Foot Soldiers Park

06/08/2026

Four outstanding student leaders in Selma were awarded this year’s Jo Ann Bland Legacy in Action Scholarship. This is our second year of presenting the scholarship to young descendants of foot soldiers who have demonstrated academic excellence and civic commitment. We’re very proud of Dereke Furlow Jr., Samarion Woods, Cedriauna Eaton, and Kennedi Brooks!

While our founder Mrs. Bland is no longer with us, this scholarship is one way in which we continue the important work she and other 1965 foot soldiers started — by investing in the next generation.

Learn more about our winners >>> bit.ly/LegacyScholars2026

06/05/2026

It was the ‘Battle of the Selma-Dallas County High Schools’ as 9th through 12th graders competed for which school could give the best speeches on Black history and identity and justice.

Every year, we host the oratorical contest in the lead-up to our Juneteenth commemoration event. The contest is part of our efforts to educate, activate, support and prepare young people to step confidently into their role as the next generation of foot soldiers.
This year, we were fortunate to have a powerhouse panel of judges including Dr. Gloria Batiste-Roberts, Head Coach of the Texas Southern University Debate Team.

We're so grateful to the panel for their valuable feedback and so proud of all 13 youth that participated. Please help us in congratulating the winners!
🥇Marquel Carter | 10th Grade
🥈Madison Smiley | 11th Grade
🥉DeAngelo Carrion | 9th Grade

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR THE FULL STORY >> bit.ly/FSPContestWinners2026

Selma-Dallas County schools competed for the fourth year in a row in which students could give the best speeches on Black history, identity and justice.

06/05/2026

Before she wrote the book on voter suppression, Carol Anderson was a historian asking a hard question: what happens to a democracy when the right to vote is quietly chipped away?

Anderson — a historian and professor at Emory University, and author of the National Book Critics Circle Award–winning White Rage — traces that question in One Person, No Vote.

She starts with the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which struck down a key enforcement provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 — the law won in part through the sacrifice of the foot soldiers who crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts reasoned that the formula used to decide which states needed federal approval before changing their voting laws relied on decades-old data. Anderson documents what came next: within hours, states began moving to enact new voting restrictions.

We're ready to turn the page with you! July 30, we're reading One Person, No Vote together with Shake The Field.

📅 July 30, 2026 | Virtual Book Club
📖 One Person, No Vote by Carol Anderson
🔗 RSVP: bit.ly/FSPBookClubJoin
🎓 Book scholarships (ages 18–45) available through June 30.

06/03/2026

🄽🄴🅆 🄱🄻🄾🄶 🄿🄾🅂🅃 | More than 550 5th-12th grade boys worked with Foot Soldiers Park earlier this month to build early financial habits and learn about pathways to financial stability.

Our Director of Programs Carey Fountain led a breakout session annual youth empowerment event “Brothers Rising,” introducing the young men to our BUILD UP youth financial literacy program.

BUILD UP provides practical knowledge, skills, and tools to young people in Selma to help them build strong financial habits early on, create pathways to stable financial futures, and secure a financial legacy for their families.

Read more about BUILD UP at the Brothers Rising event >> bit.ly/BrothersRisingBlog

05/29/2026

📘 You're Invited! 📕 We've partnered with Alabama Forward’s Shake the Field Book Club to host a virtual discussion of '𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏, 𝑵𝒐 𝑽𝒐𝒕𝒆: 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝑽𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑰𝒔 𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝑫𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒚' by Carol Anderson.
Carol Anderson doesn’t pull punches. This book lays out how the Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court decision gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 — and how modern voter suppression tactics have filled the vacuum it left. For us here in Selma, this isn’t just history. It’s the fight we’ve been in since 1965. And as we witnessed this past election day - it’s not over.

📅 July 30, 2026 | Virtual
📖 One Person, No Vote by Carol Anderson
🔗 RSVP: bit.ly/FSPBookClubJoin

SCHOLARSHIP: A limited number of scholarships are available for participants ages 18–45 with financial need. Apply by June 30 to receive the physical book by mail. After June 30, scholarship recipients receive the ebook.
Shake The Field

05/25/2026

Today we pause. We remember the men and women who gave everything — not just for a flag, but for the idea that freedom is worth fighting for. At Foot Soldiers Park, we know that legacy lives in every step forward. 🇺🇸

05/19/2026

‼️ ELECTION DAY UPDATE KNOW BEFORE YOU GO ‼️ Selma voters - many polling locations have changed - as recently as TODAY! Our CEC team is ready to help - whether you need to find your polling station or get a ride to the polls, WE GOT YOU!
NEED HELP OR A RIDE TO THE POLLS? CALL US 📞 334-349-5961
CHECK OUT OUR ELECTION GUIDE >> bit.ly/SelmaElectionGuide2026

05/18/2026

On the eve of election day, it's impossible to forget that the Supreme Court severely weakened the Voting Rights Act (VRA) last month – and the fallout has been quick. Alabama is already reverting back to an older congressional map with only one majority-Black district. That means the second majority-Black district – won just two years ago – is now in danger of being erased.

The governor has called for a special primary on August 11 covering four districts. Selma’s district remains safe for now, but the fight is far from over.

Our CEO Kimberly Smitherman wrote about the VRA ruling and what could come next.
🔗 bit.ly/VRAUpdatesBlog