SLIDESHOW: Students reenact historic Selma to Montgomery march, prove the dream continues
Following months of lesson plans, activities and preparation, the students and staff of Martin Luther King Elementary School in Montgomery, Ala., held their own Selma to Montgomery reenactment march on March 20, 2015, commemorating the historic march for voting rights that took place March 25, 1965.
"Being right off of Selma Highway, doing this is almost a given for us," said Martin Luther King Elementary School Principal B.T. McMillian. "The students should be aware of the history of the area, especially now 50 years later."
During the reenactment of the 54-mile trek, more than 100 students marched, chanted, sang and learned about the history of the 1965 march as they visited recreations of each of the memorable sites that Dr. Martin Luther King and other civil rights activists and marchers did, including Tent City in Lowndes County, Ala., and the City of St. Jude in Montgomery, before arriving at The Capitol Building.
Following months of lesson plans, activities and preparation, the students and staff of Martin Luther King Elementary School in Montgomery, Ala., held their own Selma to Montgomery reenactment march on March 20, 2015, commemorating the historic march for voting rights that took place March 25, 1965.
"Being right off of Selma Highway, doing this is almost a given for us," said Martin Luther King Elementary School Principal B.T. McMillian. "The students should be aware of the history of the area, especially now 50 years later."
Armed with signs and songs to sing, the students rallied together and headed for the Edmund Pettis Bridge, the official starting point for the March 20, 2015 march.
Students gather quietly at the replica of the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 20, 2015, as teachers explain the purpose of the March 1965 marches to Montgomery, Ala. The primary focus of these efforts was to secure fair voting rights for blacks in the state.
With their teachers by their side, students from Martin Luther King Elementary School make their way to Tent City during the March 20, 2015, re-enactment march. Tent City, a settlement on black-owned property near Route 80 in Lowndes County, Ala., was formed in 1965 for sharecroppers who were kicked off their land for voter registration activity, according to Sweet Home Alabama.
Students arrive at the recreation of Tent City during the March 20, 2015 reenactment march. Tent City, a settlement on black-owned property near Route 80 in Lowndes County, was formed in 1965 for sharecroppers who were kicked off their land for voter registration activity, according to Sweet Home Alabama.
Martin Luther King Elementary School's recreation of Tent City features three small tents, an outdoor laundry area and several seats near the tents at the March 20, 2015 reenactment march. The signs indicate the families inhabiting each tent that comprises the community.
Students at the recreation of Tent City learn of the community's living conditions and its residents' daily lives from reenactment march committee member and MLK teacher Lessie Simpson during the reenactment march. Simpson explained the process of doing daily chores without the modern day comforts of home.
Following their time at the recreation of Tent City during the reenactment march, the students march on to a recreation of Montgomery's City of St. Jude, which served as a rest stop and safe haven for marchers making their way to Montgomery.
As the students sing the chorus of "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around," several young girls hold hands as they march.
Now known for its caring community outreach, St. Jude, founded in 1934, was the final stop for marchers from Selma on March 24, 1965, before they headed to the capitol in Montgomery. According to the city's website, St. Jude was an empowering space for the weary marchers in their time of need. Students are high-fived and greeted by an MLK teacher and join in singing a verse of "We Shall Overcome" with older students as they rest and learn briefly of St. Jude's history during the March 20, 2015 reenactment march.
At St. Jude, students are high-fived and greeted by an MLK teacher and join in singing a verse of "We Shall Overcome" with older students as they rest and learn briefly of St. Jude's history during the March 20, 2015 reenactment march.
From the recreation of St. Jude, the students march on to a recreation of the Capitol Building in Montgomery, Ala., where the 1965 march culminated. Pre-K students wear the faces of civil rights activists and figures around their necks in tribute during the reenactment march.
From a recreation of St. Jude, the students march on to a recreation of The Capitol Building in Montgomery, Ala., where the 1965 march culminated, as teachers cheer them on.
Nearing the end of the march, students continue to march as they sing "We Shall Overcome," followed by "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around" in unison.
Martin Luther King Elementary School students and teachers wear shirts during the March 20, 2015 reenactment march, commemorating the occasion with a message acknowledging the efforts of civil rights leaders and activists who marched from Selma to Montgomery in March 1965.
After finally reaching a recreation of the Capitol in Montgomery, students receive the opportunity to rest, celebrate their big accomplishment and showcase their talents for visitors, volunteers and their schoolmates during the reenactment march.
Several MLK students stop for a photo following their arrival on the front lawn area of the school, also known as "The Capitol" during the reenactment march.
Following their arrival to a recreation of The Capitol, students are joined by visitors from the Prairie Farm Senior Center in nearby Shorter, Ala. The visitors were invited by school staff to celebrate the occasion with the students during the March 20, 2015 reenactment march. Several school staff members greet the visitors and show them to seats arranged near the front doors of the school.
A young MLK student wears a replica "I AM A MAN" sandwich board on the front lawn area of the school, also known as "The Capitol," during the March 20, 2015 reenactment march.
Following their arrival, several pre-K students gather at a recreation of The Capitol and thank the civil rights leaders and activists who fought for their rights and marched for their right to vote during the March 20, 2015 reenactment march.
As students speak, others cheer and applaud as they lift their signs in support during the reenactment march.
Visitors from the area's Caring Hands Senior Center perform an inspirational selection for the gathered crowd at a recreation of The Capitol during the reenactment march.
Visitors from the Prairie Farm Senior Center in Shorter, Ala., perform an acapella rendition of "(Give Me That) Old-Time Religion" for the gathered crowd during the reenactment march.
Martin Luther King Elementary School Principal B.T. McMillian closes the reenactment march with a detailed account of the events that led to the March 1965 marches and legislation that ultimately provided voting rights to blacks. McMillian also expressed the importance of remembering the civil rights efforts of the past and the historical legacy of the surrounding cities before thanking the MLK staff and students, as well as visitors and volunteers.
