Viola Liuzzo

Viola Liuzzo, born on April 11, 1925, was a dedicated American civil rights activist whose life was tragically cut short while fighting for justice. In March 1965, she made the courageous journey from her home in Detroit, Michigan, to Alabama to support the Selma to Montgomery march, a pivotal event in the struggle for voting rights.

On March 25, her commitment to the cause led to her untimely death when she was shot by three members of the Ku Klux Klan while driving activists between the two cities. The involvement of an FBI informant, Gary T. Rowe, in her murder was not disclosed until 1978, raising serious questions about the agency's role in her death. In an attempt to divert scrutiny from the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover made defamatory statements about Liuzzo.

Although three of her killers were charged with murder, they were not convicted by the state. However, the federal government successfully prosecuted them under the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act for conspiracy to intimidate African Americans. On December 3, they were found guilty by an all-white, all-male jury, marking a significant moment in Southern legal history, and were sentenced to ten years in prison. Rowe, who testified against them, was placed in the witness protection program for his safety and lived until 1998.

In 1983, Liuzzo's family filed a lawsuit against the FBI, alleging negligence in preventing her death and seeking damages for the false accusations made against her. Unfortunately, the suit was dismissed. Despite the tragic circumstances of her death, Liuzzo was honored posthumously, with her name inscribed on the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama. Her legacy continues through a scholarship established by her grandson in her honor.