Civil Rights Activist Jo Ann Bland, Who Marched on 'Bloody Sunday', Dies at 72

Bland was one of the youngest participants in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights march.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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Jo Ann Bland, who participated in the 1965 'Bloody Sunday' protest for voting rights in Selma, Alabama at the age of 11, making her one of the youngest foot soldiers in the Civil Rights Movement, died on February 19 at her home in Selma. She was 72 years old and the cause of death was lung cancer.

Why it matters

Bland's participation in the Selma to Montgomery marches as a child helped spur the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibited racial discrimination in voting. She later dedicated her life to preserving the history of the Civil Rights Movement and inspiring new generations to continue the fight for social justice.

The details

On March 7, 1965, Bland and her sister Lynda Blackmon Lowery, who was 14 at the time, were among the roughly 600 protesters who attempted to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, only to be met by state troopers armed with tear gas and billy clubs. The violence against the peaceful marchers was captured on national television and helped spur the passage of the Voting Rights Act later that year.

  • On March 7, 1965, Bland and her sister participated in the 'Bloody Sunday' march in Selma.
  • Bland died on February 19, 2026 at the age of 72.

The players

Jo Ann Bland

A civil rights activist who participated in the 1965 'Bloody Sunday' protest in Selma, Alabama at the age of 11, making her one of the youngest foot soldiers in the Civil Rights Movement. She later dedicated her life to preserving the history of the movement and inspiring new generations.

Lynda Blackmon Lowery

Bland's sister, who also participated in the 1965 'Bloody Sunday' protest in Selma at the age of 14.

Martin Luther King Jr.

A key leader of the Civil Rights Movement whose lieutenants organized the Selma to Montgomery marches.

John Lewis

A leader of the Selma to Montgomery marches and future member of Congress from Georgia, who was seriously wounded during the 'Bloody Sunday' protest.

Lyndon B. Johnson

The President who signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law after the violence against the Selma marchers was captured on national television.

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What they’re saying

“It's the screams I remember the most -- people just screaming and screaming and screaming.”

— Jo Ann Bland (NPR)

“The last thing I remember seeing on the bridge that day is this lady and this horse. I don't know if the horse ran over her, or if the officer on the horse hit her with the billy club, but I remember the sound of her head hitting that pavement -- I'll never forget it. It was too much for me. I fainted.”

— Jo Ann Bland (NPR)

“We ran past our house, thinking we didn't have time to unlock the door because those same men were chasing the marchers back. We were terrified. And we kept running, and we ran up those steps and went inside the church, thinking we were safe. We were not. They came into the church and started beating people all over again.”

— Jo Ann Bland (NPR)

“When my students come' to the National Voting Rights Museum, I kick it plain. I don't use language like 'They gave their lives' -- they didn't give anything, they were murdered.”

— Jo Ann Bland (Medium)

“The more stories these children hear about the past from people who were there, it becomes real and not remote, and they start to think about how they fit in the puzzle of social change.”

— Jo Ann Bland (Medium)

The takeaway

Jo Ann Bland's life and activism serve as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by young people in the Civil Rights Movement, and the ongoing importance of preserving and sharing their stories to inspire new generations to continue the fight for racial justice and equality.