Campsite 4 -- City of St. Jude, Selma-Montgomery March NHT, Montgomery AL - National Scenic Byways on Waymarking.com

This sign of history is located in a small area in front of the City of St. Jude on W Fairview Ave /AL SH 21 on the west side of Montgomery.

The sign reads as follows:

"HEROE’S WELCOME

The ranks of marchers swelled enormously by the last leg of the trip on Wednesday, March 24, 1965. By the time they arrived at the last campsite, only 2 miles from the city limits at the Saint Jude complex, they were 10,000 strong. Dirty and disheveled, they slogged through a field of mud to reach the tents, their shelter for the night.

For the exhausted marchers, the welcome and hospitality they received from the local black community surrounding Saint Jude -- known as the Liberation Neighborhood -- was transforming. People ran from their homes, cheering wildly. Others opened their doors to complete strangers. Many brought out food, drink, or simply joined the throng. Marcher Richard Leonard recalled, “One could imagine how veterans returning from a foreign war might feel, in our time or in Caesar’s.”"

From NPPlan.com: (visit link)

"City of Saint Jude

This is the only campsite at which you can walk around, though it’s nothing more than a 36 acre Catholic Church community. This was the final campsite. The church was the only organization to allow marchers to stay on its property. As a result, the church lost many of its long time sponsors. Live entertainment was organized by Harry Bellefonte. Called the Stars for Freedom concert, Sammy Davis Jr., Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary, Tony Bennett, Frankie Laine, and Nina Simone performed."

Program: America's Byways Website: [Web Link] Official Name: Selma to Montgomery March Byway

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Date Logged Log   07/29/2017 Benchmark Blasterz visited it