Walking the Bridge

People walking the bridge has become a common sight in Selma.

This photo was taken several weeks ago, long before the influx of visitors

 before the 50th year commemoration of the Selma/Montgomery

 Voting Rights Marches. Official events that include appearances 

by President Obama and his family

 and former President George W. Bush begin March 5.

 Already, related events are drawing tourists and media to town,

 and the standard media story is always a comparison of the Selma of the 1960s

 with the Selma of today. I just hope they come here with open minds

 and think of a few new angles for their articles!

 

 At least we will have spring-like temperatures for the beginning of next week!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Linking to Good Fences, Skywatch Friday

and City Daily Photo Blogs

Signs, Signs, 50th Anniversary

Next week will be huge for this town as thousands converge to commemorate 

the voting rights events of 1965. Already, lots of people are here, 

and many events are ongoing. Just yesterday it was announced

 that former President George W. Bush plans to attend. 

Linking to Signs, Signs

and City Daily Photo Blogs

G is for GROUP Project

Here is a GROUP project that would not have been accomplished 50 years ago,

 a Selma Unity Quilt that will be carried this Sunday, March 1

 in the United in Faith Unity Walk. 

The quilt was displayed Tuesday evening at Brown Chapel AME Church

 (where civil rights rallies and meetings were often held in 1965)

  during a meeting among ministers and lay people. The quilt

 features 176 squares from churches, individuals and businesses in Selma.

In the bottom photo, Dr. Jerry W. Light of Selma's First Baptist Church 

(Lauderdale Street) and Jwanda Maxwell of Brown Chapel AME Church,

 lead the GROUP to

 "Unite Selma, One Selma: Coming Home...United in Faith."

Linking to

ABC Wednesday and

http://www.citydailyphoto.org/latest.html

Signs, Signs, Arsenal Place Accelerator

 One of Selma's newest signs is the Arsenal Place Accelerator. 

Launched in early 2014, it is the first business incubator here,

 and several new businesses are growing there. 

Linking to Signs, Signs

and City Daily Photo Blogs

Selma's Two First Baptists

F is for FIRST as is Selma's two First Baptist churches, 

First Baptist Church, Martin Luther King St. (above)

 and First Baptist Church, Lauderdale Street (below).

Both of these historic churches will be on tour for the FORTIETH Selma Pilgrimage

 March 20-21 as we commemorate the FIFTIETH anniversary

 of the Civil Rights Selma-to-Montgomery March and the 150th anniversary

 the Civil War's Battle of Selma.

Linking to ABC Wednesday where the letter this week is F

and City Daily Photo Blogs

Skywatch, The Sycamore Tree

To quote Joyce Kilmer, "I think that I shall never see..." a sycamore tree

 more magnificent than against a winter blue sky!

 The sun-washed branches of this one on Church Street appear

 to reign above Church Street Methodist's tall spire.

Linking to Skywatch Friday

and City Daily Photo Blogs

Love One Another

Leika's Preschool and Kindergarten at Church Street United Methodist Church

 is celebrating Valentine's this week by proclaiming "LOVE ONE ANOTHER"

 in heart pennants. I love it!

John 13:34-35 

 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you,  

 so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you 

are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Linking to Signs, Signs

and City Daily Photo Blogs

 

 

 

Imagine That!

Imagine that the library's coat of armor took on the persona of The Cat in the Hat!

Or imagine that The Cat in the Hat came to Selma and hid in a coat of armor!

If you go to the library this week to stock up on good reading

 for the upcoming frigid-weather weekend,

be on the lookout for Thing 1 and Thing 2!

Linking to Our World Tuesday

and City Daily Photo Blogs

The Spider Martin Retrospective

It's the 50th anniversary of the Selma/Montgomery voting rights marches,

 and Spider Martin is back in town!

Rather, the famous photographs he took for The Birmingham News are displayed

 in The Spider Martin Retrospective: Exploring the Role of Photojournalism

 in Influencing History.

The powerful exhibit opened Saturday night at Carneal ArtsRevive 

in downtown Selma just a block from where

 so many of these pictures were taken. 

The pictures will also be the focus of the first Spider Martin Restrospective forum

 this Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. The free event is open to the public,

 and the audience is encouraged to participate in the interactive discussion.

Moderator will be Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Archivist Laura Anderson.

 Presenters are Morehouse College Assistant Professor Dr. Larry Spruill,

 University of Alabama School of Journalism instructor Donald Brown, who formerly

 edited The Tuscaloosa News and was a reporter for The Birmingham News

 during the Civil Rights era; and Alabama State Archivist Dr. Howard Robinson. 

Robinson directs the Oral History Project that focuses on the Voting Rights Movement.

Linking to Ruby Tuesday Too

and City Daily Photo Blogs

The Lions Have It

Bienville Park's new fence features a pair of lions that appear

 to be protecting their territory!

Linking to Good Fences

and City Daily Photo Blogs

 

Signs, Signs, Carneal ArtsRevive

 One of Selma's arts organizations is housed in a former auto service building,

 hence the Auto Service sign. This is actually the back of the sign,

 the front of which is below. Carneal Auto Service opened in the 1940s,

 and prior to that, the 1920's building was Selma Electric Battery Co. 

This weekend, the Carneal ArtsRevive will host the grand opening

 of the Spider Martin Retrospective:  Exploring the Role of Photojournalism

 in Influencing History. Martin was renowned for his photography of events

 during the Civil Rights Movement. The exhibition will be open free

 to the public through March 28. 

Linking to Signs, Signs

and City Daily Photo Blogs

Down the Steps

It's D Week at ABC Wednesday, and D is for DOWN the steps at Songs of Selma Park.

The lower level of the park provides a great view of the Alabama River

 and Pettus Bridge. This area will be even busier than usual

 through the next few weeks of the 50th anniversary

 of the Voting Rights marches.

Linking to ABC Wednesday

and City Daily Photo Blogs

Selma's Unity Quilt

Guest photographer Christine Weerts visited the community quilting bee

 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church Saturday and  shared pictures of Selma's Unity Quilt.

 Led by Birmingham's "March Quilts" creators Bib & Tucker Sew-Op,  individuals, churches

 and organizations sewed quilt squares representing unity. 

The squares will be joined into a quilt to commemorate the 50th anniversary

 of the Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march

and carried in the Unity March on Sunday, March 1.

The quilt will remain in Selma on display. 

Linking to Our World Tuesday

and City Daily Photo Blogs

The Groundhog is Wrong

It's Groundhog Day, and Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks

 of winter this morning!

But wait! My daffodils are blooming.

So despite a cold wind and predicted deep freeze tonight in Selma,

 it must be Spring!

Linking to Monday Mellow Yellows

and City Daily Photo Blogs