Fifty million Americans sat with their eyes glued to the television, watching a film exposing Nazi bigotry and the Holocaust.
But when the clock struck 9:30, the movie was interrupted by breaking news – an eerily similar broadcast showing Nazi-like bigotry was happening in their own backyards.
600 freedom fighters marched arm in arm across the Edmund Pettus Bridge as they began their march from Selma to Montgomery, ready for whatever obstacles stood in their way.
A wall of Alabama state troopers appeared in the distance. And then – violence.
Armed with billy clubs, tear gas, and whips, the troopers attacked, knocking marchers to the ground. White supremacists stood by waving Confederate flags.
John Lewis and activist Amelia Boynton were both clubbed in the head, but they didn’t stay down for long. And soon enough, the whole world was watching.
“Bloody Sunday” was caught on camera. When the brutal footage aired, it held a mirror to white America with a reflection they could no longer ignore.
Outrage swept the country, and our people fought in solidarity.
A federal court order allowed the march to reach the capitol steps just weeks later. Soon after, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed.
The struggle for Black liberation continues, but we must not forget the bloodshed of our people along the way. The fight won’t be easy, but we’re worth it.