A pivotal moment unfolded in Selma, Alabama, beginning on March 7, 1965.

Roughly 600 courageous demonstrators launched a march that caught the attention of the entire nation.

Activists sought to expose the evils of Jim Crow, and how devastating, dehumanizing and demoralizing life was for African American citizens.

What You Need To Know

  • In 1965, the Selma marches marked a significant turning point in the fight for civil rights in the United States

  • The marches, which culminated in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, were a powerful demonstration of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience

  • The marches were organized by Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in response to the widespread disenfranchisement of African American voters in the south

  • At the time, many African Americans were prevented from voting through discriminatory practices such as poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation

Dr. Walter Milton, publisher of “Black History 365,” said “They were faced with the literacy tax, they were faced with the poll tax, they were faced with many barriers in terms of voter registration and those things.”

“Less than 2% of the Blacks in Selma had the capacity to vote at that time," Dr. Milton added.

Protesters started their 50-plus mile march from Selma to Alabama’s capital, Montgomery — but just minutes into the trek, heavily armed state troopers attacked the peaceful protesters as they tried to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Nearly 60 people were tear gassed and ruthlessly beaten with bullwhips and clubs by the cops — sworn to protect them. March leader, John Lewis, suffered a skull fracture.

Television cameras captured the gut-wrenching moments and made it a national story that reached The White House — a day etched in history as “Bloody Sunday.”

48 hours later, protestors returned, joined by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King for what’s now known as “Turnaround Tuesday.”

They prayed before officers, and returned to Selma.

“The spirit of resilience, the spirit of connectivity, is what really moved everything forward,“ Dr. Milton said.

On March 13t, then-President Lyndon B. Johnson reacted to the demonstrations during a news conference at The White House.

“Those negro citizens of Alabama who have been systematically been denied the right to register and participate in the choice of those who govern them should be provided the opportunity to of directing national attention to their plight,“ Johnson said at the time.

On March 25, a diverse group of 25,000 demonstrators marched to the steps of the state capitol building. This time with federal protection, and Dr. King encouraged the crowd to keep the faith.

“How long? Not long, because no lie can live forever,” Dr. King famously told thousands.

“These marches were crucial to the voting rights act of 1965 and it was signed into law by LBJ [Lyndon B. Johnson] so I really think there was some growth. I think the civil rights movement showed the ability to preserve advocate and bring about equal justice,“ Dr. Milton said.

In the sixty years since the historic Selma Marches, there have been many memorial events to mark the milestones like the 50th anniversary when then-President Barack Obama marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, now a national historic landmark.

But perhaps the most touching reflection was in July 2020, when the funeral procession of Congressman John Lewis was led across the Edmund Pettus Bridge — the same bridge where he suffered that skull fracture in the name of equal rights when he was just 25-years-old.

A final salute for a foot soldier, who prided himself for getting into “good trouble” on that bridge.