Attachment21_FoundationDocument.pdf

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Foundation Document Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail Alabama February 2015

Attachment21_FoundationDocument

Hayneville

White Hall

Selma

Montgomery

L O W N D E S M O N T G O M E R Y

Viola Liuzzo Memorial

Jonathan Daniels Memorial

Mount Gilliard Missionary Baptist

Church

Wright Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church

Lowndes County CourthouseOld Lowndes County Jail

H. Councill Trenholm State Technical College Archives

Campsite 2 Rosie Steele Farm March 22

Campsite 3 Robert

Gardner Farm March 23

Campsite 4 City of Saint Jude

March 24

Campsite 1 David Hall Farm

March 21 Dallas County/Lowndes County line

Lowndes Interpretive Center Site of Tent City

BUS

Alabama River

Bi g S w amp Creek

Pint la la Creek

C atoma Creek ver

Tal lapoosa River

Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail

See detail map at right

See detail map at left

North 2 3 4 5 Kilometers10

0 4 5 Miles1 2 3

1 st A venue

First Baptist Church

Brow n Chapel A .M .E. Church

Public Safety Building

Sullivan Building

Dallas County Court House

Edmund Pettus Bridge

George W ashington

Carver Homes

Old Depot M useum

National Voting Rights M useum and Institute

M emorial Park

Site of attack on Rev. James Reeb

Tabernacle Baptist Church

Site of Good Samaritan Hospital

Clark Elementary

School

A L A B A M

A R I V E R

Park Contact Station

Jef f Da vis A venue

Voeglin A venue

W ater

B ro a d S t r e e t

B ro a d

S t r e e t

W ashington

Frank lin G reen

Law rence

M art in Luther K ing, Jr Street

(Sylvan Street in 1 965 )

Lauderda le

C hurch

A labama

Selma

Da llas Park man

Fur niss A venue

M a rch 9, 1965

Turnaround Tuesday prayer site

M a rch 7, 1965

Bloody Sunday confrontation site

M a rch 21–25, 1965 Voting Rights M arch

BUS

N o r t h

0.2 K ilometer0.10

0 0.2 M ile0.1

Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail

Contents Mission of the National Park Service 1

Introduction 2

Part 1: Core Components 3

Brief Description of the Trail 3 Trail Purpose 6 Trail Significance 7 Fundamental Resources and Values 8

Story of the Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights Marches 8

Partnerships and Collaboration with Trail Partners and Local Communities 8

Commemorating the Important Sites Associated with the Selma Voting Rights Movement 9

Objects in the Museum Collection 9

Oral Histories and Archives 10

Historic Site of Tent City 10

Interpretive Themes 11

Part 2: Dynamic Components 12

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments 12 Assessment of Planning and Data Needs 12

Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values 12

Identification of Key Issues and Associated Planning and Data Needs 26

Planning and Data Needs 27

Part 3: Contributors 32

Workshop Participants 32 Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail 32 Other NPS Staff 33

Appendixes 34

Appendix A: Trail Study Act and Enabling Legislation for the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail 34

Appendix B: Brief History of the Selma Voting Rights Movement Developed for the National Historic Trail Study – 1993 36

A Promise Broken 37

The Selma Voting Rights Movement 38

Marching to Montgomery 39

Appendix C: Inventory of Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments 44

Appendix D: Past and Ongoing Trail Planning and Data Collection Efforts 46

Mission of the National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.

The NPS core values are a framework in which the National Park Service accomplishes its mission. They express the manner in which, both individually and collectively, the National Park Service pursues its mission. The NPS core values are:

· Shared stewardship: We share a commitment to resource stewardship with the global preservation community.

· Excellence: We strive continually to learn and improve so that we may achieve the highest ideals of public service.

· Integrity: We deal honestly and fairly with the public and one another.

· Tradition: We are proud of it; we learn from it; we are not bound by it.

· Respect: We embrace each other’s differences so that we may enrich the well-being of everyone.

