The Civil Rights Movement took place during the 1950s and 60s and was a movement centered around gaining equal rights for Black Americans in the eye of US law.
While the Civil War officially abolished slavery, Black Americans did not necessarily have the same rights and endured discrimination and racism, particularly in the South.
After taking enough, Black Americans and many white Americans started mobilizing and fighting for equality for over two decades.
The movement was characterized by nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience campaigns and eventually led to new protections in federal law for Americans of all races.
One of the Black Americans who joined the movement was Annie Lee Cooper, who became well-known in Selma, Alabama.
Annie joined Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965 in the March on Selma and was crucial to helping Black Americans be able to vote in Selma.
10 /10 Registering To Vote In 1965
In 1965, Annie once again tried to register to vote at the Dallas County Courthouse. Sheriff Jim Clark demanded she leaves there and proceeded to prod her in the neck with a billy club.
As he continued to harass her, Annie turned around and punched him in the jaw, causing him to fall to the ground.
She was then thrown to the ground, and the sheriff continued to beat her with the club.
9 /10 Fall Out From Incident
After punching the sheriff, Annie was charged with criminal provocation and was taken to the county jail, where she was held for 11 hours. She was then let go.
During her time in prison, she sang spiritual music.
Others in the sheriff’s department wanted to charge her with attempted murder, but this was never formally charged.
However, she did become a registered voter later in Alabama.