Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) appears at the First Baptist Church in Selma, Alabama to honor the forty-second anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march.

Discussion Questions

1. Explain the history of the Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march, as described by Sen. Clinton. Which prominent leaders participated in the march? What images come to your mind during Sen. Clinton’s speech?
2. How did the Selma-to-Montgomery march lead to the Voting Rights Act? According to Sen. Clinton, how did the Voting Rights Act allow her the chance to run for president? What does she mean by calling the Voting Rights Act "the gift that keeps giving"?
3. What contemporary voting problems does Sen. Clinton list? How does Sen. Clinton propose to address these problems?
4. Why do you think Sen. Clinton chose to make this speech? What are the possible ramifications for her 2008 presidential campaign?