1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: Hey, y'all were rerunning two episodes today in Troy, the 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: show Hi, I'm Eves and Welcome to This Day in 3 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:11,960 Speaker 1: History Class, a show that on covers history one day 4 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:24,079 Speaker 1: at a time. The day was March seventh, nineteen. A 5 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: group of about six hundred marchers in Selma, Alabama, headed 6 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: east on US Route eight. The group was just beginning 7 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:36,919 Speaker 1: a fifty four mile trek to the state capitol in Montgomery. 8 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 1: Led by John Lewis and Josea Williams. The group of 9 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:46,879 Speaker 1: protesters included Student Non Violent Coordinating Committee members, Southern Christian 10 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: Leadership Council members, and other activists. They were marching to 11 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: protest violations of black civil rights and to recognize the 12 00:00:56,040 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: life and death of protester Jimmy Lee Jackson, a black 13 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: man who was shot by an Alabama state trooper a 14 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: few weeks before during a civil rights demonstration. They walked 15 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: the six blocks to the Edmund Pettis Bridge, crossing over 16 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: the Alabama River and heading towards Montgomery, but their progress 17 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 1: was halted by Alabama State troopers and local police, who 18 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:26,399 Speaker 1: told them to turn around. The marchers stood their ground, 19 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: but the officers responded with force. The assault that followed, 20 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: caused a national outcry, and the day came to be 21 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 1: known as Bloody Sunday. In the years leading up to 22 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: Bloody Sunday, the Student Non Violent Coordinating Committee, or SNAKE 23 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: as it was known, and the Southern Christian Leadership Council, 24 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: also known as SCLC, we're working to register black voters 25 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 1: in Dallas County, Alabama. The Civil Rights Act of nineteen 26 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: sixty four banned segregation in public places, employment discrimination based 27 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 1: on race, and prohibited the unequal application of voting requirements. 28 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: But despite the acts provisions to strengthen voting rights for 29 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: black people in the South, states and election officials continued 30 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 1: to use voter suppression tactics to bar black people from voting. 31 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: For instance, Jim Crow laws required people to pass literacy 32 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: tests or to pay poll taxes, which many poor and 33 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: black people couldn't afford to be able to vote. One 34 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 1: of the places where segregationist ideals and these voter suppression 35 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:42,360 Speaker 1: tactics were rampant was Dallas County, Alabama, So organizers decided 36 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: to focus their efforts on Selma, the county seat of 37 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: Dallas County, but Alabama segregationist governor George C. Wallace and 38 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 1: the local county sheriff pushed back against these voter registration campaigns. 39 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: The registration office was open only to days per month 40 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: and people had to fill out four page forms and 41 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: take literacy tests to get the vote. Because of the suppression, 42 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: only about two percent of the eligible black voters in 43 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 1: Selma were registered. SNICK intensified its voting rights campaign in 44 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 1: Selma from nineteen sixty one to nineteen sixty four, especially 45 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: after the Civil Rights Act was passed, but their effort 46 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,920 Speaker 1: was still met with violence from local officials, and in 47 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: July nineteen sixty four, Dallas County Circuit Court Judge James 48 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: Hair issued an injunction that forbade gatherings of three or 49 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: more people to discuss civil rights or voter registration in Selma. 50 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: So the Dallas County Voters League enlisted the help of 51 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: the s c l C and as president Dr Martin 52 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: Luther King, Jr. The s c l c's goal was 53 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: to bring black voting rights to national attention and to 54 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: get a voting rights act, So in January and February 55 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: of nineteen sixty five, the s c l C led 56 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: demonstrations to the Dallas County Courthouse teachers organized march. Thousands 57 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:17,359 Speaker 1: of demonstrators were arrested, including King, Ralph Abernathy, Amelia Boynton, 58 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: John Lewis and Jose Williams, and Jim Clark. The county 59 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: sheriff led a violent resistance. In early February, President Lyndon B. 60 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: Johnson announced his support of the Selma campaign and his 61 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: plans to implore Congress to enact a voting rights bill. 62 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: But on February eighteenth, state trooper James Bernard Fowler shot 63 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: twenty six year old deacon and activists Jimmy Lee Jackson 64 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:51,599 Speaker 1: during a protest in Marion, Alabama. Jackson died about a 65 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:56,119 Speaker 1: week later. So King announced the plan for a march 66 00:04:56,320 --> 00:05:00,359 Speaker 1: from Selma to Montgomery to protest the injustices feat on 67 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: black people in America, and on March six, George C. 68 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:08,479 Speaker 1: Wallace told state troopers to take whatever means necessary to 69 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: keep the march from happening. On March seven, the marchers 70 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 1: set out anyway. Alabama state troopers, some on horseback, stopped 71 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 1: them as they attempted to leave Selma. When the marchers 72 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: refused to turn around and instead asked to speak to 73 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,720 Speaker 1: the officer who had commanded them to stop. The officers 74 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: beat them with billy clubs and bullwhips, spat on them, 75 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 1: and overran them with horses. More than fifty people were injured. 