Selma Marchers Worry About Future of Voting Rights Act

Sixty-one years after Bloody Sunday, civil rights leaders gather in Alabama to commemorate the historic march and voice concerns about potential Supreme Court rulings.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Thousands are gathering in Selma, Alabama this weekend to commemorate the 61st anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the 1965 civil rights march that helped spur passage of the Voting Rights Act. However, the celebrations come as the U.S. Supreme Court considers a case that could limit a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, raising concerns among organizers that hard-won voting rights gains could be rolled back.

Why it matters

The 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches were a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act which prohibited racial discrimination in voting. Now, with the Supreme Court potentially poised to weaken the law, there are fears that the progress made could be eroded, making it harder for minority voters to have their voices heard in the political process.

The details

In 1965, state troopers attacked civil rights marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, an event known as Bloody Sunday that shocked the nation and helped spur passage of the Voting Rights Act. This year's anniversary commemorations come as the Supreme Court considers a case that could limit a provision of the law that has helped ensure some congressional and local districts are drawn to give minority voters a chance to elect their preferred candidates. Civil rights leaders worry a ruling against that provision could allow Republican-controlled states to redraw districts in ways that dilute the political power of Black and Latino voters.

  • The 1965 Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge took place on March 7.
  • This year's Selma commemoration events are happening all weekend, culminating in a commemorative march across the bridge on Sunday, March 9, 2026.

The players

Charles Mauldin

A 78-year-old who was one of the marchers beaten by state troopers on Bloody Sunday in 1965.

Hank Sanders

A former Alabama state senator who helped start the annual Selma commemoration.

Shomari Figures

A U.S. Representative from Alabama who was elected in 2024 to a district redrawn by the federal court.

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What they’re saying

“I'm concerned that all of the advances that we made for the last 61 years are going to be eradicated.”

— Charles Mauldin

“The feeling is a profound fear that we will be taken back — a greater fear than at any time since 1965.”

— Hank Sanders, Former state senator

“I think coming to Selma is a refreshing reminder every single year that the progress that we got from the Civil Rights Movement is not perpetual. It's been under consistent attacks almost since we've gotten those rights.”

— Shomari Figures, U.S. Representative

What’s next

The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on a Louisiana case regarding the role of race in drawing congressional districts. A ruling limiting that role could have major implications for voting rights and the ability of minority voters to elect their preferred candidates.

The takeaway

The Selma commemoration events highlight the ongoing struggle to protect voting rights and the hard-won progress of the civil rights movement, which now faces new threats from potential Supreme Court rulings that could roll back key provisions of the Voting Rights Act.