The National Park Service is a bureau within the Department of the Interior. While numerous national park system units were created prior to 1916, it was not until August 25, 1916, that President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act formally establishing the National Park Service.

The national park system continues to grow and comprises 401 units covering more than 84 million acres in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. These units include, but are not limited to, national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers, national historic trails, and the White House. The variety and diversity of units throughout the nation require a strong commitment to resource stewardship and management to ensure both the protection and enjoyment of these resources for future generations.

The arrowhead was authorized as the official National Park Service emblem by the Secretary of the Interior on July 20, 1951. The sequoia tree and bison represent vegetation and wildlife, the mountains and water represent scenic and recreational values, and the arrowhead represents historical and archeological values.

Introduction Every unit of the national park system will have a foundational document to provide basic guidance for planning and management decisions—a foundation for planning and management. The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park unit as well as the park unit’s purpose, significance, fundamental resources and values, and interpretive themes. The foundation document also includes special mandates and administrative commitments, an assessment of planning and data needs that identifies planning issues, planning products to be developed, and the associated studies and data required for park unit planning. Along with the core components, the assessment provides a focus for park unit planning activities and establishes a baseline from which planning documents are developed.

A primary benefit of developing a foundation document is the opportunity to integrate and coordinate all kinds and levels of planning from a single, shared understanding of what is most important about the park unit. The process of developing a foundation document begins with gathering and integrating information about the park unit. Next, this information is refined and focused to determine what the most important attributes of the park unit are. The process of preparing a foundation document aids park unit managers, staff, and the public in identifying and clearly stating in one document the essential information that is necessary for park unit management to consider when determining future planning efforts, outlining key planning issues, and protecting resources and values that are integral to park unit purpose and identity.

This foundation document was developed using public input. Through July to August 2014, the National Park Service asked the public to provide feedback on the importance of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail and to provide input concerning the threats to and/or opportunities for visitor experiences, interpretation, and resource protection. Comments were collected using the NPS park planning website and by holding three public open houses in Selma, Lowndes County, and Montgomery on July 12 and 14, 2014, where NPS staff recorded public feedback in person. The National Park Service announced the foundation process and invited public input using local and regional news media in a series of press releases as well as through social media. Public feedback received was summarized in a public comment report used in the foundation workshop held on July 15–17, 2014, and referenced during the development of this document.

While not included in this document, a park unit atlas is also part of a foundation project. The atlas is a series of maps compiled from available geographic information system (GIS) data on natural and cultural resources, visitor use patterns, facilities, and other topics. It serves as a GIS-based support tool for planning and park unit operations. The atlas is published as a (hard copy) paper product and as geospatial data for use in a web mapping environment. The park unit atlas for Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail can be accessed online at:

http://insideparkatlas.nps.gov/.

http://insideparkatlast.nps.gov/

Part 1: Core Components The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park unit, park unit purpose, significance statements, fundamental resources and values, and interpretive themes. These components are core because they typically do not change over time. Core components are expected to be used in future planning and management efforts.

Brief Description of the Trail The Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail (the Trail), in central Alabama, was established by Congress in 1996 to commemorate the routes, people, places, and events significantly linked to the Selma voting rights movement and the three voting rights marches that took place in 1965. The voting rights marches include the first march that resulted in “Bloody Sunday” (March 7, 1965), the second march that is also known as “Turnaround Tuesday” (March 9, 1965), and the final Selma to Montgomery voting rights march (March 21– 25, 1965). Collectively, these three marches are referred to as the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches throughout this document. The Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail is a component of the National Trails System and is administered by the National Park Service.

The US Department of Transportation designated US Highway 80 (the primary section of the national historic trail) a National Scenic Byway and All-American Road. US Highway 80 is further recognized as an Alabama State Scenic Highway. The Federal Highway Administration is a key partner with the National Park Service in interpreting and protecting this historic route.

