Marching for Freedom
Marching for Freedom: The Selma Story
Characters:
- Narrator
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- John Lewis
- Governor Wallace
- Protester 1
- Protester 2
Scene 1: Selma, Alabama, 1965
Narrator: In 1965, Selma, Alabama, was a place where Black people were denied the right to vote. The Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum, and leaders decided to focus on Selma to fight for voting rights.
Martin Luther King Jr.: (Standing before a crowd) We are here today to demand our right to vote! Every citizen of this country deserves a voice in their government.
John Lewis: (Beside Dr. King) We will not be silenced! We will march, we will protest, and we will not rest until we have equal rights.
Scene 2: The First March - Bloody Sunday
Narrator: On March 7, 1965, about 600 peaceful protesters began a march from Selma to Montgomery, the state capital, to demand voting rights. As they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, they were met by state troopers.
Protester 1: (Walking with the crowd) We’re marching for freedom!
Protester 2: (Walking with the crowd) Voting rights now!
Narrator: The troopers attacked the marchers with clubs and tear gas. Many were injured. The day became known as "Bloody Sunday."
- Voting Rights:
- The right for all citizens to vote in elections.
- Protest:
- To show disagreement with something publicly.
- Discrimination:
- Treating someone unfairly because of their race, age, or gender.
- justice:
- Fair treatment and equal rights for all people under the law.
- assemble:
- To gather together in a group, often for a meeting or peaceful protest.
- democracy:
- A system of government where citizens vote to choose their leaders.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What was the main goal of the Selma to Montgomery marches?
- 2What happened on 'Bloody Sunday'?
Where this passage belongs
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About this reader's theater passage for Upper Elementary
“Marching for Freedom” is a reader's theater reading passage about Civil Rights, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 4 minutes to read (605 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.