Civil Rights Marches

During the 1950's and 1960's, African American activists such as Martin Luther King and Malcolm X fought for their well-deserved rights. Marches were among the many methods of protest used by African Americans in the 1950's and 1960's.

The Beginning/March on Washington
In 1955, an African American lady named Rosa Parks was in a whites only bus and when asked to get out of her seat, she refused and was arrested. Mrs. Parks' arrest angered many African Americans and was one of the few events that fed into Civil Rights marches and protests. Mrs. Parks was fined $10 for her misdemeanor. Racism such as this eventually continued overtime and African Americans were motivated to keep fighting harder until they get their deserved rights once and for all. In 1963, a group led by Martin Luther King (SCLC) arranged a civil right march, today known as the March on Washington, or "Bloody Sunday" because of a certain number of casualties that followed. This march had almost 200,000 participants. During this march, Martin Luther King had given his famous "I have a dream" speech, which is a milestone in the sense of African American civil rights.

Selma to Montgomery March
Conflicts between the SCLC and the SNCC eventually made things take a turn for the worse and eventually causing the upbringing of the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. During this march, there were a decent number of casualties including a white man named Rev. James Reeb, who was shot. Another man named Jimmy Lee Jackson, who was African American, was killed during the march. However on March 9th, Martin Luther King marched to the then-blocked Pettus Bridge and protested there. In the end, one of Martin Luther King's wishes came true and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed by congress. The outcome of the marches was that African Americans got their rights and even today, are treated with more respect and equality. The African American people were successful in their civil rights endeavors after all.