Lesson Plan Title: SELMA TO MONTGOMERY MARCH –WRITING ACTIVITY

Miami-Dade County Public Schools RESOURCE PACKET

THE SCHOOL BOARD OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA

Ms. Perla Tabares Hantman, Chair

Dr. Lawrence S. Feldman, Vice-Chair Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall

Ms. Susie V. Castillo Dr. Wilbert “Tee” Holloway

Dr. Martin S. Karp Dr. Marta Pérez

Ms. Raquel A. Regalado

Mr. Julian Lafaurie Student Advisor

Alberto M. Carvalho Superintendent of Schools

Ms. Marie Izquierdo Chief Academic Officer

Office of Academics and Transformation

Dr. Maria P. de Armas Assistant Superintendent

Division of Academics, Office of Academics and Transformation

Mr. Robert C. Brazofsky Executive Director

Department of Social Sciences

1.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

CONTENTS PAGE

PAGES 3-5

PAGES 6-7 lesson plan: SELMA TO MONTGOMERY

PAGES 12-20 lesson plan: WRITING ACTIVITY Dear officials of Selma, Alabama

PAGES 23-24 TIME LINE of Selma Alabama facts

PAGES 8-11 lesson plan: ANALYZING POLITICAL CARTOONS

PAGES 21-22 lesson plan: WRITING ACTIVITY Essay Contest

PAGES 25-31 ARTICLE The Selma-to-Montgomery Marches by Mary Schons

PAGE 32 ARTICLE Selma-To-Montgomery March National Historic Trail & All-American Road

PAGE 32 -39 ARTICLE Selma-To-Montgomery Marchs by Tiffany Hagler-Geard

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They called him Dynamite Bob. Robert Edward Chambliss, a Birmingham truck driver, was a member of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan. He stood outside the Sixteenth Street Church on September 15, 1963. The church had been the rallying point against Bull Connors police dogs and fire hoses.

It was only 18 days after the euphoric March on Wash-ington and four hundred worshipers were at the church. There were four children in the basement changing their clothes.

At about 10:20 AM, fifteen sticks dynamite blew apart the basement, instantly killing Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley (ages 14), and Denise McNair (age 11), and injuring 20 others.

It took several years before Chambliss was convicted of

participating in the bombing.Addie was standing by the window. Denise McNair asked

Addie to tie the sash on her dress. I started to look toward them just to see them, but by the time I went to turn my head that way there was a loud noise. I didn't know what it was. I called out Addie's name about three or four times, but she didn't answer. All of a sudden, I heard a man outside holler, “Someone just bombed the 16th Street church.” He came in, picked me up in his arms, and carried me out of the church. They took me over to the hospital… The doctor told me after they operated on my face that I had about 22 shards of glass in my face. When it was all over with, they took the patches off my eye and I had lost my right eye, and I could barely see out of my left eye. I stayed in the hospital about two and a half months. — Sarah J. Rudolph, older sister of Addie Mae Collins

Sixteenth Street Church Bombing

The24th Amendment

Poll taxes, fees that had to be paid in order to vote, were used in the South to discourage blacks from voting. In 1964, five states still retained a poll tax: Virginia, Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi. The 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ratified January 23, 1964, states: The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax. Unfortunately southern poll taxes continued to be used to limit the black vote in elections for state and local officials.

CivilRightsActof1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964, signed into law by President Johnson on July 2, 1964, was a revolutionary piece of legislation in the United States that effectively outlawed egregious forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including all forms of segregation. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 terminated unequal application in regards to voter registration requirements and all forms of racial segregation in schools, in the workplace and by facilities that offered services to the general public. Title provisions of the Act Title I: Barred unequal application of voter registration requirements and required that all voting rules and procedures be uniform regardless of race. Literacy tests were still allowed.

Title II: Outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion or national origin in hotels, motels, restaurants, theaters, and all other public accommodations engaged in interstate commerce; exempted private clubs without defining the term "private." Title III: Prohibited state and municipal governments from denying access to public facilities on grounds of race, color, religion or national origin. Title IV: Encouraged the desegregation of public schools and authorized the U.S. Attorney General to file suits to enforce said act. Title V: Expanded the Civil Rights Commission established by the earlier Civil Rights Act of 1957 with additional powers, rules and procedures. Title VI: Prevents discrimination by government agencies that receive federal funds. If an agency is found in violation of Title VI, that agency may lose its federal

funding. Title VII: Prohibited discrimination by employers on the basis of color, race, sex, national origin, or religion. Full text of Civil Rights Act of 1964 at: www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=97

President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and hands the pen to Martin Luther King, Jr.

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The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Com-mittee (SNCC) with CORE, the NAACP, and other civil-rights groups organized a massive African American voter registration drive in Mississippi known as "Freedom Summer" and the “Summer Project.”

Over 1,000 out-of-state volunteers participated in Freedom Summer alongside thousands of black Mississippians. Most of the volunteers were young, most of them from the North, 90 percent were white and many were Jewish.

Organizers focused on Mississippi because it had the lowest percentage of African Americans registered to vote in the country, in 1962 only 7%. Many of Mississippi's white residents deeply resented the outsiders and any attempt to change their society. Locals routinely harassed volunteers. Newspapers called them "unshaven and unwashed trash." Their presence in local black communities sparked drive-by shootings, Molotov cocktails, and constant harassment. State and local govern-ments, police, the White Citizens' Council and

the Ku Klux Klan used murder, arrests, beatings, arson, spying, firing, evictions, and other forms of intimidation to oppose the project and prevent blacks from registering to vote for achieving social equality. Over the course of the ten-week project: •Fourcivilrightsworkerswerekilled&fourcriti-cally wounded •80FreedomSummerworkerswerebeaten •1,062peoplewerearrested(volunteersandlocals) •37churches&30blackhomesandbusinesseswere bombed or burned.

Until then I’d never heard of no mass meeting and I didn’t know that a Negro could register and vote. Bob Moses, Reggie Robinson, Jim Bevel and James Forman were some of the SNCC workers who ran that meeting. When they

asked for those to raise their hands who’d go down to the courthouse the next day, I raised mine. Had it up as high as I could get it. I guess if I’d had any sense I’d a-been a little scared, but what was the point of being scared? The only thing they could do to me was kill me and it seemed like they’d been trying to do that a little bit at a time ever since I could remember —FannieLouHamer

In Neshoba Country, near Philadelphia, Miss., the bodies of three civil-rights workers—two white, one black—were found in an earthen dam, six weeks into a federal investigation backed by President Johnson. James E. Chaney, 21; Andrew Goodman, 21; and Michael Schwerner, 24, had been working to register black voters in Missis-sippi.