76 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:42,919 Speaker 1: The whole assault was televised. Over the next few days. 77 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 1: More demonstrations took place around the country. King even called 78 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:51,280 Speaker 1: for another march on the ninth, but he ended up 79 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: dispersing the crowd. But on March one, about two thousand 80 00:05:56,400 --> 00:06:00,559 Speaker 1: people set out from Selma, this time protected by US 81 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 1: Army troops and the Alabama National Guard. Tens of thousands 82 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 1: of people joined the marchers in Montgomery when they arrived 83 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: on March and on August six, President Johnson signed into 84 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 1: law the Voting Rights Act, which aimed to end the 85 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:22,280 Speaker 1: suppression of black people's voting rights. That's not to say 86 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:26,480 Speaker 1: voter suppression ended there, but the march was a milestone 87 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:31,119 Speaker 1: in the American civil rights movement. I'm Eaves Jeff Coote, 88 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: and hopefully you know a little more about history today 89 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 1: than you did yesterday. Get more notes from history on Twitter, Instagram, 90 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:46,480 Speaker 1: and Facebook at T d i h C Podcast. Thanks 91 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: for joining me on this trip through time. See you 92 00:06:49,520 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 1: here in the exact same spot tomorrow. Hello again, I'm 93 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:07,600 Speaker 1: eves and you're listening to this Day in History Class, 94 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: a show where we dropped history knowledge every single day. 95 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 1: The day was March seventh, nineteen seventy one. Shik Mujibar Rahman, 96 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: the founding father of Bangladesh, gave a speech to more 97 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: than two million people in Dhaka. In his speech, he 98 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: called for a struggle for independence and encouraged Bengali people 99 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: to prepare for war. Less than three weeks later, the 100 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:42,560 Speaker 1: Bangladesh Liberation War began. In nineteen forty seven, British India 101 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 1: was split into the Union of India and the Dominion 102 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: of Pakistan. The Dominion of Pakistan, which included much of 103 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: present day Pakistan and Bangladesh, was split into West Pakistan 104 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: and East Pakistan. Though East Pakistan was home to more 105 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 1: than half the population, West Pakistan was still more politically 106 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 1: and economically powerful. East Pakistan's Awami Muslim League, established in 107 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 1: Dhaka in nineteen forty nine, supported independence from West Pakistan. 108 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 1: In February of nineteen fifty six, the Pakistan Constituent Assembly 109 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: approved a new constitution establishing a Pakistani Republic. The next month, 110 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 1: the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was formally established Ayu Khan, 111 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 1: president of Pakistan from nineteen fifty eight to nineteen sixty nine, 112 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 1: denounced the autonomy movement in East Pakistan. Under his rule, 113 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 1: government police killed many demonstrators in East Pakistan. Shik mujiboard 114 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: raman leader of the Awami League, was arrested a couple 115 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 1: of times. He was released in nineteen sixty nine. As 116 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:53,320 Speaker 1: widespread protests and political violence continued in East Pakistan, but 117 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 1: legislative elections were held in December of nineteen seventy. The 118 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: Awami League won one dred and sixty seven of three 119 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: hundred and thirteen seats in the Pakistani National Assembly. The 120 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,400 Speaker 1: Awami League also won two hundred and eighty eight out 121 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: of three hundred seats in a Legislative Assembly of East Pakistan, 122 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,560 Speaker 1: but the president at the time, Yahya Khan, and military 123 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: leaders refused to hand over power and postponed the opening 124 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:23,760 Speaker 1: of the National Assembly. This ignited more political tension and violence. 125 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: A civil war was on the horizon. People called for 126 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 1: Sheik Mujib to declare independence from Pakistan, so on March seventh, 127 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy one, the Awami League hosted a gathering of 128 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 1: millions of people at docca's Ramna Race course and the 129 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 1: speech that Sheik Mujib gave at the gathering. He encouraged 130 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: people to launch a struggle against the Pakistani rulers and 131 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 1: announced a civil disobedience movement. Audio and video of the 132 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 1: speech were recorded. In the nineteen minutes speech, he effectively 133 00:09:55,120 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: declared Bangladesh's independence. On March, President Yahya Khan declared a 134 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:05,720 Speaker 1: state of emergency in East Pakistan. The next day, government 135 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: troops from West Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight, a military operation 136 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 1: against Bengali nationalists in East Pakistan. Sik Mujib was arrested 137 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: that day and Bengali nationalists formed a liberation army to 138 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 1: fight Pakistani troops. The Bangladesh Liberation War ended in December 139 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:30,439 Speaker 1: of nineteen when Pakistan surrendered. In Bangladesh formally won its 140 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:35,079 Speaker 1: independence from West Pakistan. Death toll estimates reigned from the 141 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 1: hundreds of thousands to the millions. In October of seventeen, 142 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 1: UNESCO added the speech to the Memory of the World Register, 143 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:48,079 Speaker 1: a collection of documentary heritage. In its nomination form for 144 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:50,640 Speaker 1: the Memory of the World of Register, the speech was 145 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 1: described as a quote faithful documentation of how the failure 146 00:10:54,960 --> 00:11:00,880 Speaker 1: of postcolonial nation states to develop inclusive democratic society, alienates 147 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 1: their population belonging to different ethnic, cultural, linguistic or religious groups. 148 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 1: I'm Eve Chef Coote and hopefully you know a little 149 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:13,559 Speaker 1: more about history today than you did yesterday. You can 150 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 1: keep up with us on social media on Twitter, Facebook, 151 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:21,680 Speaker 1: and Instagram at t d I h C Podcast, or 152 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 1: if you would prefer to email us, you can send 153 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:27,400 Speaker 1: us a message at this day at I heart media 154 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:31,160 Speaker 1: dot com. Thanks again for listening. We'll see the same 155 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:40,320 Speaker 1: place tomorrow. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit 156 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 1: the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 157 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:43,920 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.