Updated · NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund · May 13
Bernice A. King Joins May 16 Voting-Rights Action as Thousands Plan Selma and Montgomery Rallies
Updated
Updated · NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund · May 13
Bernice A. King Joins May 16 Voting-Rights Action as Thousands Plan Selma and Montgomery Rallies
1 articles · Updated · NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund · May 13
Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King will join the May 16 National Day of Action in Montgomery, organizers said, adding a high-profile voice to a voting-rights mobilization expected to draw thousands.
The campaign is framed as a response to renewed attacks on voting rights and Black political power across the South, with organizers casting the event as the start of a sustained summer push.
9 a.m. CT events begin at Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge with prayer and remembrance tied to the 1965 marches, followed by a 1 p.m. CT national rally in Montgomery.
Hundreds of local and national partners are backing the effort, which will also include solidarity events, voter mobilization and other actions in communities nationwide.
King linked the gathering to her parents’ civil-rights legacy, while organizers said the initiative will extend beyond one day into civic education, legal advocacy, economic pressure and direct action.
Can grassroots organizing succeed in dismantling voting barriers where state-level legislation has repeatedly failed?
If US courts no longer protect minority districts, could independent commissions offer a new path forward for fair elections?
May 16, 2026 National Day of Action: The Fight for Voting Rights After the Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais Decision
Overview
On May 16, 2026, activists and concerned citizens will gather across the country, with the main event starting in Montgomery, Alabama, to advocate for voting rights and defend multiracial democracy. The theme 'All Roads Lead to the South' highlights the region's ongoing importance, drawing inspiration from Alabama's civil rights history, including the Montgomery bus boycott and the Selma to Montgomery marches. These historic actions led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and today's demonstrations aim to reignite that commitment, showing that the fight for fair and inclusive democracy continues.