of faith in the american experiment than this? what greater form of patriotism is it than the belief that america is not yet finished. that we are strong enough to be

self-critical, that each successive generation can look upon our imperfections and decide that it is in our power to remake this nation to more closely align with our highest ideals. that's why selma's not some outlier in the person experience. that's why it's not a museum or a static monument to behold from a distance. it is instead the manifestation of a creed written into our founding documents. we the people, in order to form a more perfect union we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. these are not just words. they're a living thing. a call to action.

a roadmap for citizenship and an insistence in the capacity of free men and women to shape our own destiny. for founders like franklin and jefferson, for leaders like lincoln and fdr, the success of our experiment in self-government rested on engaging all of our citizens in this work. and that's what we celebrate here in selma. that's what this movement was all about. one leg in our long journey toward freedom. the american instinct that led these young men and women to pick up the torch and cross this bridge, that's the same instinct that moved patriots to choose revolution over tyranny. it's the same instinct that drew immigrants from across oceans and the rio grande. the same ingstincts to lead women

to reach for the ballot, the same instinct that led us to plant a flag at iwo jima and on the surface of the moon. the idea held by generations of citizens who believe that america is a constant work in progress. who believe that loving this country requires more than singing its praises or avoiding uncomfortable truths. it requires the occasional disruption, the willingness to speak out for what is right to shake up the status quo. that's america. that's what makes us unique! that's what cements our reputation as a beacon of opportunity. young people behind the iron curtain would see selma and eventually tear down that wall. young people in soweto would hear bobby kennedy talk about

ripples of hope and eventually ban the scourge of apartheid. young people in burma went to prison rather than submit to military rule. they saw what john lewis had done. from the streets of tunis to the ukraine, young people can draw strength from this place. where powerless could change the greatest power and push their leaders to expand the boundaries of freedom. they saw that idea made real right here in selma, alabama. they saw that idea manifest itself here in america. because of campaigns like this the voting rights act was passed. political and economic and social barriers came down and the change these men and women wrought is visible here today in the presence of african-americans who run

boardrooms, who sit on the bench, who serve in elected office from small towns to big cities, from the congressional black caucus all the way to the oval office. because of what they did. the doors of opportunity swung open not just for black folks but for every american.h those doors, latinos marched through those doors, asian americans gay americans, americans with disabilities they all came through those doors. their endeavors gave the entire south the chance to rise again, not by reasserting the past but by transscending the past. what a glorious thing, dr. king might say. and what a solemn debt we owe.

which leads us to ask just how might we repay that debt. first and foremost, we have to recognize that one day's commemoration no matter how special is not enough. if selma taught us anything it's that our work is never done. the american experiment in self-government gives work and purpose to each generation. selma teaches us as well that action requires that we shed our cynicism. when it comes to the pursuit of justice, we can afford neither complacency nor despair. you know, just this week i was asked whether i thought the department of justice's ferguson report shows that with respect to race little has changed in this country. and i understood the question.

the report's narrative was sadly familiar. it evoked the kind of abuse and disregard for citizens that spawned the civil rights movement. but i rejected the notion that nothing's changed. what happened in ferguson may not be unique, but it's no longer endemic it's no longer sanctioned by law and custom. and before the civil rights movement it most surely was. we do a disservice to the cause of justice by intimating that bias and discrimination are immutable. that racial division is inherent in america. if you think nothing's changed in the past 50 years, ask somebody who lived through the selma or chicago or los angeles of the 1950s. ask the female ceo who once might have been assigned to the secretarial pool if nothing's changed.

ask uruguay friend if it's easier to be out and proud in america than it was 30 years ago. to deny this progress this hard-won progress our progress would be to rob us of our own agency, our own capacity, our responsibility to do what we can to make america better. of course a more common mistake is to suggest that ferguson is an isolated incident, that racism is banished. that the work that drew men and women to selma is now complete and that whatever racial tensions remain are a consequence of those seeking to play the race card for their own purposes. we don't need a ferguson report to know that's not true. we just need to open our eyes and our ears and our hearts to know that this nation's racial

history still cast its long shadow upon us. we know the march is not yet over. we know the race is not yet won. we know that reaching that blessed destination where we are judged, all of us, by the content of our character requires admitting as much, facing up to the truths. we are capable of bearing a great burden james baldwin once wrote. once we discover that the burden is reality and arrive where reality is. there's nothing america can't handle if we actually look squarely at the problem. and this is work for all americans. not just some. not just whites. not just blacks. if we want to honor the courage of those who marched that day,

then all of us are called to possess their moral imagination. all of us will need to feel as they did the fierce urgency of now. all of us need to recognize as they did that change depends on our actions. on our attitudes. the things we teach our children. and if we make such an effort no matter how hard it may sometimes seem, laws can be passed, and consciences can be stirred and consensus can be built. with such an effort, we can make sure our criminal justice system serves all and not just some. together we can raise the level of mutual trust that policing is built on. the idea that police officers are members of the community they risk their lives to protect and citizens in ferguson and new york and cleveland, they just want the same thing young people marched here 50 years ago, the

