You weren’t alive when this photo was taken. But when you look at it, can you feel the press of people around you? Can you hear the voices calling out for change?

Photographer Bob Adelman (1930-2016) hoped you would. He used his art to reveal racism. Adelman captured this picture of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. (center) and Coretta Scott King (right), during a march in Alabama, from Selma to Montgomery, in 1965. The marchers were protesting racist laws that prevented Black Americans from voting. Soon after, the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965 made it illegal to deny any American the right to vote based on race.  

For Adelman, photographing the civil rights movement was personal. He told Black & White magazine: “I shot with one eye on the lens, one eye on history, and my heart was with the movement.” 

1. Look closely at the photo. What do you notice about the Kings and the other marchers?

2. How is this image of Martin Luther King Jr. different from others you have seen before?

3. How would you sum up this photo in one sentence?