Decades after violence in Selma spurred the Voting Rights Act, organizers worry about its fate

"I'm concerned that all of the advances that we made for the last 61 years are going to be eradicated. Charles Mauldin, 78, one of the marchers who was beaten that day, expressed this concern about potential Supreme Court limitations on the Voting Rights Act."

"Justices are expected to rule soon on a Louisiana case regarding the role of race in drawing congressional districts. A ruling prohibiting or limiting that role could have sweeping consequences, potentially opening the door for Republican-controlled states to redistrict and roll back majority Black and Latino districts that tend to favor Democrats."

"The 1965 events in Selma marked a turning point in the nation and helped push the United States closer to becoming a true democracy. Former state Sen. Hank Sanders, who helped start the annual commemoration, emphasized the historical significance of Bloody Sunday and its lasting impact on American democracy."

Thousands gathered in Selma, Alabama to commemorate the 61st anniversary of Bloody Sunday, when state troopers attacked Civil Rights marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965. This violence helped catalyze passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act, which dismantled voting barriers for Black Americans in the Jim Crow South. The anniversary celebrations occur amid significant concerns about the legislation's future, as the U.S. Supreme Court considers a Louisiana case that could limit provisions ensuring minority voters have opportunities to elect candidates of their choice. A ruling against these protections could allow Republican-controlled states to redistrict and eliminate majority Black and Latino districts. Democratic officials and civil rights leaders gathered to commemorate this pivotal Civil Rights Movement moment and mobilize continued advocacy for voting rights protections.

Read at ABC7 Los Angeles