This is Joanne

If Joanne knew that I posted this on my blog she would probably charge me $1 (at least).  But I know that she would use that money towards furthering the cause of Civil Rights in Selma.  She has cofounded two museums in Selma for the preservation of this history.  We visited both of them today.  The first was a Voting Rights Museum and the other was the Slavery and Civil War museum.  Joanne is a Civil Rights activist.  The first time she was arrested was when she was 8 years old.  She was with her grandmother who was trying to register to vote.  She participated in several marches.  She tells very candid and personal stories about her experiences.  I was most moved by the way that she stands up for what she believes in.  I often pretend that that is who I am.  But I have nothing on this lady.  I want to.

One of the coolest things that she did with us was to have us stand on a piece of cement where the marchers gathered before they headed across the Edmund Pettus bridge.  She had us all pick up a rock.  She told us stories about the folks who had stood on those rocks.  She told us that we could take the rocks only if we promised to keep them in a place that we could look at them and remember those who had stood on them and draw courage from them.  I held on to my rock and plan to put it in a prominent place when I get back home.  I held on to my rock at the slavery museum as well when things got really difficult to handle.

Another stop on our journey was to a soul food restaurant that has been around for years and years owned by the Townes family.  We found out that it was the last place that Rev. James Reeb ate before he was clubbed to death for being in Selma as part of the movement in 1965.  Joanne also pointed out the man who struck him that night.  He owns a car dealership in Selma.  He was standing outside of his establishment.  She said that they were trying to have his case re-opened so that he could be convicted of the murder that he committed.  

Joanne also has plans for Selma.  She talked about how she chooses to stay in the black neighborhood and support black businesses.  She talks about plans that she has to restore some of the old houses.  The museums that we went to were not polished and state of the art places.  As a matter of fact, they looked like holes in the wall on the outside.  However through the efforts of Joanne and her friends, they are in existence and they are amazing and magnificent places to learn history.  As hard as today was, I am so happy and lucky that I was able to be a part of it.  She challenged us to take what we learned today as we leave.  And boy do I have plans. . .

what an experience.  what a lady.  what a movement.