Spider Martin – Dr. King Leads The March Along With James Forman Of SNCC And Reverend Jessie Douglas Around The State Capitol In Montgomery, March 25, 1965

Charles Moore, Martin Luther King Jr. Addressing A Meeting Of The Montgomery Improvement Association, Which Was Founded In 1955 To Organize The Bus Boycott. A Year Later, The Bus System Was Integrated, 1958

“Selma March 1965” features over 150 photographs depicting the three Selma-to-Montgomery marches that rocked the nation and galvanized the Civil Rights Movement in 1965. Gallerist Stephen Kasher says:

“Never before in New York or any other gallery has the work of photographers James Barker, Spider Martin and Charles Moore been brought together like this. By combining their work, the exhibition captures in a new way the angst, courage and chaos of this seminal moment in American history.”

As the Academy Award nominated film illustrates, on March 7th, 1965, Alabama state troopers and a local posse attacked civil rights demonstrators in Selma, stopping a planned peaceful march to the state capitol in Montgomery, wounding many innocent marchers. Filmed and photographed, “Bloody Sunday” instantly caused nationwide outrage. Days later, another march, led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was turned back. A third, ultimately successful march left Selma on March 21, arriving in Montgomery five days later. By then, President Lyndon B. Johnson, pushed by Dr. King and the horrific images of brutality captured by Martin, Moore and others, had introduced the Voting Rights Act to Congress, which became law later that year.

“Together the images on display present a complex, compelling tableau that is both monumental and intimate, brave and vulnerable. The exhibit is inspiring, but also a chilling reminder that those who fight for social justice do at great risk, with no guarantee that their efforts will be successful – though sometimes they are, if only partially.” –Steven Kasher

“Selma March 1965” commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Selma marches as well as the Voting Rights Act they catalyzed. It is the 30th public exhibition that Kasher has organized of photography of the Civil Rights Movement. The exhibition opens at Steven Kasher Gallery Thursday, March 5th, 6–8 PM and runs through April 18th, 2015. It will be attended by James Barker, Tracy Martin and Michelle Moore Peel.

Charles Moore – Many Celebrities Joined The March To Montgomery And Entertained The Marchers On Wednesday Evening. Joan Baez And Harry Belafonte, 1965

Spider Martin, The Third March Makes Its Way Through Lowndes Country Under Armed Guard, March 21, 1965

Charles Moore – Sherriff’s Deputies Prepare To Confront Marchers, Selma, Alabama, March 7, 1965

Spider Martin – Hosea Williams And John Lewis Confront Troopers On Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965

Charles Moore – Almost Immediately After Telling Marchers They Had “Two Minutes To Disperse” The State Troopers Charge With Their Billy Clubs, Selma, Alabama, 1965

Charles Moore – State Police Fire Teargas At The Marchers And Then Charge Them A Second Time, 1965

Spider Martin, Dr. King Speaking On The Steps Of The State Capitol, March 25, 1965

(Photos, Spider Martin, Charles Moore via Steven Kasher Gallery)