The 1965 Selma to Montgomery March is most directly associated with which area of civil rights?

• A. Voting rights
• B. Desegregation in schools
• C. Housing rights
• D. Labor rights

Answer: (A)

The central idea here is securing the right to vote and federal protection of that right. The Selma to Montgomery March was organized to call attention to the barriers Black Americans faced when trying to register and vote in the South, including intimidation and discriminatory practices. The brutal events of Bloody Sunday helped galvanize national support and put pressure on Congress and the president to act, which culminated in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that outlawed discriminatory voting practices and provided federal enforcement. While desegregation in schools, housing rights, and labor rights were important parts of the broader Civil Rights Movement, this particular march was driven by the fight for voting rights and federal protection of those rights.