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Faith Callens
The Selma Times-Journal

On Tuesday, Selma tour guide Terry Chestnut showcased Selma’s history through his own tour guide service called “Selma Historical Tours by Terry Chestnut,” to a group who traveled all the way from San Francisco, California.

Chestnut’s tour guide service this week led guests who traveled from “The Golden State” to Atlanta, then to Alabama to be right in the presence of history in the queen city.

Apart of this week’s tour was guest speaker Rabbi Adrianne Pasternak, Associate Director of Tzedek America, who spoke to the visiting youth group about Chestnut and the contribution he gives to Selma as a native in the city.

“Chestnut is born and raised in Selma,” Pasternak said, “and he is going to show us around the town, tell us what it was like to grow up here and what it was like to be a part of the civil rights movement including ‘Bloody Sunday,’ ‘Turn Around Tuesday’ and the march from Selma to Montgomery.”

Pasternak also told the youth Tuesday to gather for a photo right in front of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, as a way to kick off their tour.

After the photo, Chestnut told The Selma Times-Journal exclusively that he partners with Pasternak often for tours because she continuously brings youth to Selma from all over the country to educate them about the civil rights movement, being that they are an experiential education organization.

“We believe they can learn best when they walk in some of those footsteps, when they hear from people with lived experience, and that experience then will open their minds and help them to be more just in the future. They will be the people creating the future laws and the future systems, so it’s important for them to learn this history,” Pasternak said.

California-based youth pastor and educator Rondell Eskridge of Tzedek America was also a member of the tour group, who said he also tries to help the young adults of their group to understand the perspective of African Americans who were enslaved in Selma. While educating them about events leading up to the Civil Rights Movement, he said he speaks to the youth about subjects surrounding resiliency, education, and intelligence of Black people from the south.

“It’s really hard to understand American history, if you don’t understand southern history,” Eskridge said. “So being immersed in this, is life changing for any student that comes and we want to bring as many students as possible.”

Chestnut said during the tour that it was his pleasure and his honor Tuesday to tour the youth, Pasternak and Eskridge around Selma.

“I was raised by Selma’s first black attorney,” Chestnut said. “Attorney J.L. Chestnut Jr., who also represented Dr. King. When my father passed away, I wasn’t doing these tours out here in the community every day. Had he been here, he would be proud.”

Chestnut said through the “Selma Historical Tours”, he holds on to his father’s legacy piece by piece. He said when he takes the tour groups by the Dallas County courthouse that was in the film, “Selma”, which was named after his father and Attorney Bruce Boynton in 2021. He said “it always blows them away.” He said also during the tours, he takes guests to meet Rev. Benny Lee Tucker, who was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s bodyguard during the Selma marches.

Chestnut said on the tour Tuesday, he wanted to inform the youth of the truth behind several scenes of the film, “Selma”.

“Well, one of the scenes is Jimmy Lee Jackson being shot by an Alabama State Trooper named James Fowler. That did not happen in Selma, it happened in Marion, Alabama, Perry County Seat. According to the movie, his mother and grandfather ran in the restaurant and they quickly sat down as if they have been there a while. Little did they know that Alabama State Trooper James Fowler and a sheriff deputy were hot on their trails. Those two characters walked into that restaurant and they stood over Jimmy Lee Jackson’s mother, and Fowler, the state trooper said to her, “Get Up”. She didn’t move. He said again, “I said, Get Up,” and she acted like she didn’t hear him.  He pulled out a Billy club, and just as he’s about to hit her across the head, Jimmy Lee Jackson jumped up and blocked it.  That’s when he pulled out his pistol, according to the movie and shot Jimmy Lee Jackson twice in the abdomen and that is not true.”

Chestnut said the truth that lies in the civil rights movement about Jimmy Lee Jackson is that his mother and his grandfather was in Marion, Alabama, protesting on the behalf of Rev. James Orange, who had been locked up in the Perry County Jail.

“It had been rumored that he would be killed that night, so the marchers took to the streets on his behalf to try to save his life,” Chestnut said. “while marching and protesting, Jimmy Lee Jackson was approached by Alabama State Trooper James Fowler. They started talking and exchanging words and out of nowhere, that’s when he pulled up, pulled his pistol out and shot him twice in the abdomen. He was rushed back to Selma to the Good Samaritan Hospital, where he laid up for eight days and eight nights. Dr. Frederick Douglas Reese was the one who called Dr. Martin Luther King, saying that they have shot and killed our brother, Jimmy Lee Jackson and asked would you please come to Selma and help us? Dr. King honored that call and that’s what ignited the movement.”

Chestnut said through his tours, he is dedicated to teaching those who come to Selma, its history and the true meaning of touring, which is catered to learning and having fun at the same time.