By Chelsea Vance | The Selma Times-Journal

Final plans have been announced for this year’s Bridge Crossing Jubilee, which will mark the 51st anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

The jubilee planning committee held a press conference Monday in Montgomery to announce plans and share information with visitors.

Although President Barack Obama won’t be making an appearance this year, committee member and State Sen. Hank Sanders still expects people to come out the first weekend of March.

“I think that there will be tens of thousands of people. Even last year, there was over 80 thousand people on Saturday when the president was here, but on Sunday there were over 100 thousand people when the president wasn’t here,” Sanders said.

Activities will include an educational summit, step show, battle of the bands and much more.

This will be the second year that a memorial will take place in honor of civil rights leaders who have passed in the last year. It will take place on Thursday, March 3 at 6:30 p.m. at Tabernacle Baptist Church located at 1431 Broad Street.

“Some of these people not only gave time and effort, but blood. They suffered and even died and its important that we remember them,” Sanders said.

A music festival will showcase many genres/ The Mighty Sounds of Joy, Dottie Peoples, Paul Porter are the headliners for the gospel performances. R&B Artist and American Idol winner Ruben Studdard, Doug E. Fresh and many other entertainers will also hit the stage.

Jubilee Committee member Sam Walker feels it is imperative to remember the struggles of foot soldiers in the name of equality.

“There were so many people that made it possible for us to be where we are today who are no longer with us. They worked for generations that were unborn, now those same generations need to know who they were and what they contributed,” Walker said.