Freedom Journey Photos by Somerstein-SELMA to MONTGOMERY, 50 Years Ago Today

Freedom Journey 1965 Photographs of the march from Selma to Montgomery are on view at the NY Historical Soc.  Somerstein, then a student & photo editor at NY's City College took it upon himself to go to AL, and has documented one of the most important events in the civil rights movement; the most significant epoch in the 20thC. The 5 day, 54 mile march started with 3,000 people and and culminated with over 25,000 gathering around the capitol in Montgomery to listen to Dr. King & civil rights leaders. The intent was to establish equitable voting rights for blacks in the south.  This was a galvanizing event for civil rights, the struggle to obliterate segregation & establish equal rights for blacks under the law.  The most omnipotent photo is shot from behind Dr. King.  Only his silhouette is seen giving you his vantage. The majority of photos are black/white. Other significant civil rights leaders were captured in both pensive & relaxed moments:  Rosa Parks, James Baldwin, Bayard Rustin, Andrew Young & John Lewis.  Lewis is the only survivor who spoke alongside Dr. King.  I was struck by a photo of a smiling Joan Baez, standing defiantly alone in front of a line of AL police & the photo of blacks solemningly watching the marchers while seated beneath a billboard of a smiling white woman in a Coke ad.  Other poignant photos are of the people walking along the route waving Amer. flags with onlookers in the background. The expressions are a mixture of pride, uncertainty, awe  & jubilation.  I followed a class of 10 yr. olds.  The curator asked the students what they notice in the largest photo of the assembly on the state's capitol.  "The confederate flag is on top," said one boy.  The curator played a recording of the speech Dr. King gave at this momentous rally.  Listen for what Dr. King keeps repeating she tells the students.  "How long?  How long?"