Essay On Bloody Sunday

On March 7, 1965, in Selma, Alabama, the first of three Civil Right marches took place on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The purpose of these peaceful marches was to protest the discriminatory voter registration practices that kept African-American citizens in Alabama from voting. As the peaceful protesters crossed the bridge, they were greeted by Alabama state troopers, who instructed them to end the protest immediately; when the protesters refused, the state troopers unleashed a barrage of attacks. Protesters were attacked by police dogs, beaten with clubs, and had their eyes stung by tear gas; all of which, were caught on camera, as activists asked that the march be publicized-not knowing that it would become violent. This event came to be known as “Bloody Sunday”.
Then, on March 9th, the second march took place; troopers, police, and protesters faced each other at

These three marches alone spurred a national change; President Lyndon Johnson delivered his “The American Promise” speech as a special message before congress, the 1564th Senate bill, a voting rights bill, was introduced in the 89th United Stated Congress, the passage of voting rights bill in Congress was hastened, and Rev. Martian Luther King, Jr., delivered his “How Long? Not Long” speech on the final day of the 3rd march on the steps of the State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama.
Then, on the 45th Anniversary of “Bloody Sunday”, on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan delivered a speech detailing how far equality in America has come since then and how far America has yet to go in achieving true