Thousands Protest at the Seat of Government

Thousands Protest at the Seat of Government. Dexter Avenue. On Thursday, March 25, 1965, the Selma to Montgomery marchers left St. Jude and continued through the streets of Montgomery, the crowd swelling in numbers as they approached Court Square. By the time they reached Dexter Avenue, a crowd of more than 25,000 arrived at the steps of the Alabama State Capitol., Standing in the shadow of the seat of government, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. faced the tired yet jubilant marchers and delivered his now iconic speech, "How Long, Not Long.", After delivering the speech and as millions watched throughout the world, King and the marchers approached the entrance to the state capitol with a petition for Governor Wallace. A line of state troopers blocked the door, declaring the governor was not in. The marchers stood firm until one of Wallace's secretaries appeared and took the petition. , Following the march in Montgomery, President Lyndon B. Johnson pushed for lasting civil rights change in Washington D.C through the passing of the Voting Rights Act. Signed into law August 6, 1965, it prohibited most of the practices used to prevent blacks from registering to vote, and provided for federal registrars to go to Alabama and other states with a history of voting-related discrimination to ensure that the law was implemented.