protection of the law. together we can address unfair sentencing and overcrowded prisons and the stunted circumstances that rob too many boys of the chance to become men and rob the nation of too many men who could be good dads and good workers and good neighbors. with effort we can roll back poverty and the roadblocks to opportunity. you know, americans don't accept a free ride from anybody. nor do we believe in equality of outcomes, but we do expect equal opportunity. and if we really mean it if we're not just giving lip service to it but if we really mean it and are willing to sack files for it yes, we can make sure that every child gets an education suitable to this new century, one that expands imagination and lifts sights and

giveses those children the skills they need. we can mash sure that every person willing to work has the dignity of a job and a fair wage and a real voice and sturdier rungs on that ladder to the middle-class. and with effort we can protect the foundation sown of our democracy for which so many marched across that bridge and that is the right to vote. right now, in 2015, 50 years after selma there are laws across this country designed to make it harder for people to vote. as we speak, more such laws are being proposed. meanwhile the voting rights act the culmination of so much blood, so much sweat and tears, the product of so much sacrifice

in the face of wanton violence the voting rights act stands weakened. and future subject to political rancor. how can that be? the voting rights act was one of the crowning achievements of our democracy. the result of republican and democratic efforts. president reagan signed its renewal when he was in office. president george w. bush signed its renewal when he was in office, 100 members of congress have come here today to honor people who were willing to die for the right to protect it. if we want to hon they are day let that 100 go back to washington and gather 400 more and together pledge to make it their mission to restore that law this year! that's how we honor those on this bridge.

of course, our democracy is not the task of congress alone. or the courts alone. or even the president alone. if every new voter suppression law was struck down today, we would still have here in america one of the lowest voting rates among free people. 50 years ago registering to vote here in selma and much of the south meant guessing the number of jellybeans in a jar. the number of bubbles on a bar of soap. it meant risking your dignity and sometimes your life. what's our excuse today for not voting? how do we so casually discard the right for which so many fought? how do we so fully give away our power, our voice, in shaping

america's future? why are we pointing to somebody else when we could take the time just to go to the polling places? we give away our power. fellow marchers, so much has changed in 50 years. we have endured war and we fashioned peace. we've seen technological wonders that touch every aspect of our lives. we take for granted conveniences that our parents could have scarcely imagined. but what has not changed is the imperative of citizenship. that willingness of a 26-year-old deacon or a unitarian minister or a young mother of five to decide they loved this country so much that they'd risk everything to

realize its promise. that's what it means to love america. that's what it means to believe in america. that's what it means when we say america is exceptional. for we were born of change. we broke the old aristocracy declaring ourselves entitled, not by bloodlines but endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights. we secure our rights and responsibilities to a system of self-government of and by and for the people. that's why we argue and fight with so much passion and conviction because we know our efforts matter. we know america is what we make of it. look at our history. we are lewis and clark and sack

ka and entrepreneurs and hucksters. that's our spirit. that's who we are. we're fannie mae miller and susan b. anthony that shook the system until the law reflected that truth. that is our character. we're the immigrants who stowed away on ships to reach these shores. the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. holocaust survivors. soviet keydefectors, the lost boys of sudan. we're the hopeful strivers who crossed the rio grande because we want our kids to know a better life. that's how we came to be. we're the slaves who built the white house. and the economy of the south. we're the ranch hands and cowboys who opened up the west.

the countless laborers who laid rail and raised skyscrapers and organized for workers rights. we're the fresh-faced gis who fought to liberate a continent and we're the tuskegee airmen and the navajo code talkers and the japanese americans who fought for this country even as their own liberty had been denied. we're the firefighters who rushed into those buildings on 9/11. the volunteers who signed up to fight in afghanistan and iraq. we're the gay americans who blood ran in the streets of san francisco and new york just as blood ran down this bridge. we are storytellers writers, poets, artists who abhor unfairness and despise hypocrisy and give voice to the voiceless and tell truths that need to be told. we're the inventors of gospel and jazz and blues. bluegrass and country and

hip-hop and rock 'n' roll and our very own sound with all the sweet sorrow and reckless joy of freedom. we are jackie robinson enduring scorn and cleats and pitches coming straight to his head and stealing home in the world series anyway. we are the people langston hughes wrote of who built our temples for tomorrow strong as we know how. we are the people emerson wrote of, who for truth and honor's sake stand fast and suffer long who are never tired so long as we can see far enough. that's what america is. not stock photos or airbrushed history or feeble attempts to define some of us as more american than others.

