In Peace and Freedom: My Journey in Selma

5. Mountains and Valleys

91 5 Mountains and Valleys Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others. —Plato During this period in our history of the struggle, overlapping with my time in Selma, there were other movements in effect throughout the country. There was a hopeful atmosphere, a cloud of despair had been pierced, and movement was in the air. Popular artists wrote or performed songs that embraced the themes of the movement, making “protest” songs part of the widespread culture. Some of these were Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” the Byrds’ “Turn, Turn, Turn,” Phil Ochs’s “Here’s to the State of Mississippi” and “The Ballad of Medgar Evers,” the Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” and the civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome,” popularized by Guy Carawan and Joan Baez. These and countless more protest songs were performed all over the world at concerts and music festivals and were played on the radio. Most young people knew these songs and artists. Music gets into the fabric of our souls and helps to shape our beliefs. The cry for “One man, one vote” was echoed in places such as Africa. Activists were moving from one movement to another, transporting the spirit. Struggles were coming to the forefront, and the personalities of the leaders were buoyed by the media coverage, bringing their plights to light. Rather than these movements of human rights and liberation being sequenced or parallel, they converged, blending into each other. The mid-1960s held much promise not just in our country but also around the world. Other countries that were under colonial rule were throwing off shackles and winning independence, and many political prison- 92 IN PEACE AND FREEDOM ers were being released from jail. Freedom was beginning to ring in the East African countries of Tanzania (April 26, 1964), Zambia (October 24, 1964), and Zimbabwe (November 11, 1965), and in Gambia in West Africa (February 18, 1965).1 A historic day for the civil rights movement was August 28, 1963, when the long-planned and well-organized March on Washington marched onto television sets in every household in America, more than 200,000 people strong. The goals of the march were jobs and freedom. In addition, the focus was on desegregation of public accommodations and public schools, protection for the right to vote, barring of employment discrimination, and economic justice. The march was organized by Bayard Rustin, one of the longtime leaders in the civil rights movement, and A. Philip Randolph of the Pullman Car Porters Union. The highlight of the event was when Dr. King took the podium as the final speaker of the afternoon and delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, which spoke to the hearts of not just black America but most all America. The importance of this event to the entire civil rights movement can never be overstated; I think it could be considered the high point. Afterward, Dr. King and other leaders of the march met with President Kennedy and Vice President Johnson and began to lay out the framework for the Civil Rights Act. I went back and forth in my mind about whether or not to go to the march. Someone in a leadership position needed to be on hand in Alabama to deal with any problems that might occur in response to the march. So after a discussion of the situation with SNCC members and the local leaders in Selma, a decision was made for one of us to remain in Alabama in case there was any backlash from this national and historic event. And that someone was me. We were so proud, though, to fill a couple of chartered buses going to Washington, D.C., representing the Selma community. I was apprehensive, especially about a march of that magnitude, fearful that somebody might try to sabotage it. I felt so elated when it was peaceful. It was a great day of celebration. The American spirit came forth strong, as it became clear that many people from across the entire country of all cultures, nationalities, religions, and ages supported the movement. Thankfully, everything was quiet in Selma the day of the march and the following days. While in Selma, we were try- Mountains and Valleys 93 ing to change not only the town...