On June 21, 1964, they had gone to investigate the burning of a black church. They were arrested by the police on suspicion of arson, incarcerated for several hours, and then released after dark into the hands of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), who mur-dered them. Their bodies, beaten and shot, were recovered August 4.

Freedom Summer’s Effect

Freedom Summer had a significant effect on the course of the Civil Rights Movement. It helped

break down the decades of isolation and repres-sion that were the foundation of the Jim Crow system. Before Freedom Summer, the national news media paid little attention to the persecu-tion of black voters in the Deep South and the dangers endured by black civil rights workers, but when the lives of affluent northern white students were threatened, the full attention of the media spotlight was turned on the state. This evident disparity between the value that the media placed on the lives of whites compared with blacks embit-tered many black activists. However, the volun-teers consider that summer as one of the defining moments of their lives

In the five years following Freedom Summer, black voter registration in Mississippi rose from a mere 7 percent to 67 percent.

Mississippi Burning

Freedom Summer

“We had a system where people were to call in every half hour or call at appointed times. And if the call didn’t come, then within 15 minutes, whoever was receiving the call-ins was supposed to call the Jackson, MS [main] office. We had a security system we would then put into operation, which involved calling the FBI and calling the Justice Department and calling the local police… So we did that…and nothing was happening. …We assumed that they were in real danger or dead. We…anticipated…violence, but I remember think-ing, ‘Boy, they [KKK] are really quick.’ We had a lot of fear.” — Sandra Cason (Source: Voices of Freedom, Bantam, New York, 1990, p. 188-189.)

Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner

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The Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960 were aimed at supporting the rights of African Ameri-can’s to vote. Black voter registration was low in southern states and counties due to discriminatory practices employed such as poll taxes and qualify-ing tests. Selma, in Dallas County, Alabama had a history of opposition to black voters’ rights with only 2% of black residents registered to vote.

Reverend King, the SNCC, and the SCLC were invited by the Dallas County Voters’ League, run by local black activists Amelia and Samuel Boyn-ton, to make Selma a national focal point for a campaign for a strong federal voting rights statute.

King and the other civil rights advocates knew Selma would prove a challenge because of the short temper of local Sheriff James G. Clark, Jr. They also knew his hostile tactics would increase news coverage and outrage across the country. Clark did not disappoint them.

As part of their efforts, they also engaged of-ficials in the neighboring Town of Marion in Perry County. At a civil rights march there on Febru-ary 18, 1965, an Alabama State Trooper shot and killed a black participant, Jimmy Lee Jackson.

Civil rights activists thought that a fitting response to his death would be a mass pilgrim-age from Selma to the Alabama state capitol in Montgomery.

The 600 marchers started out on Sunday, March 7, 1965 led by SCLC Hosea Williams and SNCC chairman John Lewis. (King was preaching at his church in Atlanta.) When they reached the

Bloody Sunday

Voting Rights Act of 1965

other side of the Pettus Bridge on the edge of downtown Selma, they were blocked by scores of Sheriff Clark’s lawmen and Alabama state troopers.

The marchers were instructed to turn around and walk back to Selma. When they didn’t move they were attacked. Fifty march-ers were hospitalized after police used tear gas, whips, clubs, and mounted horsemen against them. The gruesome incident was dubbed "Bloody Sunday" by the media and led to outrage across the country.

Two weeks later on Sunday, March 21, after court approval for the march and with federalized National Guard troops for safety, a larger march of 3,200 started from Selma to Montgomery (the num-bers were reduced to 300 along the way for practical issues of food and shelter). After walking 10 miles a day, sometimes in heavy rain, and camping in open fields in simple tents, they reached Montgom-ery four days later on March 25th, where they held a rally on the steps of the state capitol.

John Lewis said of the march: “I think we all walked those days with a sense of pride and…dignity. …To me there was never a march like this one before, and there hasn’t been one since.”

The march is considered the catalyst for pushing through the Voting Rights Act of 1965 five months later.

MartinLutherKing,Jr.,AwardedtheNobel Peace Prize.

On October 14, 1964, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was named the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. The October 15 New York Times quoted the civil rights leader: “I do not consider this merely an honor to me personally, but a tribute to the disciplined, wise restraint and majestic courage of

gallant Negro and white persons of goodwill who have followed a nonviolent course in seeking to establish a reign of justice and a rule of love across this nation of ours.”

In a landmark victory in African Americans’ quest for free-dom and equality, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law on August 6, 1965. It prohibited the

Marchers Crossing the Edmund-Pettus Bridge, Sunday, March 7,1965 Credit: Library of Congress, New York World-Telegram and Sun Collection

President Lyndon B. Johnson shakes hands with Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. after signing the Voting Rights Act.

Images of civil rights marchers in Selma being beaten by Alabama police March 7, 1965 horrified many Americans, including President Lyndon B. Johnson. Credit: Library of Congress

“The first 10 or 20 Negroes were swept to the ground screaming, arms and legs flying and packs and bags went skittering across the grassy divider strip and on to the pave-ment on both sides,” The New York Times reported on March 8, 1965. “Those still on their feet retreated. The troopers continued pushing, using both the force of their bodies and the prodding of their nightsticks.” The Times also described a makeshift hospital near the local church: “Negroes lay on the floors and chairs, many weeping and moaning.”

denial or restriction of the right to vote, and forbade discrimi-natory voting practices nation-wide such as forcing would-be voters to pass qualifying tests in order to vote.

Section 2 of the Act states: No voting qualification or pre-requisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citi-zen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.

