Carl Snowden: Hundreds Expected to March to Maryland State House in Commemoration of “Bloody Sunday”

Hundreds of citizens are expected to gather in Annapolis on Saturday, March 7, 2026, for a peaceful march and rally commemorating the anniversary of the historic Selma voting rights demonstrations known as the Bloody Sunday.

The event was announced by Carl O. Snowden, Convener for the Caucus of African American Leaders (CAAL). Demonstrators will assemble at 11:30 a.m. at Calvary United Methodist Church before marching to the Maryland State House at noon. Participants are expected to wear shirts emblazoned with the message “Black Voters Matter.”

Snowden said the march honors the legacy of civil rights leaders who helped lead the movement for voting rights more than six decades ago, including the late John Lewis and Jesse L. Jackson Sr., both of whom participated in demonstrations in Selma during the 1960s.

“Each of these civil rights leaders has passed, and the baton has been passed to a new generation of leadership,” Snowden said in announcing the event.

The rally is also being held in remembrance of Jackson, Lewis, and Dee Goodwyn, a cofounder of CAAL who recently passed away.

Several elected officials and civil rights leaders are expected to participate in the march and rally, including Shaneka Henson, Dylan Behler, Steuart Pittman, and Acting Annapolis Mayor Keanuu Smith-Brown. Organizers also say civil rights advocates and community leaders such as Daryl Jones, Steven Waddy of the NAACP in Anne Arundel County, the Rev. Rickey Jones of the National Action Network, Dr. Mark Wainwright of The Historic First Baptist Church, and the Rev. Michael Parker II of Asbury United Methodist Church will also take part, along with other elected officials and community leaders.

Snowden said the gathering is intended not only to remember the historic struggle for voting rights but also to address current concerns about discrimination and political rhetoric.

“We are here to make it clear that we have Governor Wes Moore’s back,” Snowden said, referencing recent comments by Donald Trump in which he said Wes Moore was “unworthy.”

“There comes a time when a community must draw a demarcation line when it comes to racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia, and that time is now,” Snowden added.

Organizers expect the peaceful march and rally to last approximately two hours. For more information about the event, organizers can be reached at 443-871-5656.