Mayor Reed: Montgomery must "show up" after low turnout at 60th voting-rights anniversary events

Mayor Steven L. Reed, mayor of Montgomery City, said the city’s sixtieth anniversary observances of the Southern Montgomery voter-rights march included well-known performers and national figures but suffered from low local turnout, and he called on residents and community groups to attend future commemorations.

Reed said the weekend’s program included a reception at the museum to honor movement veterans, a Freedom Rally with “a great, great lineup on Saturday at Carver High School,” and a march from Saint Jude to the State Capitol. He told host Darrell Hall the events were free and had “perfect weather” yet drew fewer Montgomery residents than he expected.

Why it matters: Reed framed the turnout as a civic problem, saying the public’s absence weakens the city’s ability to attract future corporate sponsorships and to sustain local political and nonprofit partnerships built on the legacy of civil-rights activism.…