Selma and Voting Rights Flashcards
1
Q
What events led to the symbolic protest march from Selma to Montgomery?
A
- KKK violence
- Failed attempts to register black voters in Selma
- Civil Rights leaders decided to organise the march
2
Q
What was the Selma march?
A
54-mile protest march from Selma to Montgomery
3
Q
When was the Selma march?
A
March 1965
4
Q
Why was voter registration so low among blacks in Selma?
A
- White supremacist intimidation and resistance
- Only 1% of voters were black
- Despite determined campaign by SNCC and SCLC
5
Q
What was SCLC and who was the president?
A
- Southern Christian Leadership Conference
- Martin Luther King was president
6
Q
What happened during the first Selma march?
A
- ‘Bloody Sunday’
- 600 protestors were attacked by police
- Orders from racist Governor George Wallace
- Televised, sparked outrage
7
Q
How did Martin Luther King respond to the violence of ‘Bloody Sunday’?
A
- Called for a second march
- Led them in prayer to the site of Sunday’s attack
- Went back to church to avoid violent clash
- Gained support of President (Lyndon B. Johnson)
8
Q
How did the president respond to the Selma protests?
A
- Provided federal protection for marchers
- Sent a bill to Congress that became the Voting Rights Act of 1965
9
Q
Why was the Voting Rights Act of 1965 a key milestone in the civil rights movement?
A
- Outlawed discriminatory voting laws
- Improved Black voter registration
10
Q
Why is Selma historically significant during the Civil Rights?
A
- Symbolises the struggle for voting rights
- Remains a lasting symbol of the civil rights movement
