On the recordJanuary 12, 2016
Today I rise on Restoration Tuesday to honor my guest to tonight's State of the Union Address. Ms. Sheyann Webb-Christburg of Montgomery, Alabama, will be joining me as my special guest to President Obama's final State of the Union Address. Sheyann was 8 years old and was one of the youngest foot soldiers who marched from Selma to Montgomery. I believe that Sheyann is the embodiment of the struggle for voting rights equality in Alabama and in America. On this Restoration Tuesday, it is my sincere hope that her presence will remind us of the modern-day fight for ensuring that every American citizen has access to the ballot box. At an early age, Sheyann recognized that America had failed to live up to its own promise by depriving African Americans of their sacred right to vote. Sheyann's bravery reminded those around her that they are fighting for the next generation--her generation--as fervently as they were fighting for their own. Her courage also made it possible for me to represent our hometown of Selma in Congress. On a personal level, I am thankful to call Sheyann my friend and mentor. She was my childhood babysitter, so I literally grew up in her shadow. Her presence at President Obama's final State of the Union should once again remind us of the gravity of our responsibility to protect the vote for all Americans. Since the civil rights era ended, there are now modern-day barriers to voting.…