Read the Voting Rights Act of 1965 at: www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=100

Lesson Plan Title: SELMA TO MONTGOMERY MARCH –WRITING ACTIVITY

Objective: Students will be able to review various forms of texts. Review the videos, read the articles that have been provided. Research additional resource and develop an opinion on the Selma to Montgomery March. Students are to write a letter to the appropriate authorities and identify the deep divisions between minorities and local leaders and argues for a solution. Students are to support their position(s) with evidence from research. Objective: Students will be able to analyze political cartoons. •Identify the ways in which point of view can be detected by reviewing videos with varying opinions from the community. Videos: http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/selma-montgomery-march http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement/videos/march-from-selma-to- montgomery (5:05) http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51028999#51028999 (Bloody Sunday remembered)

FLORIDA Next Generation State Standards Florida State Standards for ENGLISH LANGUAGE ART S & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects RH.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including

vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies. RH.6-8.6 Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded

language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts). RH.6-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps)

with other information in print and digital texts. RH.9-10.8 Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author's

claims TEACHER TASK

After researching the March on Selma, students will recognize the deep divisions that lie between minorities and the Selma, Alabama local leaders.

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STUDENT ACTIVITY Objective: Students will be able to analyze political cartoons. •Identify the ways in which point of view can be detected in political cartoons. Teacher will distribute political cartoons in cooperative learning groups. Each group will have a discussion on the political cartoon that has been given to their group.

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

WRITING “Built In”

Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audience.

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

List the objects or people you see in the cartoon

Identify the cartoon caption and/or title Locate three words or phrases used by the cartoonist to identify objects or people within the cartoon. Record any important dates or numbers that appear in the cartoon

Which of the objects on your list are symbols? Describe what you see. What do you think each symbol means?

Which word or phrases in the cartoon appear to be the most significant? Why do you think so? List adjectives that describe the emotions portrayed in the cartoon

Describe the action taking place in the cartoon. Explain how the words in the cartoon clarify the symbols. Explain the message of the cartoon. What methods does the cartoonist use to persuade the audience?

ANALYZING POLITICAL CARTOONS

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

LEVEL 3

LEVEL 4

Reflect on a position of a social issue that you may have, now create a political cartoon that expresses your view.

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

Dear officials of Selma, Alabama: Addressing Voting Rights in Selma, Alabama

Information Sheet Lesson Plan Title: DEAR SELMA OFFICIALS Lesson Plan overview:: Our federal government has had to address human rights and social injustices since the inception of our nation. In today’s society, many minorities sometimes see the problems their communities face as insurmountable (low wages, poverty, unemployment, health care, education) and view their local politicians as out of touch with the community. However, all citizens have the power to lead and can influence politicians to foster positive change within our society.

This lesson plan encourages students to address various social issues that minority communities face on a daily basis. Ask them to research community complaints in their neighborhoods and discuss current national issues such as police brutality, excessive force, stop and frisk, militarization of police departments, and poverty. The instructor will involve students in an examination of the outlining factors and social issues surrounding Selma, Alabama.

Students will research the topic and explore multiple perspectives on the issue through both teacher selected texts and independent research. Using both teacher selected texts and independent research, the module culminates with the students writing a letter to the Governor, Mayor and local elected officials, to convince him/her of their position, deconstruct the argument of the opposition in a rebuttal, and construct their own solution to the issue.

This lesson was designed for completion in approximately two 50-minute sessions. It is important to understand that this lesson can be fully implemented in EITHER English/Language Arts or Civics.

STUDENT TASK Argumentative/Problem-Solution After researching the March on Selma, write a letter to the appropriate authorities that identify the deep divisions between minorities and local leaders and argue for a solution. Support your position with evidence from your research.

Be sure to:

• Examine competing views. • Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position.

(Argumentation/Problem-Solution)

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

A. STUDENT TASK

After researching Bloody Sunday, second Tuesday, and the March on Selma write a letter to the appropriate authorities that identify the deep divisions that existed between minorities and local leaders and argue to support the community and residents of Selma. Discuss the right to assemble and identify specific amendments that support the protesters right to assemble, freedom of speech, and the right to vote. Support your position with evidence from your research.

Be sure to:

• Examine competing view

• Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position.

(Argumentation/Problem-Solution)

• Use the teacher rubric for assessment and discussion.

B. Standards:

READING “Built In”

1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

10 Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

“When Appropriate” 3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

5 Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

6 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

WRITING

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

“Built In” 1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant

and sufficient evidence.

4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audience.

“When Appropriate” 2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately

through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with rs.

7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.

Florida Standards: Number Content Standard(s) SS.7.C.2.13 Examine multiple perspectives on public or current issue

SS.7.C.2.3 Experience the responsibilities of citizens at the local, state, or federal levels.

RH.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

RH.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

RH.6-8.6 Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).

RH.6-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

RH.9-10.5

Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or analysis.

RH.9-10.8 Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author's claims

Content Standards Source: Florida Next Generation Sunshine State Standards – 7th Grade Civics English Language Arts Standards – History/Social Studies – Grades 6-8 English Language Arts Standards-History/Social Studies-Grades 9-10

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

Teaching Task Rubric Scoring

Elements Not Yet Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Advanced

1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4

Focus Attempts to address

prompt, but lacks focus or is off-task.

Addresses prompt appropriately and

establishes a position, but focus is uneven.

Addresses prompt appropriately and

maintains a clear, steady focus. Provides a generally

convincing position.

Addresses all aspects of prompt appropriately with a consistently strong focus

and convincing position.

Controlling Idea

Attempts to establish a claim, but lacks a clear purpose. (L2) Makes no

mention of counter claims.

Establishes a claim. (L2) Makes note of counter

claims.

Establishes a credible claim. (L2) Develops claim and counter claims fairly.

Establishes and maintains a substantive and credible

claim or proposal. (L2) Develops claims and

counter claims fairly and thoroughly.

Reading/ Research

Attempts to reference reading materials to

develop response, but lacks connections or relevance to the purpose of the prompt.

Presents information from reading materials relevant

to the purpose of the prompt with minor lapses

in accuracy or completeness.

Accurately presents details from reading

materials relevant to the purpose of the prompt to

develop argument or claim.

Accurately and effectively presents important details from reading materials to

develop argument or claim.

Development

Attempts to provide details in response to the prompt,

but lacks sufficient development or relevance

to the purpose of the prompt. (L3) Makes no

connections or a connection that is irrelevant

to argument or claim.

Presents appropriate details to support and

develop the focus, controlling idea, or claim, with minor lapses in the reasoning, examples, or

explanations. (L3) Makes a connection with a weak or

unclear relationship to argument or claim.

Presents appropriate and sufficient details to

support and develop the focus, controlling idea, or

claim. (L3) Makes a relevant connection to

clarify argument or claim.

Presents thorough and detailed information to effectively support and

develop the focus, controlling idea, or claim.

