Political Quotes

“Today I rise to honor a mentor, a fellow Selma, Alabama, native, voting rights activist, and an American hero, Rev. Dr. Frederick Douglas Reese, who passed away on April 5, 2018, at the age of 88. Dr. Reese is best known for the pivotal role he played in the Selma to Montgomery march that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It was Dr. Reese, as president of the Dallas County Voters League, who invited Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to Selma to organize and support their local voting rights campaign. As a longtime educator, pastor, and civil rights activist, Dr. Reese's life and legacy stands as a testament to the power of one man's ability to change the world. Dr. Reese was born in Selma, Alabama, on November 28, 1929, the only son of a strong, matriarchal family led by his mother, Ellie R. Reese, and that included his older sister siblings, Doris Reese and Annie Ratliff. His strong educational and spiritual home environment, coupled with the Christian education training he received, was the solid foundation of his success. An outstanding student, Dr. Reese graduated from Alabama State University and Livingston University with a degree in mathematics and continued his education at the University of Alabama, Southern University, and Auburn University before receiving his doctorate of divinity from Selma University. {time} 1030 Dr.…”