The 54-mile-long national historic trail begins at the Brown Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church in Selma and then follows the 1965 historic routes of the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches through the city and eastward along US Highway 80 through Dallas County and Lowndes County. Crossing into Montgomery County, the Trail continues into the city of Montgomery and ends at the Alabama State Capitol. Interpretive centers are located in Selma and White Hall (midway along the route in Lowndes County) and a third center is scheduled for development in Montgomery to provide visitor services and interpretation of the national historic trail and the story of the Selma voting rights movement. A detailed history of the Selma voting rights movement was developed for the 1993 Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail Study, and is included in appendix B.

The 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches are recognized as a pivotal event among the campaigns for human rights in the United States. Occurring at the height of the modern civil rights movement that gained momentum in the 1950s, the marches and the critical events associated with them brought voting rights issues to the forefront of the national political agenda.

Bolstered by the landmark Civil Rights Act of the previous year, the voting rights marches and the Voting Rights Act that the marches engendered profoundly raised Americans’ consciousness about the struggle of African Americans for equal rights.

African Americans made up half of the Dallas County, Alabama, voting population during the 1960s. Since 1901, however, the county and state systematically denied them the right to vote by imposing literacy tests, poll taxes, and other tactics of intimidation and harassment. In 1961 only 156 of the county’s 15,000 voting age African Americans were registered to vote. During the early 1960s the Dallas County seat of Selma became the center of the Selma voting rights movement that built on the grassroots voter registration efforts initiated decades earlier by the Dallas County Voters League. By 1963 these efforts received the organizational support of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), headed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., also lent support in early 1965. Dr. King, John Lewis of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and other organizers led a series of marches and demonstrations in efforts to register African American voters at the Dallas County Courthouse. County Sheriff Jim Clark and his department violently suppressed the demonstrations. These struggles and the February 18 shooting death of Jimmie Lee Jackson, a young voting rights demonstrator, by a state trooper in Marion, Alabama, galvanized broad-based support and inspired an organized protest march on the state capitol.

On March 7, 1965, despite a ban on protest marches by Governor George Wallace, some 600 nonviolent civil rights marchers and activists left Selma and headed toward the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery. Leading the march were the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Hosea Williams and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee’s John Lewis. When marchers crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge over the Alabama River they confronted scores of Alabama state troopers and the county sheriff’s posse, many mounted on horseback. Major John Cloud ordered the marchers to disperse. One minute later, troopers were ordered to advance, tear gassing and beating marchers with nightsticks and other weapons. The violence left many of the marchers bloodied and severely injured, and was captured by televised news media and broadcast worldwide. The event, known as “Bloody Sunday,” prompted widespread outrage and drew Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Selma to lead a second “symbolic” march on March 9, 1965. Known as “Turnaround Tuesday,” nearly 3,200 marchers reached the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge where they stopped at the scene of the previous Sunday’s confrontation. After a short prayer session, the marchers returned to Selma, obeying a court order issued by Federal District Court Judge Frank Johnson barring them from continuing on to Montgomery until a hearing could be held.

The court order curtailing the march to the Alabama State Capitol was subsequently rescinded by Judge Johnson after President Lyndon Johnson, in a joint address to Congress on March 15, expressed strong support for passage of a voting rights bill. March organizers seized the opportunity and prepared plans to conduct a monumental trek to Montgomery. Thousands of marchers from across the country, of many races and faiths, set out from Selma on Sunday, March 21 to demonstrate for the guaranteed right to vote. Now under the protection of US Army troops and federalized members of the Alabama National Guard, the marchers continued past the previous point of confrontation. Their numbers were reduced by agreement to 300 on the second day of the march and increased to 10,000 on the fourth day heading to the City of St. Jude.

March participants successfully completed the 54-mile trek over five days, enduring rain and chilling weather conditions. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee organized the logistics for the march, providing food, water, sanitation, and other services for the marchers who averaged about 12 miles a day and camped out four nights along the way.

On the last night of the march, the City of St. Jude opened its doors to the marchers allowing their grounds to be used as the final campsite. It was also at this location that a rousing concert organized by entertainer and activist Harry Belafonte uplifted the weary marchers and energized them as they embarked on the final four miles of their historic journey the following day. At this point the number of marchers swelled to more than 25,000 as the march concluded in Montgomery on March 25. Among the many notable speakers who addressed the crowd at a rally that day near the capitol building was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who delivered one of his most memorable speeches.

