Voting Rights Act of 1965
Citation: https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/selma-montgomery-march
Selma to Montgomery March,
History.com
The Selma to Montgomery March
was a huge event because it was a civil rights protests that brought awareness about
the unfair voting rights for African-Americans. Martin Luther King and others
walked for 54 miles from Selma to Montgomery to confront the issue of
discriminatory voting laws for Blacks.
Selma Directed By: Ava DuVernay
The movie “Selma” is very
powerful and emotional movie to watch. Martin Luther King is getting his Nobel
Peace Prize in 1964. He walks down to the podium and gives his speech. King
states that white supremacy would be destroyed and equality would be nourished.
King learns of the 16th street Baptist Church bombing on September
15th, 1963. Four girls die from the bomb. Annie Lee Cooper is an
African-American woman who is trying to register to vote in Alabama. The white
man calls her to the front desk and he is very intimidating. He asks her discriminatory
questions such as to name the 67 county judges in Alabama, and he wants her to
recite the constitution preamble. Ms. Cooper is denied once again and she
becomes discouraged. Then Dr. King meets with President Lyndon B. Johnson and
Mr. Lee C. White. President Johnson just signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964
and now Dr. King wants him to pass the voting rights act. Dr. King explains to
President Johnson how the KKK intimidates black people by stuffing the voting
boxes. President Johnson brushes it off and he starts talking about the “War on
Poverty.” King furiously fires back and states that it is important for
African-Americans to vote, so that they can be part of a jury. He explains the
reason why white criminals get acquitted, because the jury is all-white. Dr.
King is tired of the unequitable treatment, so he leaves Washington D.C. and
travels to Selma, Alabama with Reverend Abernathy. King and Abernathy chooses
Selma, because it is a large city and many blacks reside there. J. Edgar Hoover
is now talking to Johnson and he disses Dr. King, but Johnson likes the fact
that King is a nonviolent nigger. After King spends some time in Selma he goes
back to his home in Atlanta and he contacts Mahalia Jackson for support. Dr.
King is the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. (SCLC) King
has numerous followers, but his most prominent followers are Hosea Williams,
Jimmie Lee Jackson, Abernathy and James Bevel. They are at Sister Jackson’s
house and they are eating dinner. King and his followers start talking about
the younger generational group the Student Nonviolent Committee (SNC), because
they realize that it would be good to have young people joining them. Dr. King gives
a speech about the issues in Selma he states “More than 50% of the population
are negro and less than 2% of them are registered to vote.” King explains the
whites want to keep the blacks voiceless, and away from the voting booths. He
believes that blacks must protest and march for their rights to vote, but
sheriff Jim Clark who lives in Selma is a bigot and racist. In the next scene, King
and the members of the SCLC walk to the Selma courthouse. Sherriff Clark
screams to them “Get Out!” Clark warns the protestors that he is going to arrest
them if they do not leave. The protestors are resistant and Clark gets furious,
so he starts beating the protestors with nightsticks. Clark goes irate and he
kicks an elderly man like he is a stray dog. Jimmie Lee Jackson gets vex and
starts fighting with Clark. A riot breaks out and Annie Lee Cooper hits Clark
in the back of his head. Clark flips out and screams at her. He says “Get that
nigger woman, get that nigger bitch!” The officers beat Cooper down like she is
a man. After the riot King was arrested along with the other members of the
SCLC. They all get released from jail until another deadly incident happened
soon after. Jimmie Lee Jackson was shot and he died. Jackson was subjected to
police brutality in the diner after he was protesting outside his church. He
was shot by Alabama state trooper James Bonard Fowler. Fowler was not convicted
of any charges until 45 years later. Martin Luther King is alarmed and he goes
to Washington D.C. to discuss the political and civil issues with President
Johnson. King explains to Johnson why Blacks are scared to vote. Blacks do not
want to deal with the KKK, the KKK can find out their address, poll taxes are ridiculously
high and people are illiterate. Dr. King brings up the march from Selma to
Montgomery, because he wants Johnson to support it. Johnson is opposed to it. King
travels back to his home in Atlanta, he is not in Alabama with his other SCLC
members. The SCLC members are preparing to walk from Selma to Montgomery even
though they were not granted permission. The members are walking towards the
Edmund Pettus Bridge. The members are nonviolent and they are not armed, but
the troopers are waiting on the other side of the bridge. There are signed that
read “Niggers go home!” and some of the troopers are on horses. The news
reporters tell people to turn on CBS. The march is being broadcasted on TV.
Hosea Williams is leading the march because King is not there. The troopers are
putting on gas masks and they start their police brutality. Everyone sees the
police brutality because it is broadcasted on the news. The troopers are
beating the peaceful black protestors with nightsticks and President Johnson
sees this on TV. John Lewis skull is fractured and Amelia Boynton Robinson is
severely hurt. Liberal whites are so disgusted they decide to join the march
from Selma to Montgomery. The march was a huge failure because nothing was
accomplished. James Reeb is a preacher and liberal who supports the civil
rights movement. He decided to join the SCLC, therefore, King leads the march
again. In this moment, more people joined including whites, but King decides to
not carry on with the march. Reeb is walking out a diner until he is approached
by the KKK. The KKK calls him a white nigger and beats him up so badly that he
dies. King learns that Reeb had died and he is saddened from the incident. Elmer
Cook, William Stanley Hoggle and R.B. Kelley were accused and then acquitted by
an all-white jury. Attorney Fred Gray is representing the SCLC members that
were brutally attacked in the march from Selma. All of the victims come to the
stand and explain what happened to them. Judge Frank Minis Johnson approves the
march from Selma to Montgomery. The march happens again. Whites and Blacks are
march with each other for equality. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is passed on
August 6th, 1965.