Transcript: The Most Powerful Instrument

HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR.: March 7th, 1965. Would you please take me through that terrible day in Selma?

JOHN LEWIS: That Sunday afternoon, we lined up in twos to walk in a peaceful, nonviolent fashion from Selma to Montgomery.

LEWIS (ARCHIVAL): "We are marching today to dramatize to the nation, to dramatize to the world that hundreds and thousands of negro citizens of Alabama but particularly here in the black belt area, denied the right to vote and we intend to march to Montgomery to put this insane grievance to Governor Wallace…"

JOHN LEWIS: I was wearing a backpack. In this backpack, I had two books. I had an apple, and I had an orange, and toothpaste and toothbrush.

HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR.: Hum.

JOHN LEWIS: I thought we were going to be arrested and that we were going to go to jail.

We came to the highest point on the bridge. Down below we saw a sea of blue.

HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR.: Hum.

JOHN LEWIS: Alabama State troopers. The sheriff’s name was Jim Clark.

HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR.: Um-hum.

JOHN LEWIS: He was a very big man. He had a lapel button that said "never." He said, "This is an unlawful march and it will not be allowed to continue. I give you three minutes to disperse and return to your church." And Jose Williams from Dr. King’s organization spoke up and said, "give us a moment to kneel and pray." And the major said, "Troopers, advance."

NARRATOR: The images captured that day in Selma are seared onto our national consciousness. And as we look at them now it seems unbelievable that the African American right to vote could have posed such a profound threat as to incite this kind of violence.

JOHN LEWIS: The vote is the most powerful instrument, the most powerful nonviolent tool in a democratic society.