The final success of the Selma to Montgomery voting rights march was a personal triumph for those who participated in the historic events that significantly influenced President Johnson’s signing of the Voting Rights Act only five months later on August 6, 1965. The act empowered the federal government to enforce compliance with laws establishing the legal right to vote for all Americans, helping fulfill the promise made a century earlier with passage of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, and by the 19th Amendment of 1920 that granted women the right to vote.

In many respects, the cultural landscape associated with the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail along the US Highway 80 corridor continues to reflect patterns of agrarian land use that existed from the time of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches. Despite some changes and development pressures, features that contribute to this landscape (e.g., row crop fields, pastures, woodlots) remain largely intact, enhancing the Trail’s historic setting, feeling, and cultural associations.

Several surviving historic buildings, structures, and sites are also intimately associated with the national historic trail including the Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church in Selma (the starting point for the voting rights marches and designated a national historic landmark in 1982); the First Baptist Church (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee headquarters during the Selma voting rights movement); the Edmund Pettus Bridge which includes the “Bloody Sunday” confrontation site (designated a national historic landmark in 2013); the Dallas County Court House (the destination for the majority of the marches during the Selma voting rights movement); “Tent City” in White Hall; four camp sites along the march route (notably the City of Saint Jude, a Catholic social services complex that was the site of the last encampment and the “Stars for Freedom” rally); the Alabama State Capitol; and the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery (staging area for the concluding rally).

Today, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail stands as an enduring testament to the long struggle and sacrifices made by many individuals to preserve the right to vote as a fundamental cornerstone of American democracy.

Trail Purpose The purpose statement identifies the specific reason(s) for establishment of a particular park unit. The purpose statement for Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail was drafted through a careful analysis of its enabling legislation and the legislative history that influenced its development. The Trail was established when the enabling legislation adopted by Congress was signed into law on November 12, 1996 (see appendix A for enabling legislation). The purpose statement lays the foundation for understanding what is most important about the Trail.

The Selma to montgomery national HiStoric trail commemorates the events of the Selma voting rights movement, the people, the places, and the routes of the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches of 1965.

Through partnerships and collaboration, the Trail interprets and preserves the important stories of the

Selma voting rights movement, inspiring all citizens to be vigilant in protecting their constitutional rights.

Trail Significance Significance statements express why a park unit’s resources and values are important enough to merit designation as a unit of the national park system. These statements are linked to the purpose of Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, and are supported by data, research, and consensus. Statements of significance describe the distinctive nature of the park unit and why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context.

They focus on the most important resources and values that will assist in park unit planning and management.

The following significance statements have been identified for Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail. (Please note that the sequence of the statements does not reflect the level of significance.)

1. Media coverage of the violent confrontation between law enforcement officers and members of the civil rights movement on March 7, 1965, now known as “Bloody Sunday,” followed by the minister’s march on March 9, also called “Turnaround Tuesday,” and the final Selma to Montgomery voting rights march on March 21–25, 1965, brought the issue of voting rights to the forefront of national consciousness and through nonviolent protest won broad support for the cause of civil rights in America.

2. Undaunted by the events of “Bloody Sunday” and protected by a federal court order issued on March 17, 1965, as well as the US Army and members of the National Guard, courageous citizens, local leaders, and civil rights groups participated in the final Selma to Montgomery voting rights march affirming the constitutional rights to peacefully protest afforded to all Americans.

3. The results of the Selma voting rights movement and Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches were an important catalyst in the passage of the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965, which reinforced and protected the legal right to vote for qualified Americans, changing political life in the United States and throughout the South, especially in Alabama’s black belt.

4. Covering 54 miles through Dallas, Lowndes, and Montgomery Counties in Alabama, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail works through partnerships to protect the many places and landscapes that provide opportunities for reflecting on and connecting to the events of the Selma voting rights movement.

