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

Thousands gather in Alabama city as Supreme Court considers case that could limit key Voting Rights Act provision

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Sixty-one years after the Bloody Sunday attack on Civil Rights marchers in Selma, Alabama, thousands are gathering in the city this weekend to commemorate the pivotal moment that helped spur passage of the Voting Rights Act. However, the anniversary celebrations come as the U.S. Supreme Court considers a case that could limit a key provision of the landmark legislation, raising concerns among organizers that hard-won voting rights gains could be eroded.

Why it matters

The 1965 Bloody Sunday attack on peaceful marchers in Selma shocked the nation and helped catalyze passage of the Voting Rights Act, which dismantled barriers to voting for Black Americans in the Jim Crow South. Now, with the Supreme Court weighing a case that could restrict the law's ability to ensure fair redistricting, there are fears that the progress achieved through the Civil Rights Movement could be rolled back.

The details

On March 7, 1965, state troopers brutally attacked a group of Civil Rights marchers, including 17-year-old Charles Mauldin, as they attempted to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. The violence, which became known as Bloody Sunday, was a turning point that helped push Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act later that year. Now, 61 years later, thousands are gathering in Selma to commemorate the historic events, even as the Supreme Court considers a case that could limit a key provision of the law that has helped ensure minority voters can elect their preferred candidates.

  • The Bloody Sunday attack occurred on March 7, 1965.
  • The Voting Rights Act was passed later in 1965, in the wake of the Selma events.
  • The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on a case regarding the role of race in drawing congressional districts.

The players

Charles Mauldin

A 17-year-old who was among the marchers beaten by state troopers on Bloody Sunday in 1965.

John Lewis

One of the leaders of the Bloody Sunday march in Selma.

Hosea Williams

Another leader of the Bloody Sunday march in Selma.

Hank Sanders

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

Shomari Figures

A U.S. Representative from an Alabama district that was 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 (mymotherlode.com)

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

— Hank Sanders, Former Alabama State Senator (mymotherlode.com)

“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 (mymotherlode.com)

What’s next

The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on a case regarding the role of race in drawing congressional districts, a decision that could have sweeping consequences for voting rights and representation.

The takeaway

The annual commemoration of Bloody Sunday in Selma serves as a powerful reminder that the hard-won voting rights gains of the Civil Rights Movement remain fragile and under constant threat, underscoring the need for continued vigilance and activism to protect the democratic progress achieved through decades of struggle.