55th Anniversary Selma to Montgomery Bicycle Ride

Last Saturday I was honored to take part in the 55th Anniversary Selma to Montgomery Bicycle Ride.  Hosted by the Montgomery Bicycle Club, it included nearly 600 riders from about 35 states.  We rode on the same route that protesters took in 1965 as they marched for voting rights.

The bicycles themselves have historical significance.  Many African-Americans used bicycles during the time of segregated public transportation, particularly during the bus boycotts of the Civil Rights era.

Additionally, many of the participants in last Saturday's ride came from Major Taylor cycling clubs from around the country.  The Major Taylor Cycling Association was created in honor of Marshall "Major" Taylor, who became the first African-American world cycling champion in 1899.  He was also the second black athlete to win a world championship in any sport.

Major Taylor wasn't allowed to race in the Jim Crow South during his career.  White cyclists refused to race against him and sometimes even attempted to injure him during races.  Therefore, Major Taylor helped pave the way for later civil rights champions.

I first heard about the Selma to Montgomery Ride last fall.  I really wanted to participate, but I had already committed to the annual Middle Georgia Epic race near my home.  Then, the Middle Georgia Epic was cancelled last month.  I had forgotten about the Selma to Montgomery Ride until Bruce Herbitter, the Alabama RBA, posted about pre-riding the route on the RUSA Facebook page.  Although the ride was already full, Bruce noted that people could send an e-mail to get on the waiting list.  I did so right away, and - lo and behold - the very next day someone contacted me about transferring her registration to me.  Yea!  I was in!

Last Friday after work, I drove about 3 hours and 15 minutes to Montgomery.  I picked up my registration materials and checked in my bicycle to be transported to Selma the next morning.  Then, I grabbed some dinner and went to a motel.

The next morning I rose bright and early to board one of several buses that would take the riders from Montgomery to the ride start in Selma.  We started loading about 6:00 AM and headed out at 7:00 AM.  A boxed breakfast was provided for the bus ride.

The ride started from the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the site of "Bloody Sunday."  On Sunday, March 7, 1965, marchers were attacked on this bridge as they set out for Montgomery.  John Lewis, now a U.S. Representative from Georgia, was nearly beaten to death that day.  The attack on marchers was broadcast across the nation and galvanized support for voting rights.

Two days later, March 9, 1965, was "Turnaround Tuesday."  1500 marchers, including many ministers, started the trek across the bridge again, singing "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around."  When they got to the site of Bloody Sunday, they knelt to pray.  Afterwards, the marchers were led back across the bridge to where they had started from Brown Chapel in Selma.  The full 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery began on March 21, 1965 and lasted five days.

We rode 51 miles last Saturday, beginning at the bridge.

The Edmund Pettus Bridge spans the Alabama River.  I couldn't help but also think about environmental justice.  The Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa river basin has been the source of a decades-old battle between Georgia and Alabama.  (Simultaneously, Georgia and Florida have been fighting over the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint basin.)  Such environmental disputes often give poor people and minorities the short end of the stick.

My goal on this ride was to observe and learn.  The first rest stop was about seven miles into the ride.  It was near the David Hall Farm, the site of the first campsite on the 1965 march.  The campsites were owned by people friendly to the movement.

The ride route then returned to U.S. Highway 80.  The weather was beautiful for February.  Although it was cold, especially early that morning, the sky was bright blue.  I rode mostly by myself, but my thoughts kept me company.

The main rest stop was the second one at the Lowndes Interpretive Center, about 22 miles in.  I went to the refreshment table and found one of the best rest stop items I've ever encountered: baked sweet potatoes!  These were small sweet potatoes, maybe four inches long and one or two inches in diameter.  Cinnamon and sugar were offered as toppings.  Rocket fuel!

I'm so used to trying to ride quickly and minimize rest stop time that I had to remind myself to savor this ride.  The Interpretive Center was open.  Therefore, I made a point to go inside.  I'm so glad I did.

John Lewis in the light colored coat in the foreground

I learned some new things on the ride.  First, although I was familiar with literacy tests being administered to African-Americans to prevent them from voting, I didn't realize how arbitrary and impossible they could be.  The Montgomery Bicycle Club included this example literacy test in our rider bags:

One totally new thing I learned about was Tent City.  Many white landowners evicted from their land the African-American tenant farmers who voted.  The Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) brought tents, cots, heaters, food, and water so that the evicted farmers could remain in Lowndes County.  These evicted families were displaced for up to two years.  The Lowndes Interpretive Center is on the site of Tent City.

Perhaps not coincidentally, on the drive to and from the ride, I listened to We Are Displaced by Malala Yousafzai.  This book opened my eyes to how many people in the world today are displaced - forced to leave their homes for survival - and some aren't even refugees.  (They might be internally displaced within their own countries, e.g.)  Our own American brothers and sisters were similarly displaced into Tent City during the Civil Rights era.

I continued on my ride.  For a little while I rode with a few riders from the Major Taylor club from New Jersey.  One of them, named Gina, had done the Metro Atlanta Cycling Club (MACC) One Love Century last year.  Gina and I talked about the delicious tomato wedges with garlic salt served at the One Love rest stops.  She was as taken with them as I was, even spreading the idea to another Mid-Atlantic charity ride!

For the last five or so miles, I rode with a nice guy named Jim.  He's 71 and served in the navy during Vietnam.  He's kind of like the Dale Vaughan of Montgomery.

Jim and I rolled into the finish together at the capitol in Montgomery.

Lunch was provided after the ride at the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Legacy Center.  The Legacy Center is adjacent to the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, which was the staging area for the final rally at the capitol in 1965.  After enjoying some delicious chili at the Legacy Center, I headed back to Monticello.  What a wonderful day it was!

The ride solidified how important voting rights are to me.  I registered to vote when I was 17 1/2 to make sure that I would be eligible for the fall elections held soon after my 18th birthday in 1988.  Since then, I have voted in every primary, general election, runoff, and special election in my voting district.  This year also marks the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage with the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  Today, voting rights are still under attack through such measures as purging of voter rolls and gerrymandering.  We must stick together to preserve our democratic ideals.  (That's democratic with a small "d," which you'd think all Americans could get behind.)

One day last week when it was cold and rainy, I did an indoor trainer ride on Zwift.  While I rode, I listened to some music from the Apple library.  As a bonus, the lyrics were displayed on the screen as the music played.  I listened to one of my favorite bands, Rush, including their song "A Farewell to Kings."  It struck me how pertinent the lyrics are to both the Civil Rights era and today:

A Farewell to Kings

Music: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart

Lyrics: Neil Peart

When they turn the pages of history
When these days have passed long ago
Will they read of us with sadness
For the seeds that we let grow
We turned our gaze
From the castles in the distance
Eyes cast down
On the path of least resistance

Cities full of hatred
Fear and lies
Withered hearts
And cruel, tormented eyes
Scheming demons
Dressed in kingly guise
Beating down the multitude
And scoffing at the wise

The hypocrites are slandering

The sacred halls of Truth
Ancient nobles showering
Their bitterness on youth
Can’t we find
The minds that made us strong
Can’t we learn
To feel what’s right and wrong

Cities full of hatred
Fear and lies
Withered hearts
And cruel, tormented eyes
Scheming demons
Dressed in kingly guise
Beating down the multitude
And scoffing at the wise
Can’t we raise our eyes
And make a start
Can’t we find the minds
To lead us closer to the Heart


Ride on!  And vote on!