Civil Rights March Home Movie

This is the footage that my father took of Civil Rights marchers in my hometown of Marion, Alabama, during February 1965. The exact date of this home movie is uncertain.

All the scenes take place around the town square, with Perry County Courthouse at the center and  Zion United Methodist Church across the street. You can also see the parking lot where journalists stood on the fateful night of February 18th, and Mack’s Cafe, the place where Jimmie Lee Jackson was shot by an Alabama state trooper. In Darkroom, I devote an entire chapter to these events. Here’s a blog entry that diagrams locations.

Because the film has poor resolution, the Mack’s Cafe sign is too blurry to read. A photograph published in The Anniston Star shows it clearly.

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