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Primary sourcePhotograph1965

Selma to Montgomery March, Day 4, Led by the Abernathy Family

1965

A 1965 photograph of the Selma to Montgomery march showing King marching with the Abernathy and King families.

King is named as one of the marchers in this photograph of the Selma to Montgomery march for voting rights.

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Black-and-white photograph of a crowd marching down a road during the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march. Children lead in the foreground, and a man in a dark suit and glasses walks at right among marchers, some wearing hats, with flags and utility poles visible behind them.
Selma to Montgomery march, Day 4, led by the Abernathy family, 1965.

About this source

What it is

This black-and-white photograph from 1965 shows the Selma to Montgomery march, with Donzaleigh Abernathy, Ralph David Abernathy III, and Juandalynn Abernathy leading Juanita Jones Abernathy, Ralph David Abernathy, Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, and hundreds of marchers down Alabama Highway 80.

Why it matters

The image documents one of the most significant marches of the civil rights movement, a demonstration for voting rights for Black Americans. It shows King marching alongside close allies and family, highlighting the collective, family-centered nature of the movement's leadership.

Look closer

  • Why might children be placed at the front of the march in this photograph?
  • What does the caption tell you about who organized and led this march?
  • How does this photo being shared by a family member affect how we should read it as a historical source?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Martin Luther King Jr. on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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