From Selma to Montgomery: The People that Built the Civil Rights Movement

“Liberty and Justice for All” is a common phrase repeated across the United States, though its true meaning has yet to be felt for all people. Black Americans fought for equal and humane treatment throughout the history of this nation. This fight reached its apex in the 1960s as the Civil Rights Movement reached its height. Leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, and others helped to organize protests and demonstrations. Black community members and their allies heeded their call and showed up for a little bit of “Good Trouble.”

The 1965 March from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama marks one of the most famous protests during the Civil Rights Movement along with the 1963 March on Washington. Organized after months of protests to secure Black voting rights in Selma, the march was a demonstration of the Black community’s frustration with the inequality and discrimination that was felt throughout Alabama and many parts of the United States, not just the south. Their demands were made not just to Alabama Governor George Wallace but also to President Lyndon B. Johnson and all those who witnessed inequality, yet did nothing to combat those injustices. Marchers engaged in peaceful protests, yet the treatment many received from the police was nothing short of bloody brutality and violence. The marches, then, are incredible examples of determination, patriotism, and freedom.

Dan Budnick, a photographer known for his ability to capture the important moments of crisis and humanity, showcases his talent in his coverage of the March on Washington and the March from Selma to Montgomery. His photographs illustrate the heart and soul of the Civil Rights Movement, which was as diverse as the United States itself. Black students, white students, priests, nuns, union workers, poets, singers, and spiritual leaders all built a movement in the face of bigotry, oppression, and violence.