+----------------------------+------------------+---+-------------------+
| National Park Service      | Selma to         |   | 1212 W.           |
|                            | Montgomery       |   | Montgomery Road   |
| U.S. Department of the     | National         |   |                   |
| Interior                   | Historic Trail   |   | Tuskegee, AL      |
|                            |                  |   | 36088             |
|                            | Use the complete |   |                   |
|                            | site name here   |   | 334-727-3200      |
|                            | (e.g. Palo Alto  |   | phone             |
|                            | Battlefield      |   |                   |
|                            | Historic Site).  |   | 334-727-1448 fax  |
+----------------------------+------------------+---+-------------------+

![](media/image1.png){width="0.5597222222222222in"
height="0.7201388888888889in"}

**Selma to Montgomery NHT** News Release

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  Use a "short-hand" version of the site name here (e.g. Palo Alto
  Battlefield not Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Site).

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

**CourtTV comes to the Historic Trail**

![](media/image2.png){width="0.6819444444444445in"
height="0.20833333333333334in"}

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| +------------------------------------------------------------------+  |
| | +-------------------------------------------------------------+  |  |
| | | **Date**\                                                   |  |  |
| | | August 05, 2005\                                            |  |  |
| | | ![](media/image2.png){width="2.9694444444444446in"          |  |  |
| | | height="0.10486111111111111in"}\                            |  |  |
| | | **Contacts**\                                               |  |  |
| | | Carla C. Whitfield, 334-727-3200\                           |  |  |
| | | Tyrone Brandyburg, 334-727-3200\                            |  |  |
| | | \                                                           |  |  |
| | | No fear. It seemed almost the mantra of the interviewees    |  |  |
| | | who took the stage to speak of their heroism during the     |  |  |
| | | Voting Rights March of 1965 at a recent program that will   |  |  |
| | | be nationally televised sometime in October. Court TV,      |  |  |
| | | National Public Radio and the Friends of the Selma to       |  |  |
| | | Montgomery National Historic Trail teamed up to bring about |  |  |
| | | the program entitled "The 40th Anniversary of the Voting    |  |  |
| | | Rights Act: Past, Present and Future." The program, that    |  |  |
| | | had the feel of a town hall meeting, served as an           |  |  |
| | | installment of Court TV's "In Pursuit of Justice," "an      |  |  |
| | | ongoing public service and education initiative aimed at    |  |  |
| | | nurturing debate and raising awareness about important      |  |  |
| | | judicial issues while inspiring Americans to become active  |  |  |
| | | and engaged in the law and judicial system. The initiative  |  |  |
| | | combines the power of original programming and promotion    |  |  |
| | | with grassroots public service campaigns, civic             |  |  |
| | | partnerships and education resources."                      |  |  |
| | |                                                             |  |  |
| | | Amelia Boynton Robinson, Reverend Joseph and Evelyn Lowery, |  |  |
| | | Reverend F. D. Reese, Gwendolyn Patton, and other foot      |  |  |
| | | soldiers of the march shared their moments of violence and  |  |  |
| | | triumphs as active participants of the movement. The        |  |  |
| | | outcome of the efforts of these and other voting rights     |  |  |
| | | marchers lead to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, |  |  |
| | | which allows "unfettered" access to the ballot for all      |  |  |
| | | voters---particularly African Americans, will expire in     |  |  |
| | | 2007 unless reauthorized by Congress and signed into law by |  |  |
| | | the President. Mayor Bobby Bright of Montgomery, Alabama    |  |  |
| | | summed up what seemed to be the sentiment of the large      |  |  |
| | | crowd in attendance when he remarked, \"It\'s               |  |  |
| | | unconscionable for me to think that we are still here       |  |  |
| | | trying to encourage Congress and the White House to ratify  |  |  |
| | | the Voting Rights Act as it was passed years ago. It should |  |  |
| | | be permanent.\"                                             |  |  |
| | +-------------------------------------------------------------+  |  |
| +------------------------------------------------------------------+  |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

\- NPS -