and ralph abernathy came to sell not to the hospital to visit, and he told me that he made an appeal for the religious leaders for priests and rabbis to come to selwa and they did on tuesday march 9th. and a few days later to be exact president lyndon johnson spoke to the nation on march 15th, 1965. they made one of the most meaningful speech as any american president had made on the whole question of civil rights and voting rights and near the end of that speech president johnson said we shall overcome. that was the first time that he and an american president had the civil rights movement. the congress debated the act and passed it and was signed into law august 6th 1965. >> host: a little bit later we are going to show you some of that speech. a final date of one to ask about right now april 4th 1968. >> guest: april 4th 1968. there isn't any way i can forget the date. i was campaigning with robert kennedy but i heard senator robert kennedy seeking the democratic nomination. i sent him a telegram and told him i wanted to help and he invited me with some of his staffers to go work

angel young, the home county of ralph abernathy, one evening in febrdayry. the confrontation occurred, a young man namedis gimmy lee on obrdson was ais teteran, aurd to protect his mother, was shot in the stomach and a few days later he died at a local hospital and because of what happened to him we decided to march to montgomery. 600 of us, ordethanbvok peacefu had a prayer, we start walking in twos. i will never foeciet that da fe i was wing togbrdsng a backpack. i had two books, and apple, an orange, something to ring togd, something to eat and toothpaste and toothbrussome p i thought would be arrested and go to jail wanted to be able to brush my teetsome p we got to the bridge, crossing the alabama river. dnthn below we saw a sing tog o alabama state troopers and behind the state troopers was sheriff clark, jim clal sheriff, was a very big man, he thouof st he was a general paur, tbrdsed to dress like him. he wore a gun on one side, niof suritibrd on the other sid. he carried an electric hair product in his hand. we kept walking. toward this line of stat

ralph abernathy, juanita. there was a march in february, and a confrontation occurred. a young man by the name of jimmy lee jackson -- he was a veteran -- attempted to protect his mother, was shot in his stomach. and a few days later he died at a local hospital in selma. and because of what happened to him, we decided to march from selma to montgomery. so on that sunday afternoon, 600 of us -- orderly, peaceful -- had a prayer. we started walking in two. i will never forget that day. i was wearing a backpack before it became fashionable to wear backpacks. and this backpack had two books, an apple, an orange. i wanted to have something to read, i wanted to have something to eat. and i also had toothpaste and toothbrush since i thought i was going to be arrested and go to jail, i wanted to be able to brush my teeth. we get to the highest point on the bridge crossing the alabama river, down below we saw a sea of blue, alabama state troopers. and behind the state troopers there were sheriff clark posse. sheriff clark, a man by the name of jim clark was the sheriff, he was a