The Selma to Montgomery Civil Right Marches

# Learning objectives

1. Describe the role of the Brown Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church leading up to the Selma-to-Montgomery marches.{.info}

2. Explain why it was difficult for African Americans to register to vote in the South.{.info}

3. Recall the events that occurred during the marches in support of voting rights.{.info}

**Key Elements and scene Summary**

This scene illustrates the events that took place in Selma, Alabama, in March 1965 around the time of the civil rights marches from Selma to Montgomery. Civil rights activists often gathered at the Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, where they came to hear people like Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, John Lewis, and Hosea Williams speak. The church also served as a starting point for the marches to Montgomery, the capital of Alabama. The marches were planned by civil rights activists in the black community to raise awareness about the restrictions on African Americans’ voting rights, including barriers to registering to vote. Moreover, the marches promoted equal rights—rights that were meant to be protected by law. March participants met with strong resistance, including violence from police and white supremacist groups.

# The Civil Rights Movement{.objective .objective1}

• An overview of the Civil Rights Movement is provided, to show how African Americans’ basic rights were restricted.

• Ask students how some states restricted African Americans’ legal rights, despite federal laws to protect these rights.

# The Right to Vote{.objective .objective2}

• Federal law gave all Americans the right to vote at the age of 21, but some states restricted this right.

• Ask students how the registration process outlined in the courthouse made it more difficult for African Americans to vote.

# The March from Selma to Montgomery{.objective .objective3}

• This section models the Selma-to-Montgomery marches for civil rights that took place in 1965. It illustrates how the marches were immediately met with resistance.

• Ask students to consider how the peaceful marchers may have felt being met by police, white supremacists, and supporters of segregation, many of whom carried weapons.

# Teacher Resources

### Download Teacher Notes

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### Student Quiz Answers Document

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