Martin Luther King III, Opinion contributor Published 3:16 p.m. ET March 12, 2020 | Updated 5:27 p.m. ET March 12, 2020

On March 7, 1965, some600 civil rights activistsmarchedinSelma, Alabama, demanding an end to racial discrimination. The demonstration wasled by now-Rep.John Lewis and Hosea Williams,who worked withmy father, Martin Luther King Jr.

As the peaceful and nonviolent protesters crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, they were met with tear gas and billy clubs. This dark day in Americas history is remembered as"Bloody Sunday."

Last week, just twodays shy of the 55-yearanniversary of Bloody Sunday,Alabama executedNathaniel Woods, a black man, for a crime he indisputably did not commit. Though he was convicted for the tragic deaths of threeBirmingham police officersin 2004, he never had a fair trial, and the real gunman statedthat Woods wascompletely innocent. Despite these alarming truths and many pleas to reconsider the decision, Woods was put to death.

Nathaniel Woods, 43, was executed on March 5, 2020.(Photo: Alabama Department of Corrections via AP)

It would seem to me, at this point in time, that we would have learned more from the past. There is no doubt that in many ways we havemade progress, but we also cannot deny the horrific phenomenons that still plague our nationthe broken justice system that favors white men, institutionalized racism across all levels of societyand the immoral brutalities facing communities of color. This is especially true in Alabama, where I was born, and across the South.

The decisions surroundingWoods'execution made a mockery of justice and constitutional guarantees. Itsunfathomable that Gov.Kay Ivey and the U.S.Supreme Court would not budge. Putting anyone to death, especially when there is any inkling of a chance that they areinnocent, is fundamentally wrong.

Growing up traveling the nation with my father to fight the same injustices in the 1950s and 1960s, it feels incredibly chilling to still be witness to such utter inhumanity and racial violence today. It sometimes feels like this nation hasforgotten all about itshistory.

Martin Luther King III speaks at the UN(Photo: Jonah Bryson)

Its sad to know that Woods' story is not unique. Black women and men are still being, for all intents and purposes, lynchedto this day, and many of the incidentsgo unnoticed. How we choose to approach this atrocious and un-American reality is up to us whether we stand up for justice, or whether we remain silent.

Its easy to feel pessimistic or even hopeless at times, especially in cases like Woods'. Or it might feel safer to simply stay out of it. Either way, whenever these doubts arise I am reminded of my fathers words.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy," he wrote in hisbook "Strength to Love."

In a 1968 speech, dadalso sharedthat "on some positions, cowardice asks the question, is it expedient? And then expedience comes along and asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? Conscience asks the question, is it right?There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right.

Woodscannot be brought back, but in his honor in his memory we can choose to rise against these injustices and demand a system that is fair and humane for everyone,whether black or white, old or young, rich or poor,Latin Americanor Asian Americanor Native American.

Were no longer on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965. Were in 2020 now, and its time for justice to finally prevail.

Martin Luther KingIII is a human rights leader and the eldest son of Dr. Martin Luther KingJr. and Coretta Scott King. He served as the fourthpresident of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and has worked with communities and heads of stateonsix continents, including in South Africa, India, Israel and Palestine, Australia, and the United States with Presidents Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama.

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MLK III: Alabama execution shows we haven't come far since 'Bloody Sunday,' King march - USA TODAY