Selma marks 61st anniversary of Bloody Sunday amid voting rights concerns

Thousands gather in Alabama city to commemorate pivotal civil rights march as Supreme Court considers case that could limit Voting Rights Act

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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On the 61st anniversary of the Bloody Sunday march in Selma, Alabama, thousands gathered in the city to commemorate the pivotal civil rights moment that helped spur passage of the Voting Rights Act. However, the celebration came as the U.S. Supreme Court considers a case that could limit a key provision of the landmark legislation.

Why it matters

The Bloody Sunday march in 1965 was a seminal event in the civil rights movement, shocking the nation and helping lead to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Now, 61 years later, there are concerns that the progress made could be rolled back as the Supreme Court weighs a case that could restrict a key part of the law that has helped ensure minority voters have a voice.

The details

Thousands marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma on Sunday to commemorate the 61st anniversary of Bloody Sunday, when state troopers attacked civil rights demonstrators. The annual commemoration included speeches from current and former Democratic officials who warned of the looming Supreme Court decision and criticized efforts to roll back voting rights and diversity initiatives. One of the original Bloody Sunday marchers, Charles Mauldin, said he's "concerned that all of the advances that we made for the last 61 years are going to be eradicated."

  • The Bloody Sunday march took place on March 7, 1965.
  • The 61st anniversary commemoration in Selma was held on Sunday, March 8, 2026.

The players

Charles Mauldin

One of the marchers beaten on Bloody Sunday in 1965.

Wes Moore

The governor of Maryland and the only current Black governor in the U.S.

JB Pritzker

The governor of Illinois.

Shomari Figures

A U.S. Representative from Alabama whose district was redrawn by a federal court to give Black voters a greater voice.

Jesse Jackson

The civil rights leader and two-time presidential candidate who regularly attended the annual Selma march until his death on February 17.

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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

“Years after Bloody Sunday, the progress that stemmed from that sacrifice is now being rolled back right in our faces.”

— Wes Moore, Governor of Maryland

“Let's march forward today with the knowledge that we are the inheritors of the faith that brought marchers to the bridge 61 years ago. It is now on us to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice.”

— JB Pritzker, Governor of Illinois

“In November, we will go back to the polls and take our government back, setting our country on the right path.”

— Yusef Jackson, Son of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson

What’s next

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on a Louisiana case about the role of race in drawing congressional districts. A ruling prohibiting or limiting that role could have sweeping consequences, potentially opening the door for Republican-controlled states to redistrict and roll back majority Black and Latino districts that tend to favor Democrats.

The takeaway

The commemoration of Bloody Sunday in Selma serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for voting rights and the progress that has been made, as well as the concerns that the hard-won gains could be eroded by a Supreme Court decision that could reshape political districts across the country.