“I missed it 1965 but made it in 2015.”
That tag line was on banners and tees throughout the city of Selma. I’m so glad I made it!
To hear him speak was simply amazing!
The feeling of history surely engulfed me as soon as I stepped into downtown Selma and again in Montgomery. To put it simply, I was overwhelmed by the experience. (But then I had a 10+ hour car trip back to St. Louis to reflect and take it all in.)
My St. Louis protest baes
We ran into Netta!
That’s Sheryl Lee Ralph!
Imagine our joy of running into friends from STL in the sea of thousands!
Greeted with a parade on Saturday, March 7, the vibe in Selma was uplifting and the energy positive. The Jubilee happens yearly but of course the 50th anniversary and the ever growing activism mindset of millennial protestors brought people from hundreds of miles away.
I was thankful to be able to grab a seat on the Amnesty International van. They were thoughtful in planning our outings and choosing activities for the group.
We traveled into Montgomery after the speeches of such greats as Congressmen John Lewis and my POTUS, Barack Obama. While there, I thoroughly enjoyed the knowledge of the docents in the Freedom Riders Museum in Montgomery’s Historic Greyhound Bus Station. They had so much to share. There is always more to learn when it comes to history, and while this museum wasn’t large in size, history lined the walls – inside and out.
Our next stop was the Equal Justice Initiative. We were welcomed with a quote from Lillian Hellman: “For every man who lives without freedom, the rest of us must share the guilt.” I knew I was in for a great experience. (Not to mention Netta and Deray already shared how awesome their experience was when they visited the EJI.)
If you’re wondering why we went to a building of attorneys, the EJI is helping to change the injustice that occurs for those incarcerated (among other accomplishments). They helped make it illegal to execute children in the United States. They also helped abolish life without parole sentencing for children.
We viewed a short film titled, What in the world? USA which highlighted three people incarcerated for crimes they didn’t commit. The EJI helped to release them.
Injustice for one is injustice for all.
*Cool moment alert*
*Cool moment alert*
So I’ve been reading books and articles, and watching videos and interviews involving one of my favorite historical figures, Rosa Parks. (Peep my tee)
Well, nine months prior to Rosa Parks’ arrest, a young 15-year-old woman named Claudette Colvin was the first person arrested for resisting bus segregation in Montgomery, Alabama. She is a pioneer of the African‑American Civil Rights Movement. And I met her and was able to thank her for her courage while in Selma on Sunday, March 8th for the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
Then my friends and I met a man named Ophelius. He graciously let us park on his lot, just a couple blocks from the Edmund Pettus Bridge. In talking with him, he shared with us that he was in the Selma to Montgomery march at the tender age ten. Let’s just say the police did not care that he was only ten years old. Though just a young boy, he was brave enough to follow the people. [This is a testament that our children want to follow us, so we must lead them in the right direction.]
Just before departing Selma, our group visited the Museum of Civil Rights and Slavery in Selma. Then we heard from the director of Amnesty International spoke with our group about the work being done and the work yet to do. We ended by calling out one word we felt in that moment, in that space, at that time.
Grateful
Renewed
Empowered
Committed
Inspired
Motivated
Challenged
Strong
Hopeful
People clapped.
Others chanted.
Some cried.
The celebration is in the work ahead. We are fighting for justice and human rights because black lives matter and should be valued. Selma and Montgomery offered a powerful space for a powerful moment and I am honored to say, I WAS THERE.
Comments
6 responses to “#Selma50 | I was there”
I offer my response thru a cloud of tears and an abundance of pride as I complete the sharing of your
journey to Selma 50. I have followed your pics and comments on face book throughout the
weekend but seeing everything put together as you have done was heartwarming. I thank you and
the many thousands across the world who have devoted countless hours promoting awareness of
the sacrifices so many have made that continues to benefit us all.
What an important experience. Wow
My (happy) tears are only outweighed by the pride I carry for you in my heart. Thank you for EVERYTHING and just keep on keeping on. I have no doubt that you will.
Tiffany, I am so proud of you. Keep on doing what you’re doing and tell your sisters that I am proud of them also. Your comment are on target. Keep Posting!!
I finally remembered to stop by! Wow, so cool you were able to be apart of this historic moment. Amazing that you ran into people that you knew in STL. I love how you told the story with pictures. Great stuff. Proud of you, Tiff!
[…] I love the work done by my Soror friend Lashell whom I met after the murder of Mike Brown during protests in Ferguson. We even traveled to Selma, AL together with a group in honor of the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. […]