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Introduction
The walk on Selma that occurred in Alabama in March 1965 was a critical Black History event for the United States as it directly impacted the achievement of equal rights for African-Americans. In a series of events across the Selma and Montgomery areas, civil rights activists persevered in their struggle for voting rights using non-violent methods of protest. Furthermore, due to the walk on Selma, the U.S. government adopted legislative changes that allowed African-Americans to obtain full voting rights. This Black History event is inspiring as it represents African Americans’ perseverance in the struggle for civil rights.
Reasons, Events, and Outcomes of the March on Selma
The events of March 1965 were caused by several factors that led to the reaction of African Americans and the initiation of peaceful protests. The primary reason for the Selma marches was that the authorities restricted the ability of people of color to exercise their voting rights (Holt 32). In addition, peaceful protests by African-American activists resulted in the violent use of force by police, which was an additional factor leading to the protests. Under the leadership of several African-American rights activists, including Martin Luther King Jr., peaceful protests began on March 7, 1965, with marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama (Rogers 20). These protests involved three demonstrations with varying numbers of participants and featured violence by authorities and law enforcement. These events are significant for Black History because they reveal the resilience of African Americans in their consolidated struggle against civil rights inequality. Therefore, the Selma march reflects African Americans’ response to the suppression of rights and their commitment to achieving equality through peaceful protests.
Bloody Sunday
A significant event for the walk on Selma was the March 7 march, known as Bloody Sunday. During this event, the police used force against peaceful demonstrators, leading to many injured civil rights activists (Andersen 310). Bloody Sunday was a direct manifestation of law enforcement’s unwarranted use of force against African Americans. Nevertheless, after this event, the protests continued protests, thus demonstrating the perseverance of African Americans in their struggle for civil rights. In addition, the following marches remained non-violent despite the aggressive attitude of the authorities and the involvement of a considerable number of law enforcement units. Overall, Bloody Sunday demonstrated the persistence of African Americans against direct acts of violence by the local authorities and the police.
Event Outcomes
As a result of these events, the U.S. government adopted legislative changes that allowed African-Americans to secure their voting rights. In this regard, the most significant achievement of civil rights activists was the adoption of the Voting Rights Act signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which ensured the right of racial minorities to vote (Rogers 21). Thus, the perseverance of African Americans during the Selma marches led to the direct reaction of the authorities in adopting essential changes aimed at removing racial inequality. In this aspect one of the most inspiring aspects is that these changes were the result of non-violent demonstrations. Performing non-violent protests, members of the African American rights movement have achieved significant success in the struggle against racial segregation and rights inequality.
Conclusion
The walk on Selma is a Black History event that directly demonstrates the resilience and tenacity of African Americans to fight for equal rights. Despite the obstruction of civil rights by the authorities and the aggressive actions of the police, the Black rights movement succeeded in conducting peaceful demonstrations that had an impact on the government. Furthermore, confronted with direct opposition from the authorities, including a manifestation of police brutality on Bloody Sunday, the leaders of the equal rights movement succeeded in maintaining the non-violent nature of the marches. Therefore, the March 1965 events in Alabama exemplify an inspiring historical event that reveals the perseverance of African-Americans in securing civil rights.
Works Cited
Andersen, Margaret L. Race in Society: The Enduring American Dilemma. Rowman & Littlefield, 2022.
Holt, Thomas C. The Movement: The African American Struggle for Civil Rights. Oxford University Press, 2021.
Rogers, Amy B. Martin Luther King Jr. Cavendish Square, 2021.
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