Selma, Alabama, holds a significant place in Black history due to its role in the Civil Rights Movement. One of the most pivotal events that took place in Selma was the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. These marches were organized to demand voting rights for African Americans and to protest the widespread disenfranchisement they faced in the South.

The first of these marches, known as "Bloody Sunday," occurred on March 7, 1965, when peaceful marchers were brutally attacked by state troopers as they attempted to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. The violence was captured on national television and sparked outrage across the country. This event galvanized support for the Civil Rights Movement and ultimately led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which aimed to remove barriers to voting for African Americans.

Selma remains a powerful symbol of the struggle for racial equality and justice in America, and the events that unfolded there helped to pave the way for greater civil rights advancements in the United States. Today, Selma is home to the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute, which commemorates the sacrifices and achievements of those who fought for voting rights in the city.