5. Although the civil rights movement was nonviolent, many suffered from the violent opposition to change and some were even murdered as a result of the struggle to affirm the right to vote. These deaths galvanized broad support before, during, and after the marches of the Selma voting rights movement in Alabama, and are commemorated along the Trail today.

6. Following the passage of the Voting Rights Act, exercising the hard-fought right to cast a ballot often had consequences and hardships for African Americans. In Lowndes County many tenant farmers were evicted for exercising their right to vote leading to the creation of a tent city—temporary housing, where families lived and struggled together for more than two years.

7. As one of the most pivotal civil rights protests in American history, the Selma voting rights movement in Alabama that resulted in the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches not only changed the nation but served as both a model and inspiration for other nonviolent movements throughout the world.

Fundamental Resources and Values Fundamental resources and values (FRVs) are those features, systems, processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or other attributes determined to warrant primary consideration during planning and management processes because they are essential to achieving the purpose of the park unit and maintaining its significance. Fundamental resources and values are closely related to a park unit’s legislative purpose and are more specific than significance statements.

Fundamental resources and values help focus planning and management efforts on what is truly significant about the park unit. One of the most important responsibilities of NPS managers is to ensure the conservation and public enjoyment of those qualities that are essential (fundamental) to achieving the purpose of the park unit and maintaining its significance. If fundamental resources and values are allowed to deteriorate, the park unit purpose and/or significance could be jeopardized.

The following fundamental resources and values have been identified for Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail:

Story of the Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights Marches The stories of the events leading to, during, and resulting from the three Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches are fundamental to the national historic trail. The individuals and groups that organized, supported, and participated in these events and marches demonstrated unparalleled determination, valor, sacrifice, and hope. This grassroots campaign for human rights is considered to be a high point of the modern civil rights movement. The importance of this story is reflected in the fact that the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail was established only 30 years after these events. This timely designation was driven by the national significance of the Selma voting rights movement and by the strong voices of many of the individuals who witnessed and participated in these historic events. Those voices are just as powerful today, telling this important story and continuing to share its meaning with all.

Partnerships and Collaboration with Trail Partners and Local Communities Collaborating with local community members and groups in commemorating, raising awareness, and preserving the history of the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches is essential to the Trail. Through partnerships with local churches, friends groups, universities, cities, counties, and the state of Alabama, the rich history and important lessons of the Selma voting rights movement are shared. In particular, these partnerships make connections between those who were directly involved in the march and the youth of today. These partnerships are essential to sharing the history and legacy of the march with the American people.

Commemorating the Important Sites Associated with the Selma Voting Rights Movement The many historic places and landscapes associated with the marches are essential to commemorating and connecting visitors to the historic events of the three Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches. These places of reflection include sites along the route of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail as well as other sites associated with the voting rights struggle but not directly along the Trail. Some of the most recognized and iconic places include: the Edmund Pettus Bridge, US Highway 80, St. Jude Complex, Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church, Alabama State Capitol, campsites, and Viola Liuzzo Memorial. Historic sites, wayside signage, and markers provide an opportunity to interpret the very personal stories and experiences of those who participated in the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches. Although the national historic trail does not manage or own any of these important sites, these places are essential to commemorating the events and people associated with the struggle for voting rights.

Objects in the Museum Collection The museum collection consists of nearly 500 objects and artifacts associated with the historic events of the Selma voting rights movement and Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches.

Many of these objects are remarkable because of their direct connection to individuals that participated in the Selma voting rights movement in Alabama, and their direct association with the historic events of the marches. The collection is largely composed of personal items donated to the national historic trail by march participants. Highlights of the collection include:

· The May Collection is one of the more extensive collections containing a variety of materials: 21 black and white photographs showing scenes related to the civil rights movement; ephemera; archival materials (magazines, catalogs, programs; newspaper clippings, and reel- to- reel recordings; and textiles [clothing and accessories, an American flag, head-wear]).