(L3) Makes a clarifying connection(s) that

illuminates argument and adds depth to reasoning.

Organization Attempts to organize ideas,

but lacks control of structure.

Uses an appropriate organizational structure

for development of reasoning and logic, with minor lapses in structure

and/or coherence.

Maintains an appropriate organizational structure

to address specific requirements of the

prompt. Structure reveals the reasoning and logic of

the argument.

Maintains an organizational structure

that intentionally and effectively enhances the

presentation of information as required by

the specific prompt. Structure enhances development of the

reasoning and logic of the argument.

Conventions

Attempts to demonstrate standard English

conventions, but lacks cohesion and control of

grammar, usage, and mechanics. Sources are used without citation.

Demonstrates an uneven command of standard

English conventions and cohesion.

Uses language and tone with some inaccurate,

inappropriate, or uneven features. Inconsistently

cites sources.

Demonstrates a command of standard English

conventions and cohesion, with few errors.

Response includes language and tone appropriate to the

audience, purpose, and specific requirements of

the prompt. Cites sources using appropriate format with only minor errors.

Demonstrates and maintains a well-

developed command of standard English

conventions and cohesion, with few errors. Response

includes language and tone consistently

appropriate to the audience, purpose, and specific requirements of the prompt. Consistently

cites sources using appropriate format.

Content Understanding

Attempts to include disciplinary content in

argument, but understanding of content is weak; content is irrelevant,

inappropriate, or inaccurate.

Briefly notes disciplinary content relevant to the prompt; shows basic or

uneven understanding of content; minor errors in

explanation.

Accurately presents disciplinary content

relevant to the prompt with sufficient

explanations that demonstrate

understanding.

Integrates relevant and accurate disciplinary

content with thorough explanations that

demonstrate in-depth understanding.

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

Pen Points:

• A short direct letter is powerful. Officials don't have a lot of time, if it's longer, they may not get the message.

• If you decide to handwrite your letter, make sure your writing is neat and legible. If other people can’t read

your writing, then they won’t read your letter.

• Be polite; don’t be too aggressive.

• Include your name, address, and ways to contact you (phone number, email) on the letter AND the envelope.

• Be really specific with your concerns and requests. Elected officials deal with a lot of problems every day, but

if they see that you have a particular problem or issue in mind, then it'll be easier for them to take action to

resolve it. If you’re writing about a specific bill, give them the bill number (and definitely tell them how you

want them to vote!).

• Keep in mind that facts carry a lot more weight than reasons such as "because it’s bad" or "because I like it."

• Address them in a respectable way!

If writing to members of the U.S. House of Representatives:

Date The Honorable (full name) United States House of Representatives (get street address here https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml) Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative (last name):

If writing to members of the U.S. Senate:

Date The Honorable (full name) United States Senate address (get street address here http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm) Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator (last name):

Source: https://www.dosomething.org/actnow/actionguide/write-a-letter-to-elected-official

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

SAMPLE LETTER

The Honorable Sherrod Brown

455 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

RE: Safe Space for Youth

Dear Senator Brown,

I am a resident of Springdom, OH, and I am writing because there is a terrible lack of safe places for

youth in my community.

Springdom’s mayor and council are proposing a town-wide ordinance requiring that people under the

age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult while shopping at the Springdom Mega-Mall. They

borrowed the idea from other communities that have passed similar rules in response to incidents

such as kids getting into minor fights on mall property. Mayor Jackson believes that by requiring youth

to be accompanied by chaperones, she will eliminate this problem. Some of the strongest arguments

against the idea are that it will dramatically reduce business and it may actually increase danger - if

kids can’t go to the mall, they’ll find other, not so well-guarded places to hang out.

As a young, concerned citizen of Springdom, I agree that youth violence at the mall is a big problem

for both kids and adults, but I think the best way to address this matter is by attacking it at its root.

To be perfectly honest, there is nothing to do in Springdom after school lets out. That’s why kids go

to the mall! The youth of Springdom need a cool, safe space where they can go after school to hang.

I’ve spoken with several friends and teachers and we all agree that Springdom would benefit greatly

from the addition of a community space offering athletics, art and other activities so that kids can

socialize in a constructive manner.

Specifically, I am writing to ask you to promote the maintenance of community spaces and the

creation of more parks and nature trails. Springdom, for one, has thick woodlands. If you worked with

the Ohio Parks Department to create running and biking trails in communities such as Springdom,

everyone, not only the youth, would benefit greatly. I know that I for one, speaking as a youth and

concerned citizen, would gain considerably from this program.

Thank you for considering this matter.

Sincerely,

(your handwritten signature)

Betsey Lopez

CC: Soandso, Jr. , Springdom School Board President

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

Peer Editing Form DOES THE AUTHOR…..

Yes

No

Comment

Completely respond to the prompt?

Take a stance on the issue (supports Obama or the opposition)

Discusses the opposition’s point of view

Makes a suggestion to solve the issue

Makes a credible claim (position that is reasonable)

Gives information in the letter that supports their claim

Uses details from the articles and internet research to support their stance

Has a minimum of 3 pieces of evidence to support the claim (author’s position)

Has one piece of evidence as a counter claim (evidence against the opposition’s stance)

Presents details to support or clarify their position in the form of: CIRCLE ALL THAT APPLY- FACTS STATISTICS HISTORICAL CONNECTION CURRENT EVENT CONNECTION DIRECT/ RELEVANT/CREDIBLE QUOTES MAKE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN

X X X X X X

X X X X X X

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

DIFFERENT PIECES OF INFO TO GIVE THE BIG PICTURE The structure of the letter has a logical progression (author is walking you through the information in a way that makes sense) and follows the framed letter format.

Uses proper grammar, punctuation and sentence structure.

Cites sources used for supporting information.

Tone is appropriate to format (professional not friendly)

Demonstrates in-depth understanding of topic.

Author brings in knowledge gained from the Civics class to supplement their argument

Based on our rubric for this assignment, I would give this draft of your letter a score of____________

I would give it this score because …

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

Teaching Task Rubric (Argumentation) Scoring

Elements Not Yet Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Advanced

1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4

Focus Attempts to address

prompt, but lacks focus or is off-task.

Addresses prompt appropriately and

establishes a position, but focus is uneven.

Addresses prompt appropriately and

maintains a clear, steady focus. Provides a generally

convincing position.

Addresses all aspects of prompt appropriately with a consistently strong focus

and convincing position.

