Selma Marks 61 Years Since Bloody Sunday, Voting Rights Act Faces New Challenges

Organizers worry about the future of the Voting Rights Act as the Supreme Court considers a case that could limit a key provision.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Alabama is marking the 61st anniversary of the Bloody Sunday march in Selma, a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement that helped spur the passage of the Voting Rights Act. However, this year's anniversary celebrations come as the U.S. Supreme Court considers a case that could limit a provision of the Voting Rights Act that has helped ensure some congressional and local districts are drawn so minority voters have a chance to elect their candidate of choice.

Why it matters

The Voting Rights Act has been instrumental in protecting the voting rights of Black Americans in the Jim Crow South. A Supreme Court ruling that limits the Act could open the door for Republican-controlled states to redraw districts in ways that reduce the political power of minority voters.

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 the passage of the Voting Rights Act. This year, thousands are gathering in Selma to commemorate the anniversary, but they are doing so amid concerns that the Supreme Court may weaken the Act's protections.

  • The Bloody Sunday march took place on March 7, 1965.
  • The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on a Louisiana case regarding the role of race in drawing congressional districts.

The players

Charles Mauldin

A 78-year-old who was one of the marchers beaten on Bloody Sunday.

Hank Sanders

A former state senator who helped start the annual commemoration of the Bloody Sunday events.

Shomari Figures

A U.S. Representative from Alabama who was elected 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 the Louisiana case regarding the role of race in drawing congressional districts.

The takeaway

The Bloody Sunday events in Selma were a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. However, the future of the Act is now in jeopardy as the Supreme Court considers a case that could limit its protections, raising concerns that the hard-won progress of the past six decades could be eroded.