Phone calls, e-mails and letters fly across the country as hundreds of civil rights veterans and their families prepare to convene in the epicenter of 45th Anniversary Civil Rights Movement in Alabama. While most eyes are focussed on Selma see www.selmajubilee.com, where we will march with our fellow civil rights veterans, friends and families, my own excitement is all about Camden. Camden is the county seat of Wilcox County where I served for a summer as a voting rights activist with SCLC side by side with SNCC brothers and sisters. We were chased by the KKK through the beautiful winding red dirt roads, removed from our office at historic Antioch Baptist Church at gunpoint by sheriff Lummie Jenkins, wept over the bleeding bodies of our local young brothers beaten by masked men, joined in singing songs like “Hold On” and “You Never Can Jail Us All” with courageous local leaders, students, pastors and farmers and on July 4, 1965 integrated what they then called ” the negro playground”, The Bessie W. Munden Recreational Park www.blackbeltfound.org/counties/wilcox.html

From March 1-7th my photographer husband Samuel Torres Jr and I hope that you will join us as we update this site with photos and stories of this journey back in time. A time to not only celebrate the past, but to renew our strength for the continued struggle for economic and social justice and an end to racial bias and discrimination. We have come a long way; we have a long way to go. Thank you for joining us.

45th Anniversary

Commemorative March and Mass Meeting

Wilcox County Voting Rights Movement

Monday, March 1, 2010

4:30-March from historical Antioch Baptist Church to the Wilcox County Courthouse 100 Broad St, Camden AL

5:00-Reception at the Lena Powell Convention Center

211 Claiborne Street

6:00-Mass Meeting-Historical Antioch Baptist Church

Special Recognition was given to those Freedom Fighters and/or their families of The Wilcox Voting Rights Movement. Singing, photos & more!

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On Monday, March 1, 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King led a march of 200 Black citizens from Antioch Baptist Church to the Courthouse to demand voting rights for all. This was one of many marches that led up to the Bloody Sunday March across The Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

Selma – Sunday March 7th

As part of the Selma Jubilee events, a large contingent of people currently and formerly from Wilcox County met at Brown Chapel at 1:00 pm. Look for a banner that says “Wilcox County Freedom Fighters”.

Anyone of any generation who identifies with the Wilcox County Freedom Movement including former civil rights workers who worked in Wilcox County was welcome to join. About 50 people participated

There was also a banner for NCNW Wilcox County branch. We met at Brown Chapel and all marched together.

www.selmajubilee.com for complete Jubilee schedule