Commission screens Selma-to-Montgomery documentary trailer and staff reports $3.6 million federal grant submitted for trail safety

The Montgomery Historic Preservation Commission previewed a trailer for a documentary on the March 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery march and discussed related preservation and trail work, while city staff reported that a $3,600,000 federal grant application was submitted to fund safety improvements on the trail corridor between St. Jude and downtown Montgomery.

The commission viewed a short trailer produced by a group identified as “65,” and members described efforts to collect first-person recollections from march participants and to promote a National Historic Trail feasibility study tied to the Selma-to-Montgomery route. Dr. Bailey, chair of the Historic Preservation Commission, said the project gathers oral histories and archival material to “recapture the moment” of the 1965 march and to ensure the stories are preserved as living memory fades.

Sean, staff member for the commission, told the commission the city recently submitted a Federal Lands Access Program grant application for $3,600,000 to fund safety improvements on the section of the trail between St. Jude’s and downtown. "The grant is for 3,600,000.0, and we should be hearing relatively soon if we've been successful," Sean said during the meeting.

Commissioners discussed the historical significance of the route, naming landmarks passed by the 1965 marchers including Oak Street, Hope Street, Mount Zion AME Zion Church, the federal courthouse near Montgomery Street, and the state capitol. Members emphasized the importance of documenting participants and descendants and suggested using markers and programming to keep the history visible as firsthand memory declines.

Commissioners and staff also noted that the trailer is available publicly on YouTube as a preview of a longer documentary. The commission asked staff to follow up with the documentary producers and with the grant's status once notification is received.

No formal action or vote was taken on the grant application or the documentary screening; the grant submission was reported as a staff update and the commission engaged in discussion and public-comment style recollections from attendees who had personal or family links to the 1965 events.

The commission said it will continue to coordinate with the group identified as "65," local stakeholders and the city council member who helped facilitate interviews, and will report back at a future meeting on any grant award or subsequent trail-planning steps.