Against the wall of white supremacy: 1965

In the United States, the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act outlaw racial discrimination in voting. Yet black people trying to register to vote in Alabama are ordered to disperse, their leader arrested.

The Voting Rights Act ensures federal protection of registration and voting rights. Yet black teachers in Selma, Alabama, are stopped from entering the registration office. The Rev. C T Vivian, after facing a hostile Sheriff Jim Clark, is arrested, then attacked by police. But between 1952 and 1968, black registration increases by 40% to achieve the same proportion as white voters.

ITN: news footage shot with natural sound, and a reporter at the scene commenting on what he sees.

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