Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Montgomery, Alabama: March's Footprints

The 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery was a huge step in the battle for civil rights. It called attention to the fact that African Americans generally weren't allowed to vote in Alabama and in other parts of the South, despite guarantees from the federal government.

The idea of a march got off to a horrible start, as walkers were beaten by the Selma police after the start. But eventually a group was allowed to take that walk, and the spot in front of the State Capitol was the finish line. About 25,000 people gathered to mark the occasion.

There's an unusual marker to note the march's finish, but you have to look down to notice it. Instead of a crosswalk a block from the Capitol steps, there are images of footprints. It stands in for the thousands who were on this spot a half-century ago.

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