mar 21, 1965 - Selma March (March 21 to 25)

Description:

Martin Luther King Jr. organized the march from Selma to Montgomery. The marchers were turned back by state troopers with nightsticks and tear gas. King was determined to lead a second march, despite an injunction by a federal court and efforts from Washington to persuade him to cancel it. Heading a procession of 1,500 marchers, Black and white, he set out across Pettus Bridge outside Selma until the group came to a barricade of state troopers. But, instead of going on and forcing a confrontation, he led his followers to kneel in prayer and then unexpectedly turned back. As many as 25,000 people participated in the roughly 50-mile (80-km) march. These events became a landmark in the American civil rights movement and directly led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Added to timeline:

Date:

Images: