Historic Brown Chapel AME Church & African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund Commemorate the 60th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday

SELMA, Ala., Feb. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 9, 2025, a national coalition of civil rights leaders, preservation advocates, and community members will gather in Selma, AL to commemorate the 60th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday." This milestone moment in America's Civil Rights Movement recalls the courageous march led by Congressman John Lewis and Reverend Hosea Williams, where peaceful protestors were met with brutal violence by law enforcement on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The televised assault galvanized national support for the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

As the nation reflects on this pivotal event, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (Action Fund), a program of the National Trust for Preservation, Brown Chapel AME Church, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and a coalition of preservation and civil rights organizations, will host a series of special events acknowledging the legacy of community-led activism and the social progress made for the benefit for all Americans. These events will not only honor those who marched in 1965, but amplify the urgent call to restore Brown Chapel AME, a National Historic Landmark, which has been closed to the public since 2020 due to structural deterioration.

WHAT: As part of the Selma Jubilee weekend of events taking place in Selma, March 7-10^th, the Action Fund, Brown Chapel AME Church, and key partners — the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and local civic leaders — will host a series of special events that spotlight the critical role of Brown Chapel and its preservation as an essential part of American history.

WHO:

• Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund
• Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative
• Reverend Leodis Strong, Brown Chapel AME Church
• Congresswoman Terri Sewell, (D-AL)
• Al Perry, President, Historic Brown Chapel AME Church Preservation Society

BACKGROUND: Since its founding in 1866, Brown Chapel AME Church has stood as a beacon of hope and activism. The current 1908 church building served as the launching ground for the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches and a sanctuary for leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Congressman John Lewis. Yet, while thousands will gather in Selma this year to reflect on this history, the church's doors have been closed for several years due to extensive structural damage.

Recognized as one of "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Brown Chapel AME faces an urgent preservation crisis. A broad coalition led by the Action Fund and Brown Chapel AME have been mobilized to restore the sanctuary, ensuring this living monument to the Civil Right Movement remains accessible for future generations.

These efforts are more than just preservation, it is an affirmation that the spaces which shaped our fight for justice will not be forgotten or left to decay.

EVENTS:  

• Saturday, March 8th, 4:00-5:30 PM | NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) Panel Discussion
  • Location: Edmundite Missions Dr. Michael and Catherine Bullock Community Center 1428 Broad St, Selma, AL 36701
  • Panel: Making Democracy Deliver
  • About: This panel will acknowledge that our nation's multiracial democracy is a mere six decades old. And presently, we find the very premise of democracy under attack and Black communities at an increasingly precarious point in our nation's history. Our panelists will discuss the tools at our disposal to turn this moment of oppression into an oasis of opportunity, and in doing so, highlight how we can collectively honor the memory and legacy of the late Hon. John R. Lewis and soldiers of the Voting Rights Movement by fighting for a democracy that delivers for all.
• Notable Attendees:
  • Joy Ann Reid (Confirmed)
  • Dr. Eddie Glaude (Confirmed)
  • Rep. Shomari Figures (Confirmed)
  • Brent Leggs (Confirmed)
• Sunday, March 9, 7:45AM | Press Conference
  • Location: Edmundite Missions Dr. Michael and Catherine Bullock Community Center 1428 Broad St, Selma, AL 36701
  • About: Action Fund Executive Director Brent Leggs and a special guest will join Reverend Leodis Strong, pastor of Brown Chapel AME, to share an exciting update about efforts to preserve this historic church and its role in civil rights history.
• Sunday, March 9, 9:30AM | Commemorative Sunday Worship Service 
  • Location: Edmundite Missions Dr. Michael and Catherine Bullock Community Center 1428 Broad St, Selma, AL 36701
  • About: Bryan Stevenson will deliver keynote remarks shedding light on the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement and the fight for justice today. His remarks will be followed by a worship service led by Reverend Leodis Strong.

Additional programming is in development, and more details will be announced in the coming days as they are confirmed.

The 60^th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday is not just about remembrance, it is a call to protect and preserve the physical spaces that have shaped our democracy. Join us in ensuring that Brown Chapel remains a place of community, activism, and inspiration for the next 100 years.

Contact:
Roberto J. Hylton
[email protected]

SOURCE National Trust for Historic Preservation