In Peace and Freedom: My Journey in Selma

Acknowledgments

153 Acknowledgments I wish to express deep appreciation for those of you who played a role in making this book a quality documentary that will contribute to the rich history of the civil rights movement and nonviolent struggle that occurred in Selma, Alabama. To the courageous people of Selma, this book was inspired by you and is for you. George Bulls II, this publication would not have happened without your consistent and tenacious efforts. Your untiring and generous labor made it possible to execute the details necessary for the timely publication. Sam Walker from the National Voting Rights Museum in Selma, I value your assistance in obtaining some essential photographs and material that enhanced this publication. Many, many thanks, Professor Paul Bueno de Mesquita, director of the University of Rhode Island’s Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies, for sage advice and astute recommendations, and for giving up time with your wife for endless hours through three years while Kay and I worked together on this memoir. At the University Press of Kentucky, a shout to Bailey Johnson for your bighearted spirit and for always answering questions immediately. Anne Dean Watkins, what a positive force you are. You patiently waited for us to complete the manuscript and were a powerful advocate for this book—you are the best. Cynthia Fleming, we owe a great debt to you for the constant guidance and wisdom as you read several drafts and nudged us to be our best. Connie Curry, you not only were a remarkable mentor to me in the ’60s but have continued to inspire me for more than fifty years. Your comments and suggestions on the manuscript were immensely helpful. Finally, an enormous thank-you to our family and friends who encouraged and supported us in infinite ways. We can never express enough the boundless appreciation that fills our hearts. This book is dedicated to the four women who have had the most impor- 154 IN PEACE AND FREEDOM tant influence on my life: three in my earlier years, and one who has influenced me for the past forty years and continues to do so. First, my maternal grandmother, Rozelia Forrester, lovingly known as “Ma Foster,” a woman who was independent, daring, courageous, wise, generous, and a firm disciplinarian. She was a businesswoman and a devout Christian home missionary who owned and operated a grocery store and small animal farm. She helped to found a church, the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Tampa, and built a congregation. She was my teacher and spiritual mentor, and she played a great role in my pursuit of higher education. Second is my mother, Verdell LaFayette, who treated me special from birth. Her love and prayers brought me through when times seemed impossible. Sometimes she was like a big sister, other times an imitation of my grandmother. Since she knew me so well, she knew what strategy would get me to do what she wanted me to do. My grandmother got me into college, but it was my mother who motivated me to finish it. She used what I call negative inspiration. She’d tell me, “You will never finish college.” I would reply, “Yes, I will.” She’d say, “Oh, no, you won’t.” I was determined to prove her wrong, which was what she wanted me to do. I was in and out of college for years, but eventually I handed her a doctoral degree from Harvard University. We both won. The third was Amelia Boynton, who inspired me to take on one of the most difficult challenges in my life: Selma, Alabama. She encouraged me and stood by me, and every day she was a glowing example of courage , quiet defiance, and determination, and a reservoir of generosity. I knew every moment I was in Selma that I was not alone, and what better mentor could one have than Mrs. Amelia Boynton? Her leadership was similar to that of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., bringing others to the forefront and then standing with them. It was her eternal optimism and hope that made the Selma movement possible. She helped me to grow from a young college student to a man in a short period. When one has to make decisions that will determine life or death, one understands what adulthood and manhood are all about. Finally, my loving wife, Kate Bulls LaFayette. Because of her, I was able to hand my mother my terminal higher education degree. She supported me...