King did was to deliver a speech on 2 nd January at the Brown Chapel A.M.E.
Church outlining his concerns for the people of Selma and his desire to being
campaigning for voting rights. Following this, King began to organise protest
marches headed for the courthouse where African-Americans would be
encouraged to register to vote. They were often met with considerable opposition
force, especially by Jim Clark, who would ensure inconvenient opening hours of
the registrar’s offices and personally guarded the entrances to the building. At
one point, as depicted in the film, Jim Clark physically assaulted an elderly lady
named Annie Lee Cooper who retaliated by knocking him to his knees. This
helped bring media attention to the campaign from across the nation, whilst King
also attempted to draw the attention of the federal government as well. He called
the recently elected President Lyndon B. Johnson and they agreed that voting
rights would be the next course of action for the Movement. However, in his
inaugural address, Johnson did not mention voting rights.
King kicks off a voter registration drive at the Dallas County
Courthouse in Selma, Alabama, on 18 th January, 1965.
King continued his campaign and was soon arrested by authorities and jailed for
refusing to pay bond charges. This sparked a reaction by the leader of the Black
Nationalist Movement, Malcolm X, who returned to Selma to confront the white
31
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker