The 1963 March On Washington

Throughout history many nonviolent social movements have taken place. These movements have helped to fix injustices and provide a better environment for many people. One of these highly important social movements being the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Movement consisted of a series of events that led to important advancements for people of color. These events took place during the 1950’s-1960’s and some of the campaigns that took place to further the movement were the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Lunch Counter Sit-ins, Freedom Rides, and Freedom Summer.

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”.

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (Winters). King was determined to make unfair laws, that gave a group of people a disadvantage, change. He was willing to give his life for the rights of African-Americans and other minorities, so he devoted his life to the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr. made a positive impact on history through the protests he led, such as the Selma march, Birmingham protests and the March on Washington.

The Civil Rights Movement was a movement that brought great change to American society. This movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had major influence on similar movements in the future. Cesar Chavez’s farm workers movement is one example of a movement influenced by Dr. King’s civil rights movement. Dr. King’s use of nonviolence in his movement inspired Chavez to use similar tactics for his own movement because of how effective they were against adversity. Chavez writes an article to show his strong support for the use of nonviolence throughout this movement and uses rhetorical strategies such as ethos to persuade others to agree with his view on what action to take in this movement.

Music has had an influence on the lives of many around the world. The tempo, the beat and the rhythm wraps around the ears and hearts of people and teaches them things they have never known before. Not only is music teaching lessons but grabbing the emotional attention of its listeners. In the song Glory performed by music artist John Legend and Command, the song is depicting an issue towards black people across the nation started during the Jim Crow Laws in the south. The march on Selma is one of the most important turning events that occurred in US History.

From 1963, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee had takes a series of protests to strive for equal voting rights in Alabama, but due to opposition from local police, progress was slow. In 1965, King came to Selma to support local civil rights activists. During a peaceful protest on February 17th 1965, a local resident called Jimmie Lee Jackson was beaten and shot dead by the Alabama State Troopers. This fueled the famous march from Selma to Montgomery on March 7th 1965. Led by Hosea Williams and John Lewis, about 600 non-violence protesters confronted state troopers at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

Historically, the Civil Rights Movement was a time during the 1950’s and 1960’s to eliminate segregation and gain equal rights. Looking back on all the events, and vital figures it produced, this explanation is very unclear. In order to fully understand the Civil Rights Movement, you have to go back to its beginning. Most people believe that Rosa Parks began the whole civil rights movement. She did in fact move the Civil Rights Movement to groundbreaking heights but its origin began in 1954 with Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka.

The 60s were an important time for change in America. During this era people learned to exercise their rights (free speech) with protests to make changes and get freedom for everyone. Segregation, corporate pollution, and the Vietnam war were the main topics of protest. Most of these are still taking place with things such as sexism, immigrants, gay rights and other wars, but the 60s helped to start the civil rights movement that is still being fought today. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were at the head of the civil rights movement.

The march on Washington, an event that would forever help in changing America for the better. Peaceful marching can be a way to get citizens aware of the issues going on in the world. The people who marched on August 28th, 1963 wanted an everlasting change that needed to happen. The march on Washington was a major turning point in America because of the events that led up to the march, such as the fight for civil rights everywhere including the work force. The march and rally helped make the march on Washington a major turning point in America, as well as the changes that came after the march such as the civil rights bill and the progression of political protest.

Throughout the history of the United States, there has been a constant backdrop of oppression for minority groups. Perhaps, its most vivid moment of clarity occurred in the early 20th century when blacks and other people of color staged a movement, most commonly known as the “Civil Rights Movement”. In this movement, many events ultimately caused its success. The Selma to Montgomery March that occurred in March of 1965 provided an impetus for many blacks during that time and to this day. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine the political effects of the Selma to Montgomery March on the Black Belt area of Alabama in comparison with the political effects felt by the nation overall.