U. S. Congressman John Lewis

John Lewis was a prominent American civil rights leader and politician who devoted his life to fighting racial discrimination and expanding voting rights. Inspired by the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he became involved in the Civil Rights Movement as a young man. He helped organize peaceful protests, sit-ins, and Freedom Rides and later became chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

Congressman Lewis became a leading voice in the struggle for voting rights, particularly through his work in Selma, Alabama. He believed strongly in nonviolent protest and the power of ordinary people to create meaningful change. His courage, determination, and commitment to equality made him one of the most respected leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.

He carried his commitment to justice into public service when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he represented Georgia for more than three decades. As a Congressman, he continued to advocate for civil rights, voting rights, education, and equal opportunities for all Americans. Throughout his career, he remained dedicated to the principles of freedom, dignity, and peaceful activism.

Jo Ann Bland

Jo Ann Bland began her civil rights activism in the early 1960s as a child. At just eight years old, she joined her grandmother at meetings of the Dallas County Voters League led by Amelia Boynton and became a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), a youth-led organization known for organizing sit-ins and challenging segregation throughout the South. By the age of eleven, she had been arrested at least thirteen documented times for her participation in nonviolent demonstrations.

In 1965, she marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday alongside more than 600 peaceful demonstrators. That march, and the violence that followed, helped lead to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Mrs. Bland also integrated Selma’s A.G. Parrish High School as part of the first group of seven students to do so.

She later attended the College of Staten Island in New York and proudly served in the United States Army.

Upon returning to Selma in 1989, Mrs. Bland co-founded the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute. In 2007, she founded Journeys for the Soul, a tour agency dedicated to teaching visitors from around the world the true history of the Civil Rights Movement in Selma. Through her storytelling and preservation efforts, she ensured that what happened in Selma would never be forgotten.

Joe Selmon

Joe Selmon grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, during the Jim Crow era, when segregation and discrimination were part of everyday life. As a child, he experienced segregation firsthand, including having to shop in store basements and enter buses through the back.

In 1963, when Joe was only 10 years old, he joined the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement. After seeing older students leave school to protest, he walked out and joined them at 16th Street Baptist Church. He and hundreds of children marched into Kelly Ingram Park, where they faced police dogs and powerful fire hoses.

Joe Selmon later continued sharing his experiences with younger generations. Through his work with the Equal Justice Initiative, he taught students about civil rights, voting, and standing against injustice. His story shows how children played an important role in challenging segregation and changing American history.

Reverend Billy Kyles

Reverend Billy Kyles was a Baptist minister and an important leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. He worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and supported the fight for racial equality, justice, and voting rights. He used his position as a minister to encourage people to stand against segregation and discrimination.

Rev. Kyles became especially well known for his close relationship with Dr. King. He was with him in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, when Dr. King was assassinated. He witnessed this tragic event and later shared his memories of Dr. King and the struggle for civil rights.

After Dr. King’s death, Reverend Kyles continued his ministry and civil rights work. He dedicated his life to serving his community and carrying forward the message of equality and justice. His contributions helped preserve the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement for future generations.

Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth

Fred Shuttlesworth was an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was born in Mount Meigs, Alabama, and became a strong opponent of racial segregation. As a minister in Birmingham, Alabama, he organized protests and encouraged African Americans to fight for equal rights through nonviolent action.

He played an important role in the Birmingham Campaign, which challenged segregation in the city. He worked with other civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., and helped organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Despite being attacked and threatened because of his activism, he continued to speak out against racism.

Rev. Shuttlesworth is remembered as one of the courageous leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. His determination helped bring national attention to segregation and racial injustice. Through his faith, leadership, and commitment to nonviolence, he helped make progress toward greater equality and civil rights in the United States.

Reverend Jimmy Webb

Reverend Jimmy Webb was a civil rights activist and leader who fought for racial equality and voting rights in Alabama. He became involved in the Civil Rights Movement at a young age and participated in the Selma Movement. Webb believed that everyone deserved equal rights and opportunities.

One of his most important moments came when he was only 16 years old. During the Selma campaign, he led protesters from Brown Chapel around a police barricade. Like many other civil rights activists, he believed in using peaceful protest to challenge segregation and unfair treatment.

Reverend Jimmy Webb’s courage and leadership made him an important part of the Civil Rights Movement. His actions showed that young people could make a difference in the fight for equality. Webb’s story continues to remind people of the importance of standing up for justice and equal rights.

Simeon Wright

Simeon Wright was an African American man who became an important witness in one of the most well-known cases of the Civil Rights Movement. He was born in 1942 in Mississippi and was the cousin of Emmett Till. Mr. Wright lived with his family in Money, Mississippi, and was present when armed men came to the house looking for Emmett in August 1955. At the time, he was only 12 years old.

He witnessed Emmett Till being taken from their home during the night, and later testified about what he saw and heard, helping the public understand the violence that Emmett experienced. Emmett’s murder became a major national story after his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, chose to have an open-casket funeral so people could see what had happened to her son. Mr. Wright’s testimony and later accounts helped keep attention focused on the injustice and racism surrounding the case.

Throughout his life, Simeon Wright continued to speak about Emmett Till and the events he witnessed. He shared his experiences with students, historians, and the public, helping new generations understand the realities of racism and segregation in the United States. His story is important because his firsthand account helped preserve the history of the Civil Rights Movement and showed the courage it took for people to speak about racial violence and injustice.

Reverend Clark Olsen

Reverend Clark Olsen was a Unitarian Universalist minister from Berkeley, California, who came to Selma, Alabama, in March 1965 in response to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s call for clergy to join the voting-rights movement. He was among the religious leaders who stood with Selma’s activists during a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.

On March 9, 1965, Rev. Olsen and fellow ministers Rev. James Reeb and Rev. Orloff Miller were attacked by white segregationists after leaving an integrated restaurant in downtown Selma. Olsen and Miller survived, but Reeb suffered fatal injuries and died two days later. Rev. Olsen later testified in the prosecution of those responsible.

He continued his ministry and his commitment to racial justice for decades. His courage in Selma—and his willingness to bear witness to what happened there—remains an important part of the history of the struggle for voting rights and equality.

Coach Lawrence Huggins

Coach Lawrence Huggins was a longtime educator, football coach, and civil rights activist from Selma, Alabama. As a young teacher, he joined fellow Black educators who challenged the discrimination that denied them their right to vote.

On January 22, 1965, he was among 105 Black teachers who marched to the Dallas County Courthouse to register. Their action became one of the first major demonstrations by Black professionals during Selma’s voting-rights campaign. Near the front of the line, he was struck by Sheriff Jim Clark with a nightstick, yet the teachers continued their effort to claim their constitutional rights.

Coach Huggins carried the experience with him throughout his life, continuing to teach, coach, and share the story of Selma. His example reflects the determination of a community that helped transform the struggle for equality into lasting change.

Vernon Dahmer, Jr.

Harold Dahmer

George Dahmer