Minneapolis, March 04, 2026 – A delegation of community leaders from Minnesota will be in Selma, Alabama this week to participate in the annual commemoration of Bloody Sunday and to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in reflection and solidarity on Sunday, March 8th.
The Minnesota delegation is composed of community leaders and organizers from a range of organizations committed to advancing civil rights and democratic participation. The delegation includes members of COPAL and the Immigrant Defense Network (IDN), along with representatives from other community-based organizations, human rights advocates, and civic leaders working across the state to strengthen civic engagement and build more just and inclusive communities.
“We are making this journey because we felt it was important to stand where the struggle for voting rights reshaped the nation. The lessons of 1965 continue to shape how communities show up for one another today,” said Edwin Torres DeSantiago, IDN Manager.
Selma remains one of the most powerful symbols of organized moral courage in American history. The events of March 7, 1965, when peaceful marchers were attacked while demanding voting rights, helped catalyze national action and led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. For the Minnesota delegation, visiting Selma is an opportunity to honor that legacy while deepening their commitment to strengthening democracy in their own communities.
Across the country, immigrant communities continue to face barriers to civic participation, threats to due process, and policies that undermine equal protection under the law. “While every movement and community has its own history, Selma represents a turning point in U.S. history when organized communities reshaped federal policy and redefined democracy. We see that legacy as directly connected to the work happening in Minnesota now,” said Francisco Segovia, Executive Director, COPAL.
During their visit, Minnesota leaders will join commemorative events honoring the Civil Rights Movement, connect with other organizers and community leaders from across the country, and reflect on how the lessons of Selma can continue to inspire civic engagement and multiracial solidarity in Minnesota and beyond.
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About COPAL
COPAL Minnesota is a member-based organization driven to improve the quality of life for Minnesota’s Latine communities. For more information, please visit www.copalmn.org.
About the Immigrant Defense Network (IDN)
The Immigrant Defense Network is a statewide network of more than 100 organizations committed to defending and advancing the rights, dignity, and safety of immigrant communities through rapid response, legal support, community organizing, and narrative change. For more information, please visit immigrantdefensenetwork.org.
