The eerie silence was broken only by the sound of scuffling feet as
marchers approached the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. The mood
was sober. Hundreds of men, women, and children had been protesting in
Selma for weeks to win black Americans the right to vote. They'd been
threatened. Been arrested. Jailed. This march was likely to end in
violence, yet they went anyway. But when state troopers attacked with
billy clubs and tear gas, the brute force was a shock. Many were
injured, including children. But not even Bloody Sunday, as March 7 came
to be known, was enough to deter the marchers. Led by Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr., they were committed to the voting rights movement despite the
risks. Not even the youngest protestors gave up, and their defiance and
courage were inspiring. Without them the struggle in Selma -- which
culminated in a five-day march to Montgomery -- might have failed.
Marching for Freedom tells the story of how ordinary kids helped change
history. Award-winning author Elizabeth Partridge explores the events at
Selma from their point of view, drawing on vivid recollections of some
of those who marched as children. Dramatic photographs capture the
danger and spirit in Selma during the turbulent spring of 1965 and offer
a stunning visual narrative to the audio.