--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Recently, John and I got to go to Selma…" description: "\"Recently, John and I got to go to Selma and perform it on the same bridge that Martin Luther King walked over. Once a landmark of a divided nation, the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/john-legend-1666_bridges_recently-john-and-i-got-to-go-to-selma-a_3021401.png" --- # Recently, John and I got to go to Selma and perform it on… ![“Recently, John and I got to go to Selma and perform it on the same bridge that Martin Luther King walked over. Once a landmark of a divided nation, the spirit of this bridge now for all people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or social status. This bridge was built on hope and welded…” quote by John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/john-legend-1666_bridges_recently-john-and-i-got-to-go-to-selma-a_3021401.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/john-legend-1666_bridges_recently-john-and-i-got-to-go-to-selma-a_3021401.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/john-legend-1666_bridges_recently-john-and-i-got-to-go-to-selma-a_3021401.png) > “Recently, John and I got to go to Selma and perform it on the same bridge that Martin Luther King walked over. Once a landmark of a divided nation, the spirit of this bridge now for all people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or social status. This bridge was built on hope and welded with compassion. Common” [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The bridge symbolizes unity, hope, and compassion across all identities. **In simple terms:** Bridge stands for inclusive hope. Key Takeaway Promote compassion and shared humanity. Themes unity hope compassion Mood inspirational hopeful Type activist cultural When to use this quote - public events - activism - community building Key Concepts social justice inclusion Questions to Reflect On - How can we turn symbolic hope into action? - What concrete steps foster true inclusion? A Different Perspective Symbolic gestures can be tokenistic without systemic change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bridges/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Gender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gender/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Landmarks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/landmarks/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Orientation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orientation/) [Oscars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oscars/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social status](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-status/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) ## Related quotes > [“If a bridge cannot be built, stop trying to cross.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palmero/if-a-bridge-cannot-be-built-stop-trying-to-cross/) Michael Palmero > [“A bridge can still be built, while the bitter waters are flowing beneath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/a-bridge-can-still-be-built-while-the-bitter-waters-are-flowing/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [“Florence Earlier today we strolled across the Ponte Vecchio. This bridge was built over the Arno River in 1345. It is lined with jewelry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-halvorsen/florence-earlier-today-we-strolled-across-the-ponte-vecchio-this/) [Lisa Halvorsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-halvorsen/) > [Then she offers him a slim but sincere smile, and he reluctantly returns it. It doesn't bridge the gap between them, but at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/then-she-offers-him-a-slim-but-sincere-smile-and-he-reluctantly/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [There are many photos of Catholic priests and nuns marching in the Civil Rights movement, most notably at the March on Selma, Ala. in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/there-are-many-photos-of-catholic-priests-and-nuns-marching-in-the/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [I worked with James Orange and Hosea Williams as a teenager, and he's portrayed in the movie by Wendell Pierce. So, for me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-dorsey/i-worked-with-james-orange-and-hosea-williams-as-a-teenager-and-he-s/) [Omar Dorsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-dorsey/) > [On March 7, 1965, some 600 civil rights activists marched in Selma, Alabama, demanding an end to racial discrimination. The demonstration was led by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/on-march-7-1965-some-600-civil-rights-activists-marched-in-selma/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [“In 1965, as Ralph Gleason has reported, when Martin Luther King's march on Selma, Alabama, was brutally attacked by local and state constabulary, Louis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/in-1965-as-ralph-gleason-has-reported-when-martin-luther-king-s-march/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [Selma helped make it possible for hundreds and thousands of people in the South to become registered voters and encouraged people all across America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/selma-helped-make-it-possible-for-hundreds-and-thousands-of-people-in/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [In Selma, Alabama, in 1965, only 2.1 percent of blacks of voting age were registered to vote. The only place you could attempt to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/in-selma-alabama-in-1965-only-2-1-percent-of-blacks-of-voting-age/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [“Faith, whichever way Selma understood it, infused her with a sense of surrender that could have been a cause of weakness had it not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/faith-whichever-way-selma-understood-it-infused-her-with-a-sense-of/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) > [More often than not ... 'Selma' focuses on the one thing we don't expect in a movie about Martin Luther King Jr. - his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burr/more-often-than-not-selma-focuses-on-the-one-thing-we-don-t-expect-in/) [Ty Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burr/) > [John Lewis is such a remarkable human being. Literally, such a beautiful human being. I remember the first time I met him. We were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-james/john-lewis-is-such-a-remarkable-human-being-literally-such-a/) [Stephan James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-james/) > [Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton cannot write a timeless letter to us from a Birmingham jail or walk, as John Lewis did in 1965,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/jesse-jackson-and-al-sharpton-cannot-write-a-timeless-letter-to-us/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [What I've learned about that word is context, where the world is coming from - in the era the film is set, it obviously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-james/what-i-ve-learned-about-that-word-is-context-where-the-world-is/) [Stephan James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-james/) ## More by John Legend > [Some people, you know, should just go to college and do what they do and have a great job and not worry about trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/some-people-you-know-should-just-go-to-college-and-do-what-they-do/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [I guess a lot of times pressure is put on something after it becomes big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/i-guess-a-lot-of-times-pressure-is-put-on-something-after-it-becomes/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [The best way to fight poverty is to empower people through access to quality education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/the-best-way-to-fight-poverty-is-to-empower-people-through-access-to/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [My first album, 'Get Lifted,' was a hip-hop soul album that had some of its roots in the church, as far as the sonic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/my-first-album-get-lifted-was-a-hip-hop-soul-album-that-had-some-of/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [I don't like going to football games. I like watching them on television. When you go to a game, it's hard to focus. