Walking for Justice: The Selma to Montgomery Marches
In 1965, the small town of Selma, Alabama, became the epicentre of a movement that would shake the foundations of American democracy. The Selma to Montgomery marches—three historic protest marches spanning 54 miles—were a direct challenge to racial injustice and a powerful call for voting rights. Organised by nonviolent activists, these marches exposed the brutality of segregation and played a crucial role in the passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act later that year.
The Struggle for the Right to Vote
For decades, African Americans in the South faced relentless barriers to voting. Jim Crow laws, introduced in the late 19th century, ensured that Black citizens were systematically disenfranchised. Literacy tests, poll taxes, and intimidation tactics kept millions from the ballot box. Selma, a town with a Black majority, was no exception—of the 15,000 Black residents eligible to vote in Dallas County, fewer than 130 were registered by 1961.
The Dallas County Voters League (DCVL) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) took up the fight for voting rights in the early 1960s, facing arrests, violence, and harassment. When local efforts struggled to gain traction, they invited Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to amplify their cause. By early 1965, protests and marches were taking place regularly, drawing thousands into the movement.
Despite the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which legally ended segregation in public spaces, Black citizens in Selma and other parts of the South still faced numerous obstacles when trying to exercise their right to vote. Local officials would routinely change rules, alter voter registration times, and use subjective literacy tests to deny Black voters their rights. Economic reprisals were also common—Black citizens who tried to register often lost their jobs, were evicted from their homes, or faced threats from white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. The authorities’ resistance to change only strengthened the resolve of civil rights activists.
Jimmie Lee Jackson’s Death Ignites Action
As tensions escalated, tragedy struck. On 18 February 1965, a peaceful protest in nearby Marion, Alabama, turned violent when state troopers attacked demonstrators. In the chaos, Jimmie Lee Jackson, a 26-year-old activist, was shot by state trooper James Bonard Fowler. Jackson had been trying to protect his mother and grandfather from being beaten. He died eight days later from his wounds, fuelling outrage and determination within the movement. His death became a rallying cry for action, and activists, led by James Bevel of the SCLC, planned a march from Selma to Montgomery to demand voting rights and justice for Jackson.
Bloody Sunday: A Nation Watches
On 7 March 1965, about 600 marchers set out from Selma, determined to walk to Montgomery and demand their rights. Led by John Lewis of SNCC and Hosea Williams of the SCLC, they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, only to be met by a wall of state troopers and local deputies.
What followed was a brutal assault—tear gas filled the air, clubs rained down on protesters, and mounted officers charged into the crowd. Many marchers were beaten unconscious, including Amelia Boynton, whose image lying on the ground became one of the most powerful symbols of the civil rights movement. John Lewis suffered a fractured skull, and dozens were hospitalised.
Televised images of the brutal attack shocked Americans and galvanised support for the civil rights movement. Viewers across the country saw the shocking violence inflicted upon peaceful demonstrators, prompting widespread outrage. The event, which came to be known as Bloody Sunday, marked a turning point in the fight for voting rights.
Turnaround Tuesday and Tragedy
Two days later, on 9 March, King led a second march to the bridge but turned back in a tactical decision to avoid further bloodshed. That night, a white Unitarian minister, James Reeb, was attacked by segregationists and died from his injuries. His murder, much like Jackson’s, underscored the deadly resistance civil rights activists faced.
As public pressure mounted, federal courts weighed in. Judge Frank Minis Johnson ruled that the demonstrators had a constitutional right to march, paving the way for a third and final march.
The Final March to Montgomery
On 21 March, under federal protection, thousands of marchers set off once more. This time, they were joined by supporters from across the country—religious leaders, students, and activists of all backgrounds. Over five days, they walked 10 miles a day, enduring rain, exhaustion, and threats from segregationists. By the time they reached Montgomery on 25 March, their numbers had swelled to 25,000.
On the steps of the Alabama State Capitol, King delivered his iconic “How Long, Not Long” speech, declaring that justice was inevitable. “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” he told the crowd, offering a message of hope and resilience.
The Aftermath of the Selma to Montgomery Marches and the Voting Rights Act
The Selma marches had a profound impact. President Lyndon B. Johnson, deeply moved by the events, pushed for sweeping legislation. On 6 August 1965, he signed the Voting Rights Act, eliminating discriminatory practices that had long suppressed Black voters. The law brought immediate change, with voter registration drives surging across the South.
Despite this victory, the struggle continued. Activists faced ongoing resistance, and some, like Viola Liuzzo, a white mother from Detroit who came to support the marchers, were killed by the Ku Klux Klan. But the tide had turned—Selma had forced the nation to confront its injustices, and change was irreversible.
A Legacy That Endures
In 1960, there were a total of 53,336 black voters registered in the state of Alabama; three decades later, there were 537,285. Today, the Selma to Montgomery route is preserved as a National Historic Trail, a reminder of the courage and sacrifice of those who walked for justice. The Edmund Pettus Bridge remains a symbol of both oppression and triumph—a place where ordinary people stood up against injustice and reshaped history.
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