Question

In a speech addressing the second march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, what did President Johnson declare that everyone must and will do about the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice?

A) Confront it with peaceful protests
B) Ignore it for the sake of national unity
C) Legislate against it with new civil rights laws
D) Negotiate with the leaders of discriminatory groups

Answer 1

President Johnson, responding to the Selma marches and the wider civil rights movement, declared that the nation must combat the legacy of discrimination with new civil rights legislation, resulting in the historical Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Step-by-step explanation:

In addressing the second march from Selma to Montgomery, President Johnson declared that everyone must and will legislate against the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice with new civil rights laws. This legislative action was a response to the civil rights movement led by figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and the violent events that had unfolded, especially in places like Selma, Alabama, where peaceful protests were met with violent opposition by state troopers. Johnson's intent was clear: to eliminate the legal barriers that existed at the state and local levels which prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was one such pivotal piece of legislation, addressing and dismantling the obstacles African American voters faced.