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Dallas County Voters League
The Dallas County Voters League (DCVL) was founded in the 1920's by Samuel William Boynton. His wife Amelia Boynton was one of the brave souls who marched in Selma. The DCVL was instrumental in the march in Selma. The small group of 12 bonded together with the SCLC and the SNCC to help register African Americans to vote. The DCVL were doing their part on the local level before the march in Selma began. pictured is Samuel, Amelia, and their children -
SCLC Help with Making A Change
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference was a nonviolent organization under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. One of their first big campaigns was the Crusade for Citizenship at the end of 1957 with the goal to help thousands of African Americans register to vote. They also coordinated protests and and held registration drives in places like Selma. -
Coming Together
In 1962, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) joined forces with the SCLC, SNCC, the National Urban League, and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) to start the Voter Education Project. This was a basic voter registration and mobilization campaign. -
The Youth Take Action
The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was an organization established in April 1960. It was made up of a group of college students from Shaw University. They were very influential in the events that led up to the march on Selma. The SNCC organized sit ins and meetings to encourage African Americans to register to vote. In 1963 they started working in Selma and created "Freedom Houses" where high school and college students could learn and help with the efforts. -
The Civil Rights Act
Before the march in Selma took place, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964. This ended segregation and African Americans were no longer allowed to be denied service due to the color of their skin. This was important for the progression of the Civil Rights movement but Alabama was still giving pushback, especially when it came to the right for African Americans to register to vote. -
First March from Selma
The first march from Selma took place in 1965. The march was led to the courthouse in Marion, Alabama by Rev. C.T. Vivian. This was a protest that took place after the arrest of on of the DCVL's members. During this march, SCLC member Jimmie Lee Jackson was shot and killed. -
The Final March
On March 7, 1965 a group of about 600 protestors joined together to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge to march 54 miles to Montgomery, Alabama. Led by leaders, John Lewis (SNCC), Rev. Hosea Williams (SCLC), and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the demonstrators were met at the end of the bridge with brutal force from state troopers as an order by George Wallace who was governor at the time. They were beaten severely with the attack making national news. The event would be known as Bloody Sunday. -
The Fight Continues...
After the television broadcast of Bloody Sunday, there were sit ins, protests, and even traffic blockades of people showing their solidarity with the demonstrators in Selma. The federal court allowed the marchers to continue their journey on March 21, 1965 with protection by the National Guard. After four days, the marchers arrived to Montgomery with 25,000 people with them. -
Victory is Won!
After all of the blood, sweat, and tears put into the efforts for the rights of African Americans to properly register and vote, on August 6, 1965 Congress passed the Voting Rights Act. This meant that African Americans could no longer be presented with literacy tests or other discriminatory procedures to keep them from registering to vote. A great victory for those who came together to make a difference.