March 21 - Today in Legal History

March 21, 1965 - March Begins in Selma, Alabama

Civil rights marchers set out from Selma, Alabama for the state capital of Montgomery. Walking as much as 12 miles a day, over 25,000 people will reach Montgomery on March 25. The marchers rally to support African-American voting rights and in protest of violence at a civil rights demonstration three weeks earlier, when demonstrators were assaulted by state troopers and deputies. In August 1965, Congress will pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965, guaranteeing every American over 21 the right to register to vote.

Related resources:

• Audio: The Voting Rights Act: Past, Present and Future (Justice Talking)
• First March from Selma (Library of Congress)
• Civil Rights Center (FindLaw)
• Voting Rights Act of 1965 (FindLaw)