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Early Saturday morning, a multitude of foot soldiers made their way to Selma High School to take part in a recognition ceremony and a complimentary breakfast due to their unwavering dedication during the civil right movement that happened in 1965.

With various songs from the students of Miles College, who came from Fairfield, Alabama, the foot soldiers were welcomed and soon took their seats to enjoy the occasion ahead.

The Emcee for the event was Dr. Robert White, who is a well-known historian, teacher and author dedicated to the retelling of history and he said this year’s foot soldier’s breakfast was his first and one of many events during the 60th anniversary of the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee that he will remember forever.

“It was a pleasure and an honor to moderate the foot soldiers’ breakfast where I received a chance to meet so many different people and get a chance to grow from the experiences that they bring to the table,” White said. “So, it’s beautiful to see all of the people being from different backgrounds and diverse cultures and so forth come together in a spirit of unity to honor those that put their life on the line for the truth.”

Dan Webb, who as a native of Selma and a foot soldier shared his personal testimony as child during the event, exclusively to the Selma Times Journal Reporter Faith Callens, saying “As a child of the march, I was a foot soldier at the age of 11 years old in 1965 who stood with Dr. Martin Luther King.”

“So I consider myself a part of history, so much so that I travel here to Selma each year to witness this occasion,” Webb said. “And, I couldn’t miss the 60th anniversary of the Jubilee.”

Webb currently lives in El Paso, Texas and was at the foot soldiers’ breakfast with family and friends to commemorate the significant event.

“What I would tell people as I feel right now, as an 11-year-old child being part of the history, being born in Selma, I could not escape being a part of history. Living right behind Brown Chapel AME Church in GWC Homes, I would tell people not to miss this opportunity to become a part of history and even if it just means, witnessing these great events and some of the history and values that black people before them have done and gave contribute to within the history of Selma,” Webb said.

Like Webb, Kirk D. Carrington, is also one of the original foot soldiers who was involved with the civil rights movement in 1965 who marched from R.B. Hudson High School within the years of 1963, 1964 and 1965.

“The breakfast is really a reunion for all of us,” Carrington said. “Where we can come together and get a chance to see each other once again and talk about things that happened during the 60s and then see where we are today, because it looks like we still have to do this, do what we did back in the 60s.”

Carrington said that for generations to come, that the fight is still on and that they are still including in the fight and he said that they are fighting for their civil rights, the right to be just, be free and to not walk the same way twice, dealing with the troubles and things that are going on in America today.

In addition to both Webb and Carrington, there were several panelists who were foot soldiers telling their story and the difficult battles that they had to face during the Civil Rights Movement and what led to them to push for justice despite the deep adversity they faced back then.

“Two of the panelists of the breakfast were Attorney Charles Bonner, who was a part of the SNCC movement in Selma, and Bernard Lafayette, who is one of the founding members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee,” said White. “Including Sister Doris Tate-Cox, Brother Philip Hunter and so many other people who are responsible for the starting of the SNCC, who are at ground zero of the movement.”

White said Bonner, LaFayette and many others were just college students back then, fighting for justice and White said the perseverance from each member of the group back then, came from their energy that they had as young people wanting change and he said now that they are all seniors, they are still giving back, telling their truth and still standing within the front lines for justice with the same spirit that they had back then.