The body of the late Rep. John Lewis will be escorted Sunday across the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., where the civil rights icon first helped lead a march for voting rights in 1965, CNN reports.

Why it matters: The march, in which Lewis and other activists were beaten by police officers who attacked them with clubs, became known as "Bloody Sunday" and was a critical turning point in the civil rights movement. The event helped lead to the passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965.

• At 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, networks will break in with special coverage when Lewis travels across the Edmund Pettus Bridge for the final time.
• The bridgeis named for a Confederate general and KKK leader. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.)is among those calling for the bridge to be named for Lewis, but some in Selma are opposed.

The big picture: Sunday's event is part of a six-day memorial ceremony honoring Lewis, who died on July 17 at age 80 after battling with pancreatic cancer.

This story will be updated with more coverage.