Embedded Resource
Description
On March 5, 2015, individuals, including Reverend Gwendolyn C. Webb, were invited to the White House on the 50th anniversary of the Selma marches. The Selma to Montgomery marches took place in March 21,1965 and were successfully completed on March 25 to raise awareness for the need for a Voting Rights Act. Although the Civil Rights Act was passed the previous year and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had won the Nobel Peace Prize, progress toward the goals of the movement was stalled. Following the march, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law on August 6, 1965.
Transcript of "Stories from Selma: Rev. Gwendolyn C. Webb"
Source-Dependent Questions
- With the marches in Selma occurring after the Civil Rights Act was passed, why was the movement "just almost dead?"
- Why did Reverend Webb characterize students as the "secret weapon" in the protest?
- Why do you think the type of nonviolent resistance as described in the interview was important to the Civil Right Movement in the 1960's? How did this type of active/passive resistance have influenced public opinion?
Citation Information
"Stories from Selma: Rev. Gwendolyn C. Webb," Recorded March 2015. Courtesy of Obama Administration