Montgomery, Alabama, the final site of a crucial march from Selma, is set to celebrate the 60th anniversary of an event that culminated in one of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s greatest speeches and helped pass the Voting Rights Act.
Why it matters: The commemoration comes amid uncertainty about the future of voting rights, as President Trump dismantles Civil Rights protections and maligns diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Driving the news: Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed tells Axios the state capital will hold a series of events to honor the 1965 civil rights moment that transformed a nation six decades ago.
- The city will host a reception for the “heroes and sheroes” of the Voting Rights Movement on Friday night, followed by a family event on Saturday, including step shows and music at a local high school.
- On Sunday, Reed and activists will march from the City of St. Jude Church to the steps of the State Capitol, retracing the historic route marchers took in 1965.
- “Montgomery is central to the story because it was a sheet of power, the seat of state government, and it was where Dr. King delivered one of his most powerful speeches,” Reed said.
The big picture: The commemoration comes after the Trump administration announced the federal government will no longer prohibit contractors from having segregated restaurants, waiting rooms and drinking fountains.
- It also comes as the U.S. Department of Defense has purged what it termed DEI materials from its website. A webpage honoring baseball and civil rights pioneer Jackie Robinson, who served in the Army during World War II, was removed and later restored amid a public outcry.
- Meanwhile, the once-routine reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act remains stalled in Congress with little hope of passage under GOP control.
Flashback: On March 7, 1965, future Congressman John Lewis and 600 other civil rights demonstrators crossed the bridge from Selma for a planned march to Montgomery to protest voting discrimination against Black Americans.
- State troopers violently attacked the unarmed demonstrators with batons and tear gas — images that shocked the nation and prompted President Lyndon Johnson to give an emergency address to Congress.
- King followed up with a three-day march from Selma to Montgomery under the protection of the Alabama National Guard, which was under federal control.
On March 25, 1965, more than 2,000 people marched from St. Jude to the steps of the State Capitol Building, where King delivered the speech “How Long, Not Long.”
- “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” King said in a quote often repeated today.
Zoom in: Southern Poverty Law Center president and CEO Margaret Huang tells Axios that the legacy of the march from Selma to Montgomery is linked to current struggles, making it clear that today’s fight for democracy is just as urgent as it was in 1965.
- “We have governments trying to suppress our vote at the state level, now at the national level,” she said.
The other side: The White House said President Trump supports election integrity laws similar to what other nations have and isn’t looking at voter suppression.
The bottom line: NAACP President Derrick Johnson also sees the parallels and says today’s fight is not just about voting rights but also about economic justice and democracy.
- “We were a nation divided then, and we are a nation divided now,” he said.