Controlling Idea

Attempts to establish a claim, but lacks a clear purpose. (L2) Makes no

mention of counter claims.

Establishes a claim. (L2) Makes note of counter

claims.

Establishes a credible claim. (L2) Develops claim and counter claims fairly.

Establishes and maintains a substantive and credible

claim or proposal. (L2) Develops claims and

counter claims fairly and thoroughly.

Reading/ Research

Attempts to reference reading materials to

develop response, but lacks connections or relevance to the purpose of the prompt.

Presents information from reading materials relevant

to the purpose of the prompt with minor lapses

in accuracy or completeness.

Accurately presents details from reading

materials relevant to the purpose of the prompt to

develop argument or claim.

Accurately and effectively presents important details from reading materials to

develop argument or claim.

Development

Attempts to provide details in response to the prompt,

but lacks sufficient development or relevance

to the purpose of the prompt. (L3) Makes no

connections or a connection that is irrelevant

to argument or claim.

Presents appropriate details to support and

develop the focus, controlling idea, or claim, with minor lapses in the reasoning, examples, or

explanations. (L3) Makes a connection with a weak or

unclear relationship to argument or claim.

Presents appropriate and sufficient details to

support and develop the focus, controlling idea, or

claim. (L3) Makes a relevant connection to

clarify argument or claim.

X

Presents thorough and detailed information to effectively support and

develop the focus, controlling idea, or claim.

(L3) Makes a clarifying connection(s) that

illuminates argument and adds depth to reasoning.

Organization Attempts to organize ideas,

but lacks control of structure.

Uses an appropriate organizational structure

for development of reasoning and logic, with minor lapses in structure

and/or coherence.

Maintains an appropriate organizational structure

to address specific requirements of the

prompt. Structure reveals the reasoning and logic of

the argument.

X

Maintains an organizational structure

that intentionally and effectively enhances the

presentation of information as required by

the specific prompt. Structure enhances development of the

reasoning and logic of the argument.

Conventions

Attempts to demonstrate standard English

conventions, but lacks cohesion and control of

grammar, usage, and mechanics. Sources are used without citation.

Demonstrates an uneven command of standard

English conventions and cohesion.

Uses language and tone with some inaccurate,

inappropriate, or uneven features. Inconsistently

cites sources.

Demonstrates a command of standard English

conventions and cohesion, with few errors.

Response includes language and tone appropriate to the

audience, purpose, and specific requirements of

the prompt. Cites sources using appropriate format with only minor errors.

Demonstrates and maintains a well-

developed command of standard English

conventions and cohesion, with few errors. Response

includes language and tone consistently

appropriate to the audience, purpose, and specific requirements of the prompt. Consistently

cites sources using appropriate format.

Content Understanding

Attempts to include disciplinary content in

argument, but understanding of content is weak; content is irrelevant,

inappropriate, or inaccurate.

Briefly notes disciplinary content relevant to the prompt; shows basic or

uneven understanding of content; minor errors in

explanation.

Accurately presents disciplinary content

relevant to the prompt with sufficient

explanations that demonstrate

understanding.

X

Integrates relevant and accurate disciplinary

content with thorough explanations that

demonstrate in-depth understanding.

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

Teaching Task: 2015 M-DCPS BLACK HISTORY ESSAY CONTEST The 2015 Black History theme is “A Century of Black Life, History, and Culture,” Provide students with the theme and encourage them to participate in the District Black History Essay content by completing the contest below. Back ground information:

Lately, several communities in South Florida and in the world have experienced a rash of senseless violence. In the past, African Americans as well as other minority activist transformed race relations, challenged American foreign policy, and became the American conscience on human rights. For example, in early 1965, Martin Luther King Jr. and SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) decided to make Selma, located in Dallas County, Alabama, the focus of a voter registration campaign therefore, shedding light on social injustice, violence in communities, and discrimination against minorities. Alabama Governor George Wallace was a notorious opponent of desegregation, and the local county sheriff in Dallas County had led a steadfast opposition to black voter registration drives. As a result, only 2 percent of Selma’s eligible black voters (300 out of 15,000) had managed to register. As an activist that recognizes the power of voting, write to convince your reader why it’s important to vote and how this power can be used to address your community concerns (i.e. increase in youth violence). Cite specific evidence; include explicit details and logical inferences to support your conclusion.

Details to participate in M-DCPS 2015 Black History Essay Contest: • PRIZES:

o Separate first, second and third place prizes will be awarded in the middle and

senior high school categories as follows:

o 1st place - $200 U.S Currency o 2nd place - $100 U.S. Currency o 3rd place - $50 U.S. Currency

BLACK HISTORY ESSAY CONTEST GUIDELINES

• Essays must be typed, with a maximum length of 500 words (2 pages), double spaced on

white paper, and stapled on the upper left hand corner. The prompt must be typed on the cover sheet. The cover sheet must also include the student’s name, grade level, email address, phone number (cell/home), and school. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in disqualification.

• All entries will be evaluated in their entirety with consideration being given to the

following four elements: focus, organization, support and conventions.

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

• All entries are due by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, February 20, 2015.

• Winners will be announced via email on or before Friday, February 27, 2015.

• The secondary categories are grades 6-8 and 9-12.

• MAIL OR HAND DELIVER TO: Dr. Sherrilyn Scott, Supervisor, Department of Social Sciences School Board Administration Building Annex, Room 326C 1451 N.E. 2nd Avenue, Miami Florida 33132 Mail Code #9626 Telephone: 305-995-1982

If there are further questions, contact Dr. Sherrilyn Scott via email at sherrilynscott@dadeschools.net.

SELMA MIAMI PROJECT

Facts: Throughout March of 1965, a group of demonstrators faced violence as they attempted to march

from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama, to demand the right to vote for black people.

One of the pivotal days was March 7, when 17 people were injured by police, including future

Congressman John Lewis. Since that time, March 7th has been known as "Bloody Sunday."

The march has been reenacted many times on its anniversary.

It is about 50 miles (80km) from Selma to Montgomery.

Timeline:

February 1965 - Marches and demonstrations over voter registration prompt Alabama Governor

George C. Wallace to ban nighttime demonstrations in Selma and Marion, Alabama.

February 18, 1965 - During a march in Marion, state troopers attack the demonstrators. State

trooper James Bonard Fowler shoots and kills Jimmie Lee Jackson. Fowler was charged with

murder in 2007 and pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2010.

