Jubilee kicks off next weekend
Published 12:00 am Sunday, February 29, 2004
It’s that time of year again for people all across the country to gather together in Selma and celebrate one of the most historic moments in civil rights history.
Beginning on March 4 at 6 p.m., the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute will be kicking off it’s 11th annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee.
A reenactment of the first mass meeting at Tabernacle Baptist Church, with speaker F.D. Reese, marks the start of three days’ worth of activities leading to the crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
The following Friday will be filled with several different types of events for both adults and school-age children.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1220 Alabama Avenue, former Student Non-violent Coordination Committee members will discuss past experiences and changes for the future with Hip-Hop generation leaders.
Around this same time, junior and senior high school students will participate in the annual Invisible Giant Conference. This year students will watch a play performed by the great-grandson of Fredrick Douglas and his wife, along with cultural artist Jane Sapp and Congresswoman Maxine Waters. There will also be a &uot;Children’s Sojourn&uot; presentation at the Performing Arts Center and Slavery and Civil War Museum for students in elementary school.
The day will end with a 7:30 p.m. &uot;Who killed Jim Crow?&uot; mock trial at the Dallas County Courthouse.
The excitement continues on March 6 with the Jubilee Parade and Festival on Broad Street starting at
9 a.m.
A day of music, dancing, food, and family entertainment will fill the streets of Selma with plenty of activity. Musical acts-ranging from Hip-Hop and R&B to Blues-will perform on several different stages along Water Avenue.
There will also be a number of vendors selling food and cultural items for those in the mood to do some shopping.
Tickets for the Jubilee Festival are $5 in advance or $10 at the gate. Joanne Bland, tour director at the Voting Rights Museum, said people can purchase their advance tickets at the museum.
Jubilee reaches its conclusion with the Bridge Crossing Reenactment on March 7.
Walker said this year marks the 39th anniversary of the world famous Selma to Montgomery March. March 7, 1965, was the first march initiated to protest the death of Jimmy Lee Jackson in Marion.
Those expected to be involved in the crossing include Congressman John Lewis, Rep. Maxine Waters, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. C.T. Vivian, and hundreds of other foot soldiers who were involved in the voting rights movement.
For more information about any of these events, contact the National Voting Rights Museum at 418-0800 or e-mail at vorimus65@aol.com.