Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. taught the practice of nonviolent resistance - the most effective, practical, and moral way for African Americans to achieve their civil rights. King preferred the term “active resistance” rather than the more familiar term “passive resistance”, since pacifism implies that force is not required to achieve a goal. This active protest was aimed towards eliminating the limitations set on blacks registering to vote. Unfortunately, nonviolent protests were still met with force. This painting shows the excessive violence by state troopers against civil rights protestors as they attempted to march peacefully from Selma, Alabama to the state capital in Montgomery. It became known as “Bloody Sunday”, March 7, 1965.

600 individuals began the march that day, but were met by troopers at the end of the Edmund Pettus Bridge. They were determined that the protesters would go no further and would be turned back. The participants in the march were turned back to Selma after many suffered injuries at the hands of the police from beatings with nightsticks, whippings, trampling with horses from mounted lawmen, and rounds of tear gas. 19 were hospitalized and more than 50 reported injuries.

In the foreground is John Lewis, who later became a congressman, receiving a beating that resulted in a fractured skull. He was the organizer of the march and asked those who were protesting with him to remain nonviolent even in the face of violence. A photograph of the incident as well as footage from that day were nationally televised. It shed light on the injustice of that area of the south and was a catalyst for the Selma to Montgomery March.
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Dr. King was not present at the march on that day. He flew into Selma to show his support the very next day and was instrumental in organizing future gatherings to make the march to Montgomery. He is depicted here iconically as the proponent of nonviolent resistance and in solidarity with those who did march and their organizers, especially John Lewis.