{"id":843,"date":"2017-05-21T10:00:50","date_gmt":"2017-05-21T10:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.skyesherman.com\/?p=843"},"modified":"2018-04-20T20:12:22","modified_gmt":"2018-04-20T20:12:22","slug":"historic-selma-alabama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skyesherman.com\/historic-selma-alabama\/","title":{"rendered":"A Step Back in Time: Historic Selma, Alabama"},"content":{"rendered":"

The streets of Selma<\/a>, Alabama, truly feel like a snapshot of history. Caught at the right angle and in just the right light, parts of Selma seem to present\u00a0time standing still. And yet\u00a0the opposite\u00a0is also true: history comes alive in Selma, Alabama.<\/p>\n

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At the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The buildings display original signage and artwork–like you’re on a movie set for a film set in the 1950s, except that it’s all real. The past and the present often collide in Selma,\u00a0and maybe that’s because this small town in America’s Deep South has seen more than its fair share of significant battles\u00a0and history made.<\/p>\n

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Painted buildings are a common sight in Selma<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Original signage above the Tin Man’s shop–make sure to pay Charlie Lucas a visit on your trip to Selma<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When it comes to things to do in Selma, the obvious choice is to learn about its important past. This unassuming\u00a0city\u00a0on the banks of the winding Alabama River played a pivotal role in history, shaping the destiny of all Americans and even the world at large.<\/p>\n

How to See Selma<\/h2>\n

By far, the best way to see all of Selma’s historical hotspots is to hire a local guide to join you.<\/p>\n

Dianne Harris<\/a> comes with high praise and glowing\u00a0recommendations from me–she has lived in Selma her entire life and witnessed\u00a0Selma’s contributions to the\u00a0Civil Rights Movement\u00a0firsthand. She even participated as a foot soldier and saw the horrors\u00a0of Bloody Sunday.<\/p>\n

You’d be remiss not to have Mrs. Dianne come along with you, sharing\u00a0her stored memories of Selma with each point of her finger–this happened here, so-and-so was there, my brother\u00a0and I ran away from club-wielding possemen along that street there…<\/em><\/p>\n

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Dianne Harris, foot soldier in the Civil Rights Movement<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Every explorer\u00a0knows that the best way to\u00a0see a\u00a0place is to have a local show you around. You can contact Dianne\u00a0for a tour by calling (334) 875-4823 or via her Facebook page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Things to Do in Selma: Learn About Selma’s History<\/h2>\n

Visitors come to Selma for one main reason: to deepen their knowledge of the American South from the pre-Civil War era through the years of the Civil Rights Movement, and even all the way up to\u00a0present-day discussions of lingering\u00a0racial tensions.<\/p>\n

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One of Selma’s many murals<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

America’s history is inextricably linked to Selma’s history; and thus, little Southern Selma\u00a0has quite literally shaped the history of the world.<\/p>\n

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Artwork in Selma<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Below\u00a0are the historical highlights to hit and things to do in Selma.<\/p>\n

Edmund Pettus Bridge<\/a> and Bloody Sunday<\/h3>\n
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Crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge, site of historical marches, brutal attacks, and deep controversy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Edmund Pettus Bridge inarguably holds the top spot on the list of things to do in Selma.<\/p>\n

Walking the very bridge where peaceful protesters began\u00a0their march to Montgomery is a special feeling, both somber and empowering. It’s also the same bridge where the same peaceful protesters, just a few days prior,\u00a0marched and were met with violence on Bloody Sunday. On that day, over\u00a0fifty people\u00a0were hospitalized by\u00a0the brutality they encountered at the hands of local law enforcement.<\/p>\n

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Looking back at Selma near the spot where Bloody Sunday took place<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The bridge’s name\u00a0is a persisting source of controversy in Selma. Originally esteemed for his political service and accomplishments, Edmund Pettus was a Confederate general and U.S. Senator who championed the cause of slavery; he even became a Grand Dragon in the Ku Klux Klan after the Civil War. The name remains as an ironic symbol of sorts, but perhaps it also stands to proclaim that Selma–and the rest of the country–still has some healing left to do.<\/p>\n

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Looking up from under the Edmund Pettus Bridge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Let us march on ballot boxes until all over Alabama God’s children will be able to walk the earth in decency and honor.<\/p>\n

–Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Selma Interpretive Center<\/a><\/h3>\n

The Interpretive Center is essentially\u00a0Selma’s museum of\u00a0the march to Montgomery. A\u00a0short film plays on the second floor, where the walls are adorned with photos depicting some of Selma’s most important moments, and photos from Bloody Sunday are shown next to stories, descriptions, and artifacts on the first floor.<\/p>\n

National Voting Rights Museum & Institute<\/a><\/h3>\n

The National Voting Rights Museum & Institute is located mere steps from where Alabama state troopers committed atrocious attacks on peaceful marchers in 1965, marking a seminal event\u00a0now\u00a0known as Bloody Sunday.<\/p>\n

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Honoring fallen heroes of the fight for voting rights<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This museum houses exhibits that further teach about the Civil Rights Movement and the long path toward voting rights for all people.<\/p>\n

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Education is always our way forward<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Visiting the Jackson Home<\/a><\/h3>\n

