Slightly more than 49 years ago, James ‘Spider’ Martin, stood at the base of the Edumund Pettus Bridge and waited for a crowd of peaceful marchers to encounter a horde of state troopers and law enforcement.

The photos that were taken that fateful day are some of the most extraordinary images even taken in Dallas County. Decades later, photographer Jonathan Purvis returned to take picture of the protesters currently.

Many of us have heard or read about Bloody Sunday, but being able to see the images in person is truly a extraordinary experience. It’s been said many times, but seeing pictures of such a terrible event is truly worth a thousand words.

The photos are now on display at the Selma Interpretive Center and will be until April 4.

Some of the visitors said seeing the images in person were more meaningful than hearing a story. Perhaps, it’s also meaningful for the dozens of residents who lived in Selma during Bloody Sunday.

While the photos are on display, we would urge Selma and Dallas County residents to take advantage of the extraordinary opportunity to relive a piece of our history.

We celebrate the history each year with the Bridge Crossing Jubilee, but walking across a bridge isn’t the same as seeing documentation of what actually occurred.