March 7, 1965 - About 600 people begin a march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery,

Alabama, led by John Lewis and Hosea Williams. Marchers demand an end to discrimination in

voter registration. At the Edmund Pettus Bridge, state and local lawmen attack the marchers with

billy clubs and tear gas, driving them back to Selma.

March 9, 1965 - Martin Luther King, Jr. leads another march to the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The

march is largely symbolic; as arranged previously, the crowd turns back at a barricade of state

troopers. Demonstrations are held in cities across the U.S. to show solidarity with the Selma

marchers.

March 9, 1965 - President Lyndon Johnson speaks out against the violence in Selma and urges

both sides to respect the law.

March 9, 1965 - Unitarian Universalist minister James Reeb, in Selma to join marchers, is

attacked by a group of white men and beaten. He dies of his injuries two days later.

March 10, 1965 - The U.S. Justice Department files suit in Montgomery, Alabama asking for an

order to prevent the state from punishing any person involved in a demonstration for civil rights.

March 17, 1965 - Federal District Court Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. rules in favor of the

marchers. "The law is clear that the right to petition one's government for the redress of

grievances may be exercised in large groups."

March 18, 1965 - Governor Wallace goes before the state legislature to condemn Johnson's

ruling. He states that Alabama cannot provide the security measures needed, blames the federal

government, and says he will call on the federal government for help.

March 19, 1965 - Governor Wallace sends a telegram to President Johnson asking for help,

saying that the state does not have enough troops and cannot bear the financial burden of calling

up the Alabama National Guard.

March 20, 1965 - President Johnson issues an executive order federalizing the Alabama

National Guard and authorizes whatever federal forces the Defense Secretary deems necessary.

March 21, 1965 - About 3,200 people march out of Selma for Montgomery under the protection

of federal troops. They walk about 12 miles a day and sleep in fields at night.

March 25, 1965 - The marchers reach the state capitol in Montgomery. The number of marchers

grows to about 25,000.

August 6, 1965 - President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The Selma-to-Montgomery Marches How a 54-mile walk helped a journey for civil rights

By Mary Schons

Friday, January 21, 2011

For 100 years after African Americans were granted the right to vote, that right was steadily

taken away. In March 1965, thousands of people held a series of marches in the U.S. state of

Alabama in an effort to get that right back. Their march from Selma to Montgomery, the capital,

was a success, leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

African Americans first earned their right to vote in 1870, just five years after the United States

ended the Civil War. That year, Congress adopted the 15th Amendment to the Constitution,

which guaranteed the right to vote to black men of voting age. (Black women, like all other

women, were not allowed to vote until 1920.)

The 15th Amendment was successful in getting black men to the polls. Selma elected its first

black congressman, Benjamin Sterling Turner, the year the amendment passed. Citizens of Selma

then elected black city councilmen and a criminal court judge.

However, in 1876, the U.S. Supreme Court and many state courts narrowed the scope of the

15th Amendment. They said it did not always guarantee the right to vote. Soon, black men

began to lose their voting rights, especially in the South. This region of the United States had

supported the Confederacy during the Civil War and had relied on slaves for much labor before

their emancipation, or freedom.

Black voters were disenfranchised. To be disenfranchised means that a person or group of

people loses the right to vote. Disenfranchisement happened in many ways.

Disenfranchisement

People who register a person to vote are called voter registrars or voting registrars. In the South,

voter registrars were given broad powers to prevent black people from registering to vote any

way they could.

Black people wanting to register to vote were given what were called “literacy tests.” Literacy is

the ability to read and is not a requirement to vote in the United States. However, these literacy

tests did not even test reading ability.

Registrars could ask people any kind of question about local, state, and federal government. If a

potential voter did not answer correctly, the registrar did not allow that person to vote.

Questions could be ridiculously difficult. A sample question asked on a literacy test was, "Name

one area of authority over state militia reserved exclusively to the states." (Answer: The

appointment of officers.) White people were not given literacy tests.

If black voters passed a literacy test, they were often forced to pay a poll tax. A poll tax was a

fee that a voter had to pay in order to vote. The amount of the poll tax varied—usually between

$1 and $2. This seems like a small amount. However, the yearly income of a person in the 1880s

could be as low as $70 or $80.

Civil rights leader Rosa Parks wrote about the poll tax in her autobiography, My Story. "You had

to pay the poll tax back to the time you were twenty-one,” she remembered. “I got registered in

1945 when I was thirty-two years old, so I had to pay $1.50 for each of the eleven years between

the time I was twenty-one and the time I was thirty-two. At that time $16.50 was a lot of

money."

Finally, after the tests had been passed and the poll tax paid, blacks had to find a registered

voter willing to say they were good people and would make fine voters. Most voters in the

South were white and would not do this.

As a result, very few black people were able to vote. They were fired from their jobs and

received death threats just for trying to register. By 1965, there were counties in Alabama where

not a single black person had voted for more than 50 years. In Selma, about half the voting-age

population was black, but only 14 blacks had been added to the voting rolls between 1954 and

1961.

Civil Rights Movement

But things were starting to change. In 1963, Bernard Lafayette, a member of a civil rights group

called the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC, pronounced “snick”), came to

Selma's Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church. It was the first mass meeting for voter rights in

the South. For the next two years, SNCC and the Dallas County Voters League registered 200

new voters. (Selma is in Dallas County, Alabama.) This was progress, but it was barely 1 percent

of the 15,000 eligible black voters in Dallas County.

Amelia Boynton of the voters league wrote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.— already the most famous

civil rights leader in the United States—and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

and asked them to help with their voting rights campaign.

Alabama was the center of the civil rights movement, which defined itself on nonviolence and

political action. King helped lead the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955, which led to a Supreme

Court decision that said segregated busing was unconstitutional. In 1963, King wrote “Letter

from Birmingham Jail,” where he was confined after taking part in a protest of segregation in

Birmingham, Alabama.

Selma itself had a history of political activism. The town’s black citizens were committed to

helping people register to vote. But they were challenged by Sheriff Jim Clark, the Dallas County

law enforcement leader. Clark was a vicious racist and was often violent. Civil rights activists

believed that if people from across the United States knew how badly Clark treated the citizens

of Selma, they would be moved to help.