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/i-don-t-like-going-to-football-games-i-like-watching-them-on/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [There's a lot of hurry up and wait. But it gives you time to write a song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/there-s-a-lot-of-hurry-up-and-wait-but-it-gives-you-time-to-write-a/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Fear. People are afraid of talking about their fears and insecurities. They're afraid of expressing emotion beyond anger, dominance, or power, and they're afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/fear-people-are-afraid-of-talking-about-their-fears-and-insecurities/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [When I write, I don't really focus on duets or anything like that, or whether I'm going to feature this or that rapper. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/when-i-write-i-don-t-really-focus-on-duets-or-anything-like-that-or/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [I would tell myself, "Love yourself and don't be afraid to take risks." I was often afraid to take risks, socially, because I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/i-would-tell-myself-love-yourself-and-don-t-be-afraid-to-take-risks-i/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [I never went through a period where I didn't want to play music. I've always loved it and it's always been a huge part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/i-never-went-through-a-period-where-i-didn-t-want-to-play-music-i-ve/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [All men should be feminists. If men cared about women's rights, the world would be a better place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/all-men-should-be-feminists-if-men-cared-about-women-s-rights-the/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [I used read about Dr. King a lot as a kid. Independently, from being assigned it or being told by my parents or anything,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/i-used-read-about-dr-king-a-lot-as-a-kid-independently-from-being/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [“All men should be feminists. If men care about women’s rights the world will be a better place. We are better off when women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/all-men-should-be-feminists-if-men-care-about-women-s-rights-the/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Experience is a great teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/experience-is-a-great-teacher/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [This ain't a movie no. No fairy tale conclusion ya'll.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/this-ain-t-a-movie-no-no-fairy-tale-conclusion-ya-ll/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) [Explore all 218 John Legend quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) ## More Bridges quotes > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) > [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [In my rear view mirror the sun is going down sinking behind bridges in the road and I think of all the good things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/in-my-rear-view-mirror-the-sun-is-going-down-sinking-behind-bridges/) [Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/) > [My first big mistake was made when, in a moment of weakness, I consented to learn the game; for a man who can frankly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benchley/my-first-big-mistake-was-made-when-in-a-moment-of-weakness-i/) [Robert Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benchley/) > [The WPA was one of the most productive elements of FDR's alphabet soup of agencies because it put people to work building roads, bridges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-wpa-was-one-of-the-most-productive-elements-of-fdr-s-alphabet/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you walk, try to think nothing! You can then obtain the silence of a streetlight or a bridge; stop thinking; after that, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/when-you-walk-try-to-think-nothing-you-can-then-obtain-the-silence-of/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [By the time they were pulling into the parking lot of the A&P, the mood was fading, the moment gone. Amy could feel it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/by-the-time-they-were-pulling-into-the-parking-lot-of-the-a-p-the/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [Al Pacino and Jeff Bridges do it for me in a big way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-scanlon/al-pacino-and-jeff-bridges-do-it-for-me-in-a-big-way/) [Angela Scanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-scanlon/) > [Instead of building castles against your enemies, build bridges for them to come to you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/instead-of-building-castles-against-your-enemies-build-bridges-for/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Instead of finding himself in nerd heaven—where every nerd gets fifty-eight virgins to role-play with—he woke up in Robert Wood Johnson with two broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/instead-of-finding-himself-in-nerd-heaven-where-every-nerd-gets-fifty/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Each person is an island unto himself, in a very real sense; and he can only build bridges to other islands if he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/each-person-is-an-island-unto-himself-in-a-very-real-sense-and-he-can/) [Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/) > [The real test of a bridge player isn’t in keeping out of trouble, but in escaping once he’s in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-sheinwold/the-real-test-of-a-bridge-player-isn-t-in-keeping-out-of-trouble-but/) [Alfred Sheinwold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-sheinwold/) > [The law ... allows rich as well as poor to sleep under bridges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/the-law-allows-rich-as-well-as-poor-to-sleep-under-bridges/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [Guys like Todd Bridges never overcame being a child star. You can't have any big failures. I've always felt regular. I played organized ball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bow-wow/guys-like-todd-bridges-never-overcame-being-a-child-star-you-can-t/) [Bow Wow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bow-wow/) [Browse all 1,521 Bridges quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bridges/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Recently, John and I got to go to Selma and perform it on the same bridge that Martin Luther King walked over. Once a landmark of a divided nation, the spirit of this bridge now for all people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or social status. This bridge was built on hope and welded with compassion. 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