On March 21, 1965, Martin Luther King Jr. set out to lead about 300 people on a march from Selma to Montgomery to protest the injustices done to African-Americans and to demand the right to vote for all. After 5 days, 54 miles, and carrying the weight of history on their shoulders, the mass finally reached Montgomery and held a rally on the steps of the capitol building. At the rally, King told the crowd, “There never was a moment in American history more honorable and more inspiring than the pilgrimage of clergymen and laymen of every race and faith pouring into Selma to face danger at the side of its embattled Negroes,” (“Selma to Montgomery March 1965”).
Fifty years later, equality for all people has come a long way, and still has an even longer way to go. While legally all citizens have the right to vote, socially and economically minorities struggle every day to meet the standards this country has made unattainable for them. While it’s important for us to be able to look back and see the progress we’ve made, that is no excuse to be content. We should not be satisfied until everyone is treated equally and has an equal voice.
The “March Quilts” is a community project lead by Bib & Tucker Sew-Op, sewing cooperative in the Woodlawn area, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery. The quilts will be hung in Selma and Montgomery and then return to Birmingham. People in the community are encouraged to participate in sewing sessions where they can make 7-inch quilt squares to be a part of the unity quilt. Several sewing sessions have take place already, but there’s still time to participate! Remaining sessions will be held on Tuesday, February 17, from 4-6 pm at Desert Island Supply Co. and on Sunday, February 22, from 1-3 pm at Birmingham Museum of Art, (Chambers). The sessions are a great way to share fellowship with people in the local community and allow individuals to be a part of something that is bigger than themselves. It’s easy to get caught up in our busy lives, but it’s important to take a break from that every now and then and look at the bigger picture. This quilt will embody that picture, and symbolizes something bigger than all of us.
By Mallory Bubbett
Sources:
Chambers, Jesse. “Volunteers Can Help Sew Pieces for ‘The March Quilts,’ including Sessions Sunday and Monday.” AL..com. 16 Jan. 2015. Web. 8 Feb. 2015. <“>http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_se….