On January 2, 1965, King held a mass meeting in Selma, declaring: “We are going to bring a

voting bill into the streets of Selma, Alabama.” Demonstrators would walk from Brown Chapel

AME, the church were King delivered the speech, and end up at the Dallas County courthouse.

There, they would register to vote.

Clark met the protesters with violence. The front pages of national newspapers carried photos of

him treating the demonstrators very badly. He shoved Amelia Boynton half a block down to a

patrol car and beat hotel manager Annie Lee Cooper in the head with his billy club. (A billy club,

also called a baton or truncheon, is the stick that law enforcement officers often carry.) Clark hit

the Rev. C.T. Vivian so hard that he broke a finger. On February 10, Clark and his men rounded

up a group of children in front of the courthouse and forced them to run five miles to a prison

camp outside of town.

Clark's actions strengthened the determination of the marchers, and drew the attention of the

rest of the nation.

The marches and demonstrations in Selma were not the only ones happening in Alabama. To

the west, in neighboring Perry County, a night march was held to protest the jailing of activist

the Rev. James Orange. Police and racist whites beat the marchers. Army veteran Jimmie Lee

Jackson was shot in the stomach by a state trooper as he rushed to protect his mother from

attack. Jackson died in Selma's Good Samaritan Hospital eight days later. It was Jackson's death

that sparked the idea of a march from Selma to Montgomery to demand equal voting rights.

The idea of expanding the march from the courthouse of Dallas County to the Alabama State

Capitol in Montgomery, 87 kilometers (54 miles) away, showed how much the movement had

grown. Marchers wanted to pressure Alabama Gov. George Wallace to guarantee black people

the right to vote in his state.

First March: Bloody Sunday

The first march took place on March 7, 1965. Marchers filed out of Brown Chapel AME and tried

to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge, heading west out of Selma and toward Montgomery.

Sheyann Webb was 8 years old. She was the youngest marcher that day. She describes getting

to the high part of the bridge and seeing Clark and his men on the other side. "They were in a

line—they looked like a blue picket fence—stretched across the highway."

Clark’s group included law enforcement officers, state troopers, and local citizens recruited as a

“posse.” Gov. Wallace and Clark called the march a threat to public safety and were determined

to stop it.

As about 525 marchers made their way across the bridge, officers asked them to stop the march

and disperse, or scatter. The leaders of the march, John Lewis of SNCC and the Rev. Hosea

Williams of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said the march was a peaceful protest.

The marchers did not disperse.

All local and state police were armed. Many of the sheriff’s posse had their own weapons. After

Lewis and Williams refused to disperse the marchers, troopers threw canisters of tear gas at

them. Police on foot and on horseback beat marchers with billy clubs. They shot water from fire

hoses with enough pressure to knock down and bruise the marchers. Members of the posse

attacked the marchers with crude weapons made of rubber tubing wrapped in barbed wire.

Marchers fled back across the bridge to Brown Chapel and the surrounding neighborhood.

Physicians at Good Samaritan Hospital reported that wounds ranged from broken teeth and

severe head gashes to fractured ribs and wrists. John Lewis suffered a fractured skull and Amelia

Boynton was beaten unconscious. About 70 to 80 people were treated, and 17 of the most

seriously injured were sent to the hospital overnight.

This first march to Montgomery is known as Bloody Sunday.

Second March: Turnaround Tuesday

Photographs and television footage of the events of Bloody Sunday were national news.

Americans were forced to recognize the violent racism in their own borders. Millions of

Americans were horrified by the acts of Clark and Wallace, and became supporters of civil rights.

King encouraged these new supporters to come to Selma for a second march to Montgomery.

Specifically, King sent a telegram to religious leaders across the country asking them to join him

in Selma. Many people of all races and spiritual backgrounds responded to him.

On Tuesday, March 9, just two days after the events of Bloody Sunday, King led a second march

to the Edmund Pettus Bridge. This time, there were about 1,500 marchers. Again, they were met

by troopers and other law enforcement officers. However, as the officers approached King to ask

him to disperse the crowd, King knelt in prayer.

Marchers prayed and turned back to Brown Chapel, deciding not to risk another day of violence.

This second march is sometimes called Turnaround Tuesday for this reason.

Tuesday evening, three ministers in town for the march were brutally attacked in Selma. One, the

Rev. James Reeb, died from his wounds.

President Lyndon Johnson called the violence that was happening in Alabama “an American

tragedy.” A week after Reeb’s death, Johnson’s voting rights proposals reached Congress.

Third March: Success

The third march to Montgomery started on March 21, 1965. During the next four days, peaceful

protesters from all over the country marched for civil rights. This time, marchers were protected

by members of the National Guard, ordered there by President Johnson.

Between 3,000 and 8,000 people marched from Brown Chapel on March 21. However, only 300

were allowed to march on the two-lane highway to Montgomery.

Marchers walked an average of 12 miles per day and slept in farmers’ fields. The weather was

unusually cold. Temperatures dropped below freezing, and it rained almost every day. Food was

supplied by local churches and other organizations that supported civil rights. The final

“campsite” of the march was on land owned by the City of St. Jude, a Catholic charity that had

supported the black community outside Montgomery for years.

Marchers were joined at the City of St. Jude by celebrities. Some, like actor and musician Harry

Belafonte, had marched from Brown Chapel days earlier. Others, such as entertainers Sammy

Davis Jr., Nina Simone, Tony Bennett, and Peter, Paul, and Mary, joined for the final walk to

Montgomery.

Twenty-five thousand peaceful protesters made their way to the Alabama State Capitol on March

25. Gov. Wallace refused to meet King. King’s speech, given on the steps of the capitol,

encouraged civil rights supporters not to give up hope.

"I know some of you are asking today, ‘How long will it take?’ I come to say to you this

afternoon however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long,

because truth pressed to the earth will rise again. How long? Not long, because no lie can live

forever. How long? Not long, because you will reap what you sow. How long? Not long, because

the arm of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice."

Voting Rights Act of 1965

The Voting Rights Act was signed into law on August 6, 1965, in the same room where President

Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The law stopped literacy tests in 26

states, including Alabama. It replaced local voter registrars with examiners from the federal

government. It allowed the attorney general of the United States to prosecute state and local

authorities that still charged a poll tax.

