“Sometimes, to create change, you have to be a S.O.B”

“Sometimes, to create change, you have to be a S.O.B” – Dr. Fitts, Tour Guide around the city of Selma 

Today we traveled to Selma, Alabama, the historic city of the Civil Rights Movement that witnessed the death of Jimmy Jackson, “Bloody Sunday”, and a hotspot for the fight for African American voting rights.

We began our trip with a tour of downtown Selma lead by Dr. Alastor Fitts, a historical expert on various events that occurred here. It was fascinating. We visited a number of areas that were sources of racial tension and conflict during the movement, including St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and 1^st Baptist Church. We also got a chance to walk around the Live Oak Cemetery, which is filled so much interesting information about both the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. I was astonished to hear that a statue of Robert E. Lee’s head had been stolen, and the local authorities are still looking for it with a 20,000 dollar award. Dr. Fitts was a fantastic tour guide. I came to really appreciate both his deep knowledge of the city as well as his delightful sense of humor. At one point he actually grabbed me by the shirt collar in his story about a local sidewalk committee in front of one the churches. The entire group could see how excited he was about this rich history, and it made the experience that much more powerful.

My favorite part of our day was our visit to the National Voting Rights Museum. We walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, which was where the Bloody Sunday March began.  That walk, alone, was enough to really make you appreciate the level of dedication and conviction that these protestors demonstrated. Once we arrived at the museum, our tour guide, Samuel Walker set a really great background about the history of the Civil Rights Movements leading up to Bloody Sunday. Although he was a little intense, demanding that we give him our undivided attention for an entire fifteen minutes without interruption, his presentation was completely worth the effort on our part. Mr. Walker had so much investment in the movement, even disclosing to us that he was arrested and taken to prison twice for fighting for racial equality when he was eleven years old. He also is connected to the specific pieces in the building. He took the time to point out that the dress on display was the actual outfit that Marie Foster wore on Bloody Sunday, which she donated before her death.

Today was a beautiful day. I am starting to feel really connected to both my fellow immersion participant, but also, the rich and difficult and empowering history of the Civil Rights Movement.