By Blake Deshazo

The Selma Times-Journal

One hundred and fifty young adults will walk the same trail that civil rights activists did in 1965.

The National Park Service is hosting a week long walking classroom in March to teach people about the right to march and how the march from Selma to Montgomery led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 being passed.

“We want them to do the walk so they can actually see the physical part of it, and then also get to sleep outside and have the camping experience,” said Patricia Butts, who works with the National Park Service. “They will be marchers, and they will also journal and receive interpretive talks from park rangers and foot soldiers that took part in the march.”

The walking classroom will start on March 20 and go through March 25. One hundred and fifty youth participants between the ages of 18-25 will be selected to take part in the march.

Butts stressed the importance of getting the youth to participate.

“The youth were critical in the original march due to their involvement, so it would only be necessary to get them involved,” Butts said. “It is important to get them involved because of current events to let them know the importance of voter rights.”

The deadline for youth and general public participants to apply is Thursday, Jan. 15. Applications can be found online at www.nps.gov/semo and in the interpretive centers in Selma and White Hall. Butts said the people selected to participate would be notified by Jan. 30.

The event is free for youth participants with the exception of transportation to and from the event. Members of the public that participate are responsible for providing their own food and camping gear.

“It is a representative march of the 54 miles,” said Butts. “They won’t trek the full 54 miles.”

Butts said the NPS hopes people that participate in the walking classroom will take home a valuable lesson.

“We want the youth to go back to their respective communities and be a change agent, so they can get involved in what is going on in their communities,” Butts said. “They can share this experience through social media with the world, so maybe it can spark a light of fire for our future leaders.”