Selma

Selma

The marches from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery were marches that manifested the political and emotional peak of the American Civil Rights Movement. The issue was right to vote as African Americans were hungry for a voice in their destiny. Blacks in most areas of the deep South were not registered to vote. Even though the United States Constitution gave them the right to vote, threats and violence kept most from registering. After countless years of intimidation, the black community had learned that its only salvation was in unified action. As Martin Luther King stated, “When one negro stood up, he was run of the town; if a thousand stood up together, the situation was bound to be drastically overhauled.” ( King, 272) The most important person to have made a significant change in the rights of blacks was Martin Luther King. He had great courage and passion to conquer segregation, and it was his influence on all blacks to defy white supremacy, and his belief in nonviolence that lead to the success of the Civil Rights Movement, especially the Selma March, which was a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King and the non-violent set out to put a halt to these injustices. They embarked with the protest, with the intention of a change in the voting process and the establishment of democracy.

One hundred years following the Civil War, many African Americans still faced obstacles. In Selma, Alabama, African Americans made up almost half of the population. Out of the 15,000 African Americans eligible to vote in Selma and the

surrounding Dallas County, less than 350 were registered. Many feared of losing their jobs, still others could not pass the reading requirements necessary to register. In many places Blacks has to explain difficult sections of the state’s constitution in order for them to vote and White voting official made sure they never passed the tests. African Americans were tired from their treatment of injustice. This build up of injustice has caused the blacks to fight back. Under the direction of Rev. James Bevel, the Direct Action Department decided to attack the center of the political structure of the state of Alabama and Southland through a campaign for the right to vote. Their associate organization, the Dallas County Voters League, invited them to help and assist in getting more Africans Americans registered to vote. They decided that on the days the county and the state had chosen as registration days, they would come together at the Brown Chapel A.M.E Church and walk together to the courthouse. More than sixty seven people were arrested; Martin Luther King was also arrested at one of these protests at the courthouse. This clearly depicts King’s dedication to defeat segregation and his desire to achieve democracy. (King, 272-273)

On February 9th 1965, Martin Luther King met with Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, who was also the chairman of the newly created Council for the Equal Opportunity, and with Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach. Martin Luther King and his colleagues made clear to the vice president and the attorney general that “our conviction that all citizens must be free to exercise their right and responsibility to vote without delays, harassment, economic intimidation, and police brutality.” (King, 275-276) Agreeing with their position, President Lyndon Johnson at a press conference stated

that another distress was the “slow pace of registration for Negroes.” (King, 276) The

pace of the registrar and the limited number of days and hours during which the office was open was another factor that made it even more difficult for blacks to vote. This clearly represented the hideous events in Selma, if this pace were to continue, it would take another hundred years for all eligible African Americans voters to be registered. This only built up blacks’ anger which led to the march.

Meanwhile, in a meeting with President Johnson, Vice President Humphrey, Attorney General Katzehbach, and Florida Governor Leroy Colling, King insisted on the administration to present a voting rights bill which would secure the right to vote without delay and harassment. President Lyndon Johnson told him that it would be unrealistic to expect further legislation so soon. King disagreed and said, “We will seek to arouse the federal government by marching by the thousands…. We must be willing to go to jail by the thousands. We are not asking, we are demanding the ballot.” (Fairclough. 102) This portrays King’s desire to achieve democracy for him and all other African Americans.

Without delay, On March 7th 1965, about six hundred demonstrators left Selma headed towards the state capitol in Montgomery. The goal of the demonstration in Selma was to put a halt to the injustice, bring voting rights, by methods of nonviolence. Even though Governor Wallace issued a ban on the march, Black leaders announced that the march would go ahead as planned although Martin Luther King was not able to participate in the march . Hosea Williams of the SCLC or the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and John Lewis of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, (SNCC), an organization dedicated to ending segregation and to registering

black voters, were two of the leaders that lead the march from Selma to Montgomery. The leaders asked the demonstrators not to fight back against anyone who committed violence against them during the peaceful protest, their method of nonviolence. The leaders lead the marchers out of the Brown’s Chapel Methodist Church in Selma and over the Edmund Pettus Bridge. It was here that heavily armed state troopers confronted the marchers. The marchers were ordered to turn around, and no one moved. Seconds later, the sheriff gave the order for troopers to move forward. Marchers were clubbed, whipped, choked with tear gas, and chased back across the bridge.(Fairclough, 102) Some whites on the sidelines cheered as dozens of men, women and children were getting hurt. These marchers were willing to do anything in order for them to get their right to vote. They set out with the intention of voting rights they deserved and believed they should have that right at no cost. This day became known as “Bloody Sunday.” The media/T.V captured the incident. Outraged Americans witnessed the scene on television. King was outraged and disappointed when he heard about “Bloody Sunday.” He decided that no matter what obstacles he faced, he decided that he was going to lead the next march.

Immediately after “Bloody Sunday,” on March 9th 1965 the second march was lead by