"Bloody Sunday": Memories of a Civil Rights Prodigy

The SOMA Action Racial Justice Committee, South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race, and SOMA Justice will partner to bring Black History to life  through a virtual presentation and conversation with Civil Rights activist Joanne Bland.  Ms. Bland began her activism in 1961 at the age of 8, attending a freedom and voters' rights meeting presided over by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and later participated on the front lines at age 11 on "Bloody Sunday", March 7, 1965 crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge with John Lewis and others.  This virtual event is a  great opportunity for youth, as well as adults, to hear first-hand about this day and other historic events that took place on our country’s continuing journey towards racial equality.  Ms. Bland’s presentation will be followed by Q&A with participants.   If you are unfamiliar with John Lewis, or "Bloody Sunday" we recommend that you watch a documentary on the subject. "John Lewis: Good Trouble" is a film you  can rent or stream for a fee. You can also search for  "John Lewis" and or "Bloody Sunday Selma" on the internet.  Register here to participate.      

REGISTER in advance for this event:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event. 

   Joanne Bland

                  During her lifetime, Joanne Bland has been a witness and participant in some of our nation’s most consequential civil rights battles. She began her civil rights activism in the early 60s.   The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) activists organized Bland and other area children and teenagers to participate in the civil rights movement. In the front lines of the struggle, the young Bland marched on "Bloody Sunday" and "Turn Around Tuesday," and the first leg of the successful March from Selma to Montgomery, witnessing brutal  beatings of fellow marchers by police. By the time she was 11 years old Bland had been arrested 13 times. Ms. Bland’s early involvement in the struggle against “Jim Crow”,    American apartheid, has been the foundation for her civil and human rights work throughout her life. A much sought after speaker with a compelling personal story of civil rights  activism, Ms. Bland has presented at conferences and workshops from the Smithsonian in Washington, DC to the states Maine, Wisconsin, Vermont, Minnesota, Georgia,   Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Iowa, Mississippi, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, Oregon, Louisiana, California and, of course,  throughout Alabama. Currently, Mrs. Bland is owner and operator of Journeys For The Soul, a touring agency that specializes in educational tour on the Civil Rights tours with a major   focus on Selma, Alabama.