Selma to Montgomery marches

===Initiation and goals of the march===
During a public meeting at Zion United Methodist Church in Marion on February 28 after Jackson's death, emotions were running high. [[James Bevel]], as director of the Selma voting rights movement for SCLC, called for a march from Selma to Montgomery to talk to Governor [[George Wallace]] directly about Jackson's death, and to ask him if he had ordered the State Troopers to turn off the lights and attack the marchers. Bevel strategized that this would focus the anger and pain of the people of Marion and Selma toward a nonviolent goal, as many were so outraged they wanted to retaliate with violence.<ref>Kryn in Garrow, 1989.</ref><ref>Kryn, 2005.</ref>

The marchers also hoped to bring attention to the continued violations of their [[United States Constitution|Constitutional rights]] by marching to Montgomery. Dr. King agreed with Bevel's plan of the march, which they both intended to symbolize a march for full voting rights. They were to ask Governor Wallace to protect black registrants.

SNCC had severe reservations about the march, especially when they heard that King would not be present.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.crmvet.org/tim/timhis65.htm#1965selmatension |title=1965 – Tensions Escalate |work=Civil Rights Movement Archive History and Timeline |access-date=September 8, 2019 }}</ref> They permitted John Lewis to participate, and SNCC provided logistical support, such as the use of its [[Wide Area Telephone Service]] (WATS) lines and the services of the Medical Committee on Human Rights, organized by SNCC during the Mississippi Summer Project of 1964.<ref>[http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1847 "Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Alabama (SNCC)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810210555/http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1847 |date=August 10, 2014 }}, ''Encyclopedia of Alabama''.</ref>

Governor Wallace denounced the march as a threat to public safety; he said that he would take all measures necessary to prevent it from happening. "There will be no march between Selma and Montgomery," Wallace said on March 6, 1965, citing concern over traffic violations. He ordered Alabama Highway Patrol Chief Col. [[Albert J. Lingo|Al Lingo]] to "use whatever measures are necessary to prevent a march".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2015/03/06/Obama-Selma-to-mark-50th-anniversary-of-historic-civil-rights-march/8311425489759/ |title=Obama, Selma to mark 50th anniversary of historic civil rights march |first=Andrew V. |last=Pestano |date=March 6, 2015 |access-date=March 12, 2015 |work=[[United Press International|UPI]] }}</ref>