Meet your guide, Terry Chestnut, a Selma native whose family has a direct connection to the city's Civil Rights history. Terry is the son of J.L. Chestnut Jr., Selma's first Black lawyer in the modern era and a prominent Civil Rights attorney who represented Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other activists during the Selma movement.
Learn about how J.L. Chestnut worked with Civil Rights organizations and served as legal counsel for activists and marchers during the historic Selma-to-Montgomery marches. Hear about how Terry grew up alongside his father's work and was personally present in Selma on March 7, 1965 — Bloody Sunday, when more than 600 peaceful voting-rights demonstrators attempted to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
Explore up to 25 major historical sites, bringing together Selma's African American history, Civil Rights landmarks, architectural heritage, and broader local history. Highlights can include Edmund Pettus Bridge, Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church, First Baptist Church, Selma Interpretive Center, George Washington Carver neighborhood, National Voting Rights Museum & Institute, Sturdivant Hall, Vaughan-Smitherman Museum, Old Depot Museum, Old Live Oak Cemetery, the historic St. James Hotel, and other significant locations throughout Selma.
The experience goes beyond simply visiting landmarks: Terry shares stories connected to his own family and his firsthand connection to Selma's history.
A special highlight of the premium tour is the opportunity to sit down and meet with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s former security guard/bodyguard, providing guests with an opportunity to hear personal stories and perspectives connected to Dr. King and the Civil Rights era.