· The Debbie Carter Richbourg Collections, contains several artifacts relating to Percyvil Todd and his imprisonment for murder at the federal penitentiary in Atlanta from 1920 to 1925 and his death at the hands of the police in Selma in 1925. Ms. Richbourg rescued this material from an individual’s trash in Selma.

· The Ronnie Carr Collection consists of two anti-march and anti-civil rights materials:

a booklet entitled “Sex and Civil Rights: The True Selma Story” and a booklet entitled, “Night Riders: The Inside Story of the Liuzzo Killing.”

· The Jimmy Johnson Collection consists of a scrapbook and other items including Ku Klux Klan uniforms (belts, pants, shirts, white robe and hood, and sash).

· The Robert L. Taylor Collection contains historic photographs and photographic recordings.

· The LaShanda Lee Collection includes a Ku Klux Klan uniform.

Between 2004 and early 2005, the National Park Service purchased all objects on display in the Lowndes Interpretative Center. Objects range from furniture and clothing to cameras and household items. Toys, books, a pew and a gas mask were also purchased. Additional civil rights memorabilia include a March 19, 1965, Life magazine featuring the voting rights march.

These objects serve as a physical record of the history of the Selma voting rights movement and support interpretive programs and exhibits at the Selma and Lowndes County interpretive centers. Objects not on display are stored at the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site’s Collection Management Center.

Oral Histories and Archives The oral histories and archives are tangible links to the voices of the Selma voting rights movement. These archives contain approximately 100 items and largely consist of oral histories, manuscripts, and personal accounts from those who participated in the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches. Media coverage, newspaper headlines, and photography were key tools used to raise national attention and support for the Selma voting rights movement and are an important part of these archives. The oral histories and archives are essential to preserving the voices of those who witnessed and participated in these historic events and to understanding the struggle for voting rights. These resources also support interpretive programs and exhibits at interpretive centers in Selma and Lowndes County.

Historic Site of Tent City Portions of the historic site of Tent City in Lowndes County, Alabama, are situated within the boundary of the Lowndes Interpretive Center. The site represents the political and social retribution that local African Americans faced as a result of exercising their constitutional rights protected by the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. White landowners retaliated against hundreds of tenant farmers for registering, voting, or engaging in any civil rights activities, throwing them off the white landowners’ lands as they exercised their constitutional rights. Tent City was developed to house displaced families, who lived on the site for more than two years. The site of Tent City is now used as public space with picnic tables and shelters, walking paths, interpretive displays, parking areas, and the interpretive center itself.

Interpretive Themes Interpretive themes are often described as the key stories or concepts that visitors should understand after visiting a park unit—they define the most important ideas or concepts communicated to visitors about a park unit. Themes are derived from, and should reflect, park unit purpose, significance, resources, and values. The set of interpretive themes is complete when it provides the structure necessary for park unit staff to develop opportunities for visitors to explore and relate to all park unit significance statements and fundamental resources and values.

Interpretive themes are an organizational tool that reveal and clarify meaning, concepts, contexts, and values represented by park unit resources. Sound themes are accurate and reflect current scholarship and science. They encourage exploration of the context in which events or natural processes occurred and the effects of those events and processes. Interpretive themes go beyond a mere description of the event or process to foster multiple opportunities to experience and consider the park unit and its resources. These themes help explain why a park unit story is relevant to people who may otherwise be unaware of connections they have to an event, time, or place associated with the park unit.

The following interpretive themes have been identified for Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail:

· The events resulting in the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches significantly influenced the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which empowered citizens previously denied the right to vote. The Voting Rights Act continues to change the political, economic, educational, and social fabric of American society.

· Although those opposing change tried to maintain the status quo through intimidation and violence, many more committed individuals, working together, fought against racism, fear, and hatred, often risking their lives and livelihoods to bring about vast change by ensuring the right to vote for present and future generations.

· The efforts of those individuals involved in the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches are part of the long continuum within the civil and human rights struggle, a struggle that continues today.

