50th Anniversary Of The Selma March To Montgomery- Tha Wire [VIDEO]
Taking place this Saturday March 7, thousands, including President Barack Obama, Cicely Tyson, Harry Belafonte, Oprah Winfrey and more will come out to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. The 1965 march was led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) for the sole effort to fight for the right of African Americans to be able to register to vote here in the South.
Dr. King and the many protesters were not going to give up and organized another march. This time the marchers were protected by a U.S. district court judges decision and the National Guard. President Lyndon Johnson also backed them, addressing the nation on TV pledging his support of the march. On March 21 more than 2000 strong, after walking for 12 hours and sometimes sleeping on the road and in fields, the protesters made it to Montgomery. It's because of their struggle and bravery that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed later that year.
If you can't make the anniversary celebration, you can still honor those who paved the way for you to enjoy the many freedoms that you do today. Make sure you and your family are registered to vote and on election day, exercise that right.