NAAM’s Freedom Day celebrates history, culture, equity, and freedom while highlighting the importance of sharing these ideals with ALL members of our community. Freedom Day is a FREE admission day at NAAM offered once a month that provides a variety of community activities, museum activations, and programs for individuals and families of all ages to enjoy at no cost. NAAM uses Freedom Day to spotlight significant and sometimes lesser known moments throughout history that have worked to advance freedom for all. Below review all past events we have celebrated on Freedom Day.
Join NAAM for Freedom Day: Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
At the Northwest African American Museum, we honor the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with two Freedom Days, August 6 and 7, which serve as reminders of this milestone in the long and ongoing struggle for civil rights and full citizenship.
We believe that the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act is not only a moment to remember, it is a moment to reinvigorate our collective memory and responsibility. As a museum rooted in truth-telling, education, and cultural pride, we uplift this anniversary as a reminder of the power of collective action and the sacrifices made for justice. We care deeply about this milestone because it represents both the legacy and the urgency of Black civic power. That’s why, earlier this year, we also commemorated Freedom Days in March that honored Bloody Sunday and the start of the final Selma to Montgomery march—two defining moments that paved the way for this landmark legislation. Through these commemorations, NAAM affirms our commitment to ensuring that the stories, struggles, and triumphs of the Black freedom movement are not only remembered, but shared for decades to come.
On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law—a historic and hard-fought victory that outlawed discriminatory voting practices like literacy tests and poll taxes, which had long denied Black Americans their constitutional right to vote.
The passage of the Voting Rights Act did not happen overnight. It was the result of generations of Black determination, organizing, and courage. From Reconstruction-era freedom fighters to 20th-century activists like Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and John Lewis, the fight for the ballot box has always required Black communities to demand what was promised but never freely given. Hamer’s words still ring true today: “I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.”
In early 1965, civil rights activists organized a series of marches from Selma to Montgomery to demand voting rights for all citizens. Most notably, on March 7—now known as Bloody Sunday—more than 600 peaceful marchers were brutally attacked by state troopers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The photographs of that day—especially those captured by Alabama photojournalist Spider Martin—awakened the conscience of our country and the world. His images made it impossible to look away. They forced our nation to bear witness to its own hypocrisy. Dr. King once told Martin: “We could have marched and protested forever, but if it weren’t for guys like you, people would never know what happened.”
Just eight days later, President Johnson addressed Congress and called for comprehensive voting rights legislation, stating plainly, “We shall overcome.”
The Voting Rights Act was passed that summer.
But the story does not end there.
Since 1965, elements of the Voting Rights Act have been systematically weakened, most notably by the Supreme Court’s 2013 Shelby v. Holder decision. New voter suppression tactics—long lines, voter ID laws, polling place closures, and digital disinformation—continue to disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities.
As we recognize this Freedom Day, we are reminded that the right to vote was never simply handed over—it was marched for, bled for, and died for. And the responsibility to protect it belongs to each of us.
Did You Know?
In 1965, fewer than 1 in 4 eligible Black voters in the South were registered. By 1969, that number had more than doubled.
More than 15,000 Black citizens were purged from voter rolls in Mississippi alone before 1965—despite being citizens entitled to vote under the Constitution.
Fannie Lou Hamer testified before the Democratic National Convention in 1964, detailing the violent barriers Black Mississippians faced when trying to register to vote. Her testimony shocked the nation—and was nearly suppressed by national television networks.
The third and final Selma to Montgomery march stretched over 54 miles and lasted five days, with protesters sleeping on the roadside under federal protection.
Spider Martin's photographs of Bloody Sunday—especially Two Minute Warning—were published around the world and helped spur the passage of the Voting Rights Act.
The fight continues: new barriers such as voter ID laws, reduced polling locations, and limits on early voting disproportionately affect Black and Brown communities today.
International outrage over American racial injustice had been building for decades. The violent images from Bloody Sunday gave this ongoing critique an undeniable visual proof, sparking condemnation from allies and adversaries alike. It became the political and moral turning point that President Johnson needed to rally support for the Voting Rights Act, under immense pressure to resolve what was no longer just a domestic issue—but a global one.