The Jackson Home\u00a0Historic Site also tops my list of things to do in Selma because it’s such a unique treasure. This private residence saw pivotal moments in Civil Rights history and is being painstakingly\u00a0preserved by the little girl who gave up her bedroom to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.\u00a0as he planned the Selma-to-Montgomery march.<\/p>\n

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Jawana’s childhood bedroom, which she gave up for “Uncle Martin” during his stays<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Seeing all the hard work Jawana is putting into this\u00a0labor of love reminded me how truly significant was the\u00a0event born\u00a0inside these walls. Jawana’s mother\u00a0was a childhood friend of Dr. King\u2019s wife, and the King and Jackson families were very close. The Jackson residence housed Dr. King and other civil rights leaders during some of the most pivotal moments of the voting rights movement.<\/p>\n

Brown Chapel AME Church<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Monument to Dr. King in front of the church<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Still an active church, the Brown Chapel AME Church is where the Selma-to-Montgomery march physically began. It was also an important meeting place where\u00a0marchers\u00a0learned how to participate in the kind of nonviolent protest that was so\u00a0central to Dr. King’s peaceful approach.<\/p>\n

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Struggle to salvation at the Brown Chapel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Further back in time…<\/h2>\n

Selma’s storied past begins years before the Civil Rights Movement.\u00a0These spots in Selma offer more of a focus on the American South in the century or so before the Civil Rights Era.<\/p>\n

Old Cahawba<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Old Cahawba Visitor’s Center<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now a ghost town and yet-unexcavated archaeological site, Old Cahawba was Alabama’s original state capital, carved out of the wilderness in 1819. The same plot of land was first home to an Indian village dating back to the 1500s, and over the years, nature has claimed most of Cahawba back. The ruins scattered here speak of undiscovered days gone by, with many scandals and stories still\u00a0untold.<\/p>\n

P.S. On your way back from Cahawba, make a detour to the Orrville Farmer’s Market<\/a> for some local home-grown goodness. I’m still dreaming of the gigantic\u00a0cinnamon rolls fresh-baked\u00a0by Orrville’s\u00a0Mennonite community!<\/em><\/p>\n

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Entrance to the Orrville Farmer’s Market<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Old Live Oak Cemetery<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Old live oak tunnel at the Old Live Oak Cemetery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Full of stories, draping\u00a0old oaks, and blooming magnolia trees, the Old Live Oak Cemetery is the final resting place of generations of Selma’s most prominent inhabitants.<\/p>\n

“There is glory in the graves,” reads the Confederate Monument at the center of the traditional Southern Gothic cemetery, but as you wander through and ponder the stories told by the hundreds of headstones, you may begin to wonder…glory for who?<\/p>\n

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Confederate flags on the graves of fallen soldiers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Old Depot Museum<\/a><\/h3>\n

A true catch-all for Selma’s history through the years! The curator of the Old Depot Museum lovingly collects artifacts from Selma’s earliest years all the way up through the Civil Rights Era and beyond. If it happened in Selma, some trace\u00a0of it can probably be found in\u00a0the Old Depot Museum.<\/p>\n

Sturdivant Hall<\/a><\/h3>\n

One of those can’t-miss things to do in Selma! I was delighted by all of the antique knickknacks in Sturdivant Hall. A beautiful antebellum home, Sturdivant Hall\u00a0is a gorgeous mansion constructed with\u00a0impressive Greek Revival-style architecture. The interior displays\u00a0the opulence and splendor prized by wealthy families in the 1850s.<\/p>\n

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Entrance to Sturdivant Hall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Where to Eat in Selma<\/h2>\n

Once you’ve worked up an appetite, make sure to take a break\u00a0for\u00a0some Southern comfort food\u00a0at a local restaurant.<\/p>\n

My favorite Southern flavors\u00a0include carbs, sugar, and more carbs: cornbread, macaroni and cheese, some hearty BBQ, sweet tea, and of course, lots of fried food–especially okra and fried green tomatoes.<\/p>\n

Across town, Selma\u00a0offers all of the traditional Southern cuisine your heart desires–and at a great price. The portions are huge anywhere you go, so arrive\u00a0hungry! For places to eat that have both historical significance and<\/em> great food, see Where to Eat in Selma, Alabama, for Great Food and Tall Tales<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Simple menu at Lannie’s BBQ Spot–hint: get the “Bar B Que”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Where to Stay\u00a0in Selma<\/h2>\n

There are a few budget hotel options around town, but the soon-to-reopen St. James Hotel<\/a> will be a visitor’s best bet for a unique and memorable stay. A\u00a0historic building located right in the heart of Selma, the St. James Hotel is rumored to be one of Alabama’s most haunted places<\/a>! Even if you don’t stay here, checking out\u00a0the St. James hotel has to be one of the cooler things to do in Selma.<\/p>\n

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Historic downtown Selma along the riverfront<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From historical landmarks\u00a0to long-standing restaurants, each\u00a0of these spots plays a part\u00a0in the story of Selma. There are plenty of things to do in Selma for the historically interested and the curiously inquisitive. Come here ready to leave different than you came; these tired streets have a story to tell, one that is still relevant and necessary to hear today.<\/p>\n

Let Selma open your mind, deepen your empathy, awaken your heart, and ignite your desire to fight injustice wherever you may find it. History happened here–and the way forward\u00a0marches on from here, too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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