· The historic places, cultural landscapes, and natural environments along the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail served as the backdrop for and provide a window into the social, economic, and legal systems that resulted in the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches, images of which shaped the national reaction and response, and memory of the civil rights movement.

· Through the use of nonviolent protest during the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches, ordinary people worked to mobilize and sustain the modern civil rights movement, one of the most recognized and well organized nonviolent protests, that continues to serve as an example for other worldwide democratic movements.

Part 2: Dynamic Components The dynamic components of a foundation document include special mandates and administrative commitments and an assessment of planning and data needs. These components are dynamic because they will change over time. New special mandates can be established and new administrative commitments made. As conditions and trends of fundamental resources and values change over time, the analysis of planning and data needs will need to be revisited and revised, along with key issues. Therefore, this part of the foundation document will be updated accordingly.

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments Many management decisions for a park unit are directed or influenced by special mandates and administrative commitments with other federal agencies, state and local governments, utility companies, partnering organizations, and other entities. Special mandates are requirements specific to a park unit that must be fulfilled. Mandates can be expressed in enabling legislation, in separate legislation following the establishment of the park unit, or through a judicial process. They may expand on park unit purpose or introduce elements unrelated to the purpose of the park unit. Administrative commitments are, in general, agreements that have been reached through formal, documented processes, often through memorandums of agreement. Examples include easements, rights-of-way, arrangements for emergency service responses, etc. Special mandates and administrative commitments can support, in many cases, a network of partnerships that help fulfill the objectives of the park unit and facilitate working relationships with other organizations. They are an essential component of managing and planning for Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail.

For more information about the existing administrative commitments for Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, please see appendix B. There are no special mandates for Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail.

Assessment of Planning and Data Needs Once the core components of part 1 of the foundation document have been identified, it is important to gather and evaluate existing information about the park unit’s fundamental resources and values, and develop a full assessment of the park unit’s planning and data needs.

The assessment of planning and data needs section presents planning issues, the planning projects that will address these issues, and the associated information requirements for planning, such as resource inventories and data collection, including GIS data.

There are three sections in the assessment of planning and data needs:

1. analysis of fundamental resources and values

2. identification of key issues and associated planning and data needs

3. identification of planning and data needs (including spatial mapping activities or GIS maps)

The analysis of fundamental resources and values and identification of key issues leads up to and supports the identification of planning and data collection needs.

Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values The fundamental resource or value analysis table includes current conditions, potential threats and opportunities, planning and data needs, and selected laws and NPS policies related to management of the identified resource or value.

Fundamental Resource or Value

Story of the Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights Marches

Related Significance Statements

• Media coverage of the violent confrontation between law enforcement officers and members of the civil rights movement on March 7, 1965, now known as “Bloody Sunday,” followed by the minister’s march on March 9, also called “Turnaround Tuesday,” and the final Selma to Montgomery voting rights march on March 21–25, 1965, brought the issue of voting rights to the forefront of national consciousness and through nonviolent protest won broad support for the cause of civil rights in America.

• Undaunted by the events of “Bloody Sunday” and protected by a federal court order issued on March 17, 1965, as well as the US Army and members of the National Guard, courageous citizens, local leaders, and civil rights groups participated in the final Selma to Montgomery voting rights march affirming the constitutional rights to peacefully protest afforded to all Americans.

• The results of the Selma voting rights movement and Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches were an important catalyst in the passage of the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965, which reinforced and protected the legal right to vote for qualified Americans, changing political life in the United States and throughout the South, especially in Alabama’s black belt.

• Although the civil rights movement was nonviolent, many suffered from the violent opposition to change and some were even murdered as a result of the struggle to affirm the right to vote. These deaths galvanized broad support before, during, and after the marches of the Selma voting rights movement in Alabama, and are commemorated along the Trail today.

• As one of the most pivotal civil rights protests in American history, the Selma voting rights movement in Alabama that resulted in the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches not only changed the nation but served as both a model and inspiration for other nonviolent movements throughout the world.