The law had immediate effect. Thirty-two thousand black people registered to vote by the end

of August in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Louisiana. By October, that number rose to

110,000. From 1964 to 1966, the number of registered voters in Alabama went from 23 percent

to 51 percent. In Mississippi, the number went from 6.7 percent to 33 percent; in 1968, the

number rose to 59 percent.

Candidates quickly realized they could not appeal to racist whites and still get elected. One of

those candidates was Clark. He lost to Wilson Baker in the 1966 sheriff's race.

Black voters helped elect black candidates and moderate whites to public office. By 1970, 711

blacks held elected positions in the South, nearly 10 times more than they had just a decade

earlier.

In 2006, Congress voted to extend the Voting Rights Act for another 25 years.

John Lewis, the SNCC leader who was involved with the Selma to Montgomery marches from the

beginning, is now a Georgia congressman. Lewis has returned to Selma many times for marches

on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

On the 40th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, Lewis said, "President Johnson signed that Act, but it

was written by the people of Selma."

Source: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/news/selma-montgomery-marches-and-1965-voting-rights-act/?ar_a=1

The Selma-to-Montgomery March for voting rights

ended three weeks--and three events--that represented

the political and emotional peak of the modern civil

rights movement. On "Bloody Sunday," March 7,

1965, some 600 civil rights marchers headed east out

of Selma on U.S. Route 80. They got only as far as the

Edmund Pettus Bridge six blocks away, where state

and local lawmen attacked them with billy clubs and

tear gas and drove them back into Selma. Two days

later on March 9, Martin Luther King, Jr., led a

"symbolic" march to the bridge. Then civil rights

leaders sought court protection for a third, full-scale

march from Selma to the state capitol in Montgomery.

Federal District Court Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr.,

weighed the right of mobility against the right to

march and ruled in favor of the demonstrators. "The

law is clear that the right to petition one's government

for the redress of grievances may be exercised in large

groups...," said Judge Johnson, "and these rights may

be exercised by marching, even along public

highways." On Sunday, March 21, about 3,200

marchers set out for Montgomery, walking 12 miles a

day and sleeping in fields. By the time they reached

the capitol on Thursday, March 25, they were 25,000-

strong. Less than five months after the last of the three

marches, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965--the best possible

redress of grievances.

The Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, Alabama

Photograph courtesy of the Alabama Historical

Commission

Alabama Police confront the Selma Marchers Federal Bureau of Investigation Photograph

Selma-to-Montgomery Marches

By Tiffany Hagler-Geard

March 1965 marked a pivotal time for the U.S. civil rights movement, when the Rev. Martin

Luther King Jr. led demonstrators to protest discrimination against black Americans in Alabama

who had been denied the right to vote. The march from Selma to the state capital began three

times before the demonstrators were finally able to finish it.

The first attempt took place March 7, 1965, when 600 demonstrators were attacked by state and

local police with weapons and tear gas as they reached the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma,

injuring 17 protesters in what came to be known as “Bloody Sunday.”

It became national news when televisions across the country displayed images of bloodied and

severely injured marchers.

The second march, March 9, resulted in 2,500 protesters turning around after crossing the main

bridge because of the restraining order a federal district court judge issued barring the march

from taking place until he could hold additional hearings later in the week.

The third march started March 16, when the restraining order was lifted after a judge ruled in

favor of the marchers, citing their First Amendment right to protest anywhere, even in Alabama.

They started March 21 and walked an average of 10 miles a day on their 54-mile trek. The

National Guard and the FBI looked on as the march proceeded to Montgomery. About 25,000

people marched to the steps of the Alabama State Capitol Building in Montgomery March 25

when King delivered the speech “How Long, Not Long.”

Civil rights demonstrators struggle on the ground as state troopers use violence to break up a

march in Selma, Ala., on what is known as “Bloody Sunday” March 7, 1965. The supporters of

black voting rights organized a march from Selma to Montgomery to protest the killing of a

demonstrator by a state trooper and to improve voter registration for blacks, who were

discouraged to register. (AP Photo)

Participants, carrying U.S. flags, in the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala.,

March 25, 1965. (Photo by Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

Civil rights leader the Rev.. Martin Luther King Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King (center right,

hand in hand) lead others during the Selma to Montgomery marches held in support of voter

rights in Alabama, late March 1965. Among those with them are the Rev. Ralph Abernathy

(1926 – 1990), second from left, smiling, and Pulitzer-Prize winning political scientist and

diplomat Ralph Bunche (1904 – 1971), front row, in white short-sleeved shirt. Bunche’s wife,

Ruth , holds Abernathy’s arm. (Robert Abbott Sengstacke/Getty Images)

U.S. civil rights demonstrators, led by the Rev. Martin Luther King, approach the Capitol

Building in Montgomery, Ala., at the end of their march for black voting rights from Selma.

(William Lovelace/Express/Getty Images)

Civil rights demonstrators, led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (not pictured), arrive in

Montgomery from Selma March 26, 1965, in Alabama on the third leg of the Selma-to-

Montgomery marches. The Selma-to-Montgomery March for voting rights represented the

political and emotional peak of the modern civil rights movement. The first march took place

March 7, 1965 (“Bloody Sunday”) when 600 civil rights marchers were attacked by state and

local police. (AFP/Getty Images)

Marchers, hand in hand, walk past a fellow marcher waving a U.S. flag, during the Selma to

Montgomery march, held in support of voter rights in Alabama, late March 1965. (Robert Abbott

Sengstacke/Getty Images)

Four local men are seen watching the civil rights march from Selma, Ala., to the state capital of

Montgomery, March 1965. (Photo by William Lovelace/Getty Images)

Marchers take a rest during the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama,

March 1965. (Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

A line of policemen on duty during a black voting rights march in Montgomery, Ala. The

Rev.Martin Luther King Jr. led the march from Selma, Ala., to the state capital of Montgomery.

(William Lovelace/Express/Getty Images)

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is greeted happily by an unidentified friend and supporter

outside the home where he spent the night in Montgomery, Ala., before the final day of the

Selma to Montgomery march, late March, 1965. His wife, Coretta Scott King stands, on the left.

(Robert Abbott Sengstacke/Getty Images)

People on the roadside near Montgomery, Ala., after the civil rights march from Selma. (Bob

Fletcher/MPI/Getty Images)

Young children, sitting on their front porch, wave to marchers walking past their home during

the Selma to Montgomery marches held in support of voter rights in Alabama, late March 1965.

(Robert Abbott Sengstacke/Getty Images) .

SOURCE: