The Brief America’s climactic battle for civil rights took place in Selma, Alabama 60 years ago. America’s climactic battle for civil rights took place in Selma, Alabama 60 years ago. It shocked the nation's conscience, broke the senate filibuster, and convinced Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act one day later. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. declared "St. Augustine may well pave the path to freedom for the century of freedom for all." WATCH FOX 13 NEWS:STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: