A defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement in 1965 was the Selma to Montgomery marches, which aimed to secure voting rights for African Americans in the South. The marches, initiated by activists including Martin Luther King Jr., were met with violent opposition, notably on "Bloody Sunday," when marchers were brutally attacked by law enforcement at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The national outcry over the violence prompted increased support for voting rights, leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This legislation outlawed discriminatory practices that hindered African Americans from voting, marking a significant victory in the struggle for civil rights.