In February of 1965, following the arrest of Martin Luther King, Jr., a multiracial, bipartisan Congressional delegation traveled to Selma, Alabama. The 14 Congressmen were on a fact-finding trip to observe voter registration efforts and investigate the situation at the “Camp Selma” prison compound. While in Selma, they met with city and county officials. At the meeting, the mayor read a prepared statement rejecting the need for outside help and characterized the Congressmen as “agitators.” The delegation, shown from left to right, included Representatives Adam Clayton Powell, Gus Hawkins, William Ryan, Charles Diggs, John Conyers, and Joseph Resnick.
