brown chapel ame church

The starting point for the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery on Bloody Sunday, this historic church stands as a key part of the movement. The church is located in a quiet side street that sprang to attention in 2015 during the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery march that ended in disaster for the protesters at the Edmund Pettus bridge on the outskirts of Selma.The church is one of many that represented the key structure - the Christian religion - that gave strength to righteous anger and indignation in the minds of black Americans who on paper had all the rights of citizens but whose rights had been eroded by State laws and brutalized by State police and law enforcement officers. The same Christian religion professed by the white supremacists was effectively used as a platform by eloquent speakers such as the Reverend Martin Luther King to launch the struggle for equality and fairness. The Brown Chapel is one such church that provided the forum and the platform to carry the message.To be here is to feel the history of the civil rights movement.

So much history in this church! This is where the planning and organization was done for the Selma to Montgomery march. As I drove the highway trying to follow the marchers' path, I contemplated just how much organization had to go into this event. The church is both beautiful and awe inspiring.

Worth a quick 15 minute stop if you're in Selma since this was the starting point of the march to Montgomery.

This place of all places really touched me. We spoke with Robert and Clarence and both gentlemen welcomed us just like we were their family.To know who stood in them doors and preached and spoke and to know that I stood in them same places. 3 very powerful men have been in this church and I have been in it too.I figured there would have been many more people coming to see this church, and I was disappointed that so little have come.To know that these steps on this church is the steps that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood on before he began that march to Montgomery is just over whelming. This church is the beginning.

We pulled over to see the church and was greeted by Robert the treasurer who welcomed us with such love and introduced us to Clarence who welcomed us in face us a tour and allowed us to take pictures where MLK Jr,Malcolm X, and President Obama spoke from the pulpit! He walked us down a hallway with pictures capturing the history of the church including Bloody Sunday and the March led by MLK Jr. It was amazing to be welcomed into a church and given an opportunity to see history! Must see if in Selma!!!

Just sitting outside of Brown Chapel thinking about how much time I spent in the church. I set in on so many mass meetings that O can't even count. Was trained by Rev. Andrew Young and Rev. James Bevel in that church as how to protect yourself when being hit by the billy club or stuck with the cow prodder. How many times was told to stay and pray before walking out peacefully after too many bomb threats. Meeting and shaking Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and his lovely wife Mrs. Coretta Scott King hand was mesmerizing. Remembering how the then Sylvan Street was blocked off/barracaded to prevent us marching. That didn't stop us. The local stores were boycotted for Easter Sunday. We showed them that if we were not worthy of working in your stores, then you were not worthy of our money. The movement organizers came to Selma with truck loads of Blue Jeans for about $6.00. That's what we wore for Easter.

Of course it was locked. We were advised to go during daylight hours as it is not in a great section of town. It is great to see where history happened.

This is the church where the quest for voting rights, civil rights, and human rights led by Dr Martin Luther King jr all started to unfold in 1965. This is the beginning of the route the marchers took to Montgomery. There are signs marking the route all through town. There is a wonderful monument in front of the curch telling the story. I enjoy seeing history I've actually read about in the newspapers and seen on television instead of just in history books.

We did not tour the church ( not sure if tours are offered) but we made the drive following the route of the marchers and to actually see the church where meetings and decisions were made was worth it for me