Friend,

On March 7, 1965, hundreds of people peacefully marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, and were met with brutal violence in a moment that would change the course of voting rights in America. The events of Bloody Sunday shocked the country and galvanized support for what would become the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Now, on the 61st anniversary of Bloody Sunday, we pause to honor the women behind the movement. Their courage, leadership, and sacrifice were foundational to where we are today, even when history didn’t always say their names.

Before we get into the women who made history, we want to make sure you have everything you need to make your own. Here are a few ways to take action today:

REGISTER TO VOTE: [[link removed]]

CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION: [[link removed]]

INVEST IN THE FUTURE: [[link removed]]

THE WOMEN OF BLOODY SUNDAY

Viola Jackson
Mother. Witness. The Spark.
A state trooper's bullet took her son Jimmie Lee Jackson during a peaceful protest one month before the march — and his death became the direct catalyst for Bloody Sunday. Read her story → [[link removed]]

Amelia Boynton Robinson
"A Voteless People is a Hopeless People."
Beaten unconscious on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the photograph of her collapsed on the pavement became one of the most iconic images of the civil rights movement. Read her story → [[link removed]]

Marie Foster
Resilience personified.
Turned away from voter registration seven times, she channeled that experience into teaching other Black Alabamians how to navigate the discriminatory tests designed to silence them. Read her story → [[link removed]]

Julia Barnes and Debra Barnes Wilson
Not all action looks the same — and that was the point.
When asthma forced Julia Barnes to turn back, she opened her home as a refuge for those fleeing the violence, and Debra Barnes Wilson crossed the bridge in her place. Read their story → [[link removed]]

Sheyann Webb-Christburg and Rachel West Nelson
They were nine years old. They showed up anyway.
The youngest known participants on Bloody Sunday, they later told their story in the book Selma, Lord, Selma — a testament that courage has no age limit. Read their story → [[link removed]]

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN

These are only a few of the many women whose courage and organizing helped pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Today, we honor them by asking you to do the same. Not all actions look alike, but they all lead to the same goal — ensuring every American has the tools to make their voice heard. Here's how you can help today:

REGISTER TO VOTE: [[link removed]]

CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION: [[link removed]]

CARRY IT FORWARD: [[link removed]]

Yours in the fight,
When We All Vote 🗳

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