we respect the past but we don't pine for the past. we don't fear the future. we grab for it. america's not some fragile thing. we are large in the words of whitten containing multitudes. we are boisterous and full of energy perpetually young in spirit. that's why someone like john lewis at the ripe old age of 25 could lead the march. and that's what the young people here today and listening all across the country must take away from this day. you are america. unconstrained by habit and convention. unencumbered by what is because you're ready to seize what out to be. for everywhere in this country there are first steps to be

taken. there's new ground to cover. there's more bridges to be crossed. and it is you, the young and fearless at heart, the most diverse and educated generation in our history, who the nation is waiting to follow. because selma shows us that america's not the project of any one person. because the single most powerful word in our democracy is the word "we." we, the people. we shall overcome. yes, we can. that word is owned by no one. it belongs to everyone. oh 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 jobs easier because somebody already got us through that first mile. somebody already got us over that bridge. when it feels the road's too hard, when the torch we've been passed feels 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 strengths." "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 walk so we could run. we must run so our children soar, and we will not grow weary for be believe in the power of

an awesome god and we believe in this country's sacred promise. may he bless those worries of justice no longer with us and blels bless the >> president of the united states at the foot of the bridge, the famous bridge, the scene of bloody sunday 50 years ago today. selma, alabama. as hundreds of marchers made their way across the bridge they were ordered by state troopers in alabama to disperse. they did not. they were entitled to be there by court order. nevertheless, ttacked by those troopers. a great many people were seriously injured. among them, congressman standing there near the president of the united states john lewis, who introduced the president. george w. bush is there as well. he renewed what was a vote from that day 50 years ago the

voting rights act, which the department of justice regards as the most important and effective act of civil rights legislation in the last 50 years. somebody who felt the violence of that era and recalled that day the niece of dr. martin luther king, jr. she wasn't there. she didn't march in selma. her father did and of course her famous uncle later, but her home was bombed two years earlier. so she certainly knows well the events of that era and she joins me now. it it's a pleasure to have dr. alvita king, director of african-american outreach for priests for life and a fox news contributor. reverend, thank you so much for being with us. it was interesting, it was a very eloquent speech beautifully written. what caught my attention at one point, and there are a great many fine points to be made, but the president said i reject the notion that nothing has changed

in 50 years. prejudice and discrimination back then, he said, were endemic. they are not now, they are more the exception than the rule. would you agree? >> i listened very intently to the president and to congressman lewis. i could almost see my father there on that edmund pettus bridge on bloody sunday with congressman lewis and so many others, josea williams, and my heart is deeply touched. i also heard what the president did not say. of course, many things have changed and we can admit that and we are glad that some things have changed. i'm so delighted that we can all vote. this is america and i urge everyone to get out and vote. however, what the president did not say, there's a whole group of people, over 55 million, who have been denied the right to vote because they have been

denied the right to live. the little babies in the womb. legally what has changed in the last 50 years, 55 million babies have legally lost their lives by abortion and denied the right to vote and yet the largest abortion provider planned parenthood, is getting $2 million from our tax dollars every day. that's one thing that has changed. however, i believe that it's very important for the young people to know and i'm not going to play the race card, i'm going to play the in god we trust card, i'm going to play the one nation under god card and say young people, you have a right to life, you have a right to liberty, you have a right to the pursuit of happiness. the doors of opportunity are open. we must vote to ensure that every american, born or unborn can come through those doors.

so some things have changed. some things have not. >> you know, it has been a long five decades since the events back then. you recall your father coming home from selma 50 years ago today. how did he describe what happened that awful day? >> he said, you know he talked about it. he said i'm okay i'm okay. he had been hit and knocked down, but daddy was very prayerful. he said they beat josea so bad they beat john lewis so bad, and i said daddy, what about you. he said i'm okay, i'm okay. he had been beat but he was prayerful. they were ready to go back. he met aunt coretta on the bridge, they marched together and they remained very prayerful. i went to jail during those years as well. our home was bombed during those years. i went to school with a young lady who lost her life at the

16th street church. so it was a tumultuous time. that's why i say it's so important, young people, vote, live, pursue happiness vote and live a better life. you can do that. we, many of us, gave everything we have so that you today can experience this. you know, my uncle m.l. said, martin luther king said we must learn to live together as brothers and i add as sisters or perish as fools. daddy said some people care more about making a living than making a life. so i want to encourage everyone to move ahead. yes, vote. yes, move ahead. yes, there is hope in america. >> we only have a few seconds left, but the president did bring up ferguson. but again he said and i will quote him here, what happened in ferguson may not be unique but

it's no longer endemic and before the civil rights movement, it most surely was. bringing this back full circle. was the president right about that? >> ferguson is symptomatic across america. we need more love, more equality. let's make the world better. it is systemic but there is hope and even ferguson, it's not over yet. there's hope for america. >> reverend, thank you very much for being with us. thank you. >> thank you. julie? >> still ahead, the reverend jesse jackson joins us from selma.

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continuing coverage now of the president's speech at the foot of the edmund pettus bridge in selma, alabama. it is the 50th anniversary of the bloody sunday march. welcome to a brand new hour inside america's news headquarters. i'm arthel neville. >> hello i'm eric shawn. an historic event and gathering going on as you see live right now at the foot of that bridge in selma, alabama. as thousands gathering to commemorate that day 50 years ago today when 600 people bravely stood up in the face of hatred and violence and demanded the right to vote and honoring them, of course the first