knowing. so there was a different time then even though we were young. i was 11 but there were also 8, 9, and 10-year-olds. we already knew that we wanted a change for ourselves and for future generations. >> so talk to me about the strategy of children. children had been part of a birmingham strategy. they became part of a selma strategy. they were obviously part of the little rock children. we talk about young people. even dr. king himself was quite young throughout the movement. but i'm talking about children. with what were the strategies that you all were learning as young kids about what to do in moments like this? >> we knew that our parents' jobs would be jeopardized if they -- if we were arrested and they linked us to them. so taught us. my brother's one of the founding foot soldiers and he told me if you're going to be involved in

wrong. and really connecting the criminal justice system to public school education, to residential segregation, to lack of access to health care. all of these different things that we're dealing with. this is about small d democracy and the young people have been the biggest and the best, most eloquent arctic laters of what kind of meaning that citizenship would have in the 20th century. that harkens back to the committee that pushed this country to transform itself. >> i want to take us back on the ground there in selma to msnbc host melissa harris perry.

want to take you now to trymaine lee who is with the marchers. you'll be walking with many of them as they cross that bridge. the excitement and anticipation has to be building. >> that's right. there are hundreds of people if not thousands here lining martin luther king street. you can feel the energy as folks prepare to march down martin luther king street toward the bridge. now, dignitaries and the reverend al sharpton and those folks are still inside the chapel now. i'm here with a member of girl trek a group that brought hundreds. you can see the sea of blue. all these folks come from all across the country, these women are coming here to show their support. but what brought you and your group here to selma? >> well my nephew's girlfriend and also i came because to commemorate the 55th anniversary of crossing the bridge. i was raised during a period of

i believe that black eyes matter. i believe that blue lives matter. this is not anything detrimental to the men and women in blue. i support them 100%. so if i support you, what is wrong with having a fresh yooi to come in and make sure everything is good. >> that's what we saw, that you did sort of have a shift in the democratic party in the south. it became the black party. and there was a wide spread abandoning of it by white voters. what does that mean to the actual power that someone yourself wields in a state legislature. are you now able to geshnegotiate with that brand. >> i'm in the super minority. when i came into the alabama