Behind the Selma March Summary and Analysis

A march planned to go from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, resulted in severe violence including unmerciful beatings by the state police. Dr. King applauded the forceful speech given by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which revealed a great depth of understanding of the problem of civil rights. The march on Selma moved the perception of Americans of the actions of Civil Rights leaders beyond a struggle to vote to a higher level of full civil rights.

A dramatization of the injustices was required for the American public to stand up for justice and equity. In every case, the government, both federal and state, request that the marchers leave the streets, rather than expect the violators of peace to desist. Civil rights leaders rejected the requests and relied on Americans to pressure the government to protect those...