The Murder of Jimmie Lee Jackson

On the evening of February 18, 1965, a group of civil rights activists gathered in Marion, Alabama, for a night march. The protesters were met by state troopers and violence ensued. Jimmie Lee Jackson, who attended with his mother and grandfather, was shot twice in the abdomen and died eight days later. His death was a catalyst for the march from Selma to Montgomery, which became known as Bloody Sunday. See more on the march for Selma to Montgomery at the Moments In Civil Rights History episode Bloody Sunday.