Eleanor Cardell - The Selma to Montgomery March

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12

2 Flash Points

March 25, 1965

People come marching into Montgomery, Alabama.

Everyone is tired. It took ve straight days of walking

to travel from Selma to Montgomery. It was a dangerous

journey. Soldiers were watching over them, but some ghts

still broke out. Some people were hurt. Many white people

didnt want the march to reach the capitol. e marchers want to

stop voter suppres sion in Alabama and much of the South. Now,

the protesters pack onto the lawn in front of the Capitol Building. ey

hope that lawmakers are ready to hear their message.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stands on the steps. He led the march from Selma

to Montgomery. King begins to speak. He praises the people for marching.

He tells them that they must keep ghting for civil rights because change is

coming. How long will prejudice blind the visions of men? King asks the

crowd. Not long!

The

Selma to

Montgomery March

suppression: stopping

something by force

Did you know?

Between 25,000 and 30,000

people made the march

from Selma to Montgomery.

Stand Up!

During the march to Montgomery, many people got blisters on

their feet and sunburns on their faces. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

had a blister so bad that he wasnt sure if he could nish the march.

March on Washington

In August 1963, 200,000 people marched through

Washington. ere, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered

his speech, I Have a Dream. Aer, King met with

President John F. Kennedy. ey started working on the

Civil Rights Act of 1964. is law made it so African

Americans could get jobs without being treated unfairly.

Voter Suppression

Even though the law said they were allowed to vote, many

African Americans still werent able to. Voter suppression

was common in the South. Many peoples right to vote was

being taken away illegally. ey were for ced to take unfair

tests and pay a large fee, called a poll tax, for local elections.

4 Flash Points

How and Why

Historical events rarely have only one simple cause. Many

dierent things such as certain events or changing ways

of thinking work together to shape the future. Below are

some of the events that led to the march to Montgomery.

Protesting Violence

Birmingham, Alabama, was one of the most segregated

cities in the South. is meant that people were

separated based on race. Many people wanted it to stay

that way. Violence was common. On September 15th,

1963, a church was bombed. More than people were

injured, and young girls died. People were furious.

Bloody Sunday

To ght against voter suppression, Martin Luther King

Jr. organized a march. e group le Selma on March 7,

1965, and headed to Montgomery. However, aer

marching through Selma, they were blocked at a bridge

by state troopers. e troopers got very violent and many

people were injured. at day is known as Bloody Sunday.

Protecting Protesters

On March 15, President Lyndon Johnson spoke to

congress about voters rights. He supported the march,

and told Alabama that the marchers should be allowed

to travel to Montgomery. But the Alabama governor said

he would not protect the marchers. So President Johnson

sent in US National Guard troops to keep them safe.

Stand Up!

What Happened Next

e pictures of Bloody Sunday and the march

from Selma to Montgomery made people

pay attention. Police and state troopers

put more than people in the

hospital. e rest of the US realized

that voter suppression was a big

problem in the South. e laws for

equal rights were being ignored.

Many African American voters had

to take tests before they were allowed

to register to vote. e tests were

confusing and long. One wrong answer

meant they would fail. Almost nobody passed.

But in August, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act

of 1965. It got rid of the tests and other barriers. Finally, many

African Americans could register to vote.

Before, the government hadnt said that there was a problem

with voter suppression. But now, the president had noticed. e

movement was getting more support. People were starting to

understand. It looked like things might be starting to change.

6 Flash Points

register: to add your name

to an ocial list in order to

be allowed to do something

Did you know?

Before the march, only percent of

Selmas African American population

was able to register to vote.

Stand Up!

During the march from Selma to

Montgomery, protesters sang many

songs about freedom, hope, and love.

Ripple Effects

A single event, no matter how big or small it may seem at

the time, can have a big impact on the future. e historic

march to Montgomery had many long-lasting eects.

Voting

Rights

The Voting

Rights Act of 1965

made poll taxes

illegal. This made

it easier for African

Americans to register

to vote. Right away,

more than 100,000

African Americans

registered to vote

in Alabama.

The Power to

Change

As more African Americans

were able to vote, more African

Americans ran for oce and became

elected ocials. Ocials have

power to make legal changes.

They can ght to protect civil

rights from inside the

government.

8 Flash Points

Equal

Rights Today

The Voting Rights Act

has changed since the

Next page

12

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