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• The story of the civil rights movement and the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches in Alabama is told at numerous sites and places. The National Park Service currently operates two interpretive centers (Selma and White Hall) and a third in Montgomery is scheduled to be built. Non-NPS facilities include: the National Voting Rights Museum, Old Depot Museum, Rosa Parks Museum, Civil Rights Memorial, Civil Rights Museum, and Dexter Parsonage Museum.

• Many local universities and institutions are involved in researching, collecting, archiving, and preserving the personal stories and material artifacts related to the stories of the civil rights movement and the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches.

• Many of the participants and witnesses of the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches are currently active in telling their stories and adding to the body of research and knowledge associated with the history of the civil rights movement.

Trends

• With the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches and the commemoration of the passage of the Voting Rights Act, there is increased interest in telling these stories at the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail.

• Participants and witnesses of the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches are getting older and many have passed away.

Fundamental Resource or Value

Story of the Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights Marches

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• The story of the civil rights movement is not adequately told in school programs or incorporated into school curriculum. Currently, school programs related to the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail are small in scale, focusing on the subject for one day at the most.

• Civil rights movement participants and witnesses are getting older, and we are losing this firsthand connection to these historically significant events.

• Capturing the interest of younger generations is a challenge.

• Inaccurate information being disseminated about the events surrounding the Selma voting rights movement distorts the important stories that need to be told.

Opportunities

• Bring youth to the stories of the Trail through field trips and by working with local school systems. A systematic approach for field trips and curriculum is needed in order to effectively engage youth through the local school systems.

• Conduct teacher workshops to give local teachers the knowledge and interest they need in order to teach their students about the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches.

The Trail needs to reach out to teachers and schools to let them know there are resources available to them and their students.

• The role of music in the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches needs to be researched and interpreted. This is another opportunity to creatively engage youth as there are examples of children singing during the march. Possibly create an online music station that plays music from the civil rights movement and allows individuals to interact by creating their own music.

• Create a task force to build on the work done during the foundation document process. This task force could include both NPS staff and partnerships and would be responsible for following up on many of the ideas and discussions that occurred during the workshop.

• Social media and new technology can be better used to capture the attention and connect with younger generations. Keeping up with the latest technology is an important strategy to effectively provide information on the Trail and engage new visitors.

• Partnerships with museums, organizations, groups, and universities could be used to effectively and accurately tell the story of the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches.

Data and/or GIS Needs

• Historic resource study of the entire Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail.

• Inventory and collect oral histories.

Planning Needs

• Comprehensive exhibit plan (all three visitor centers on the Trail).

• Comprehensive wayside signage plan.

• Ethnographic overview and assessment.

• Site design / exhibit plan for the Montgomery Visitor Center.

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV

• Executive Order 11593, “Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment”

• Executive Order 13287, “Preserve America”

• Executive Order 13352, “Facilitation of Cooperative Conservation”

NPS Policy-level Guidance (NPS Management Policies 2006 and Director’s Orders)

• Director’s Order 6: Interpretation and Education

• Director’s Order 17: National Park Service Tourism

• Director’s Order 32: Cooperating Associations

• Director’s Order 75A: Civic Engagement and Public Involvement

Fundamental Resource or Value

Partnerships and Collaboration with Trail Partners and Local Communities

Related Significance Statements

• Covering 54 miles through Dallas, Lowndes, and Montgomery Counties in Alabama, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail works through partnerships to protect the many places and landscapes that provide opportunities for reflecting on and connecting to the events of the Selma voting rights movement.

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• The National Park Service partners with and works in collaboration with multiple friends groups, museums, universities, churches, cities, counties, the state of Alabama, and other organizations on a variety of tasks aimed at connecting people to the historic sites and stories of the Selma voting rights movement.

Trends

• With the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches and the commemoration of the passage of the Voting Rights Act, there is increased interest in working with the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail.

Threats

Threats

• Younger generations are not keenly aware of the voting rights movement and the impacts it has on their lives. Connections to this history need to be strengthened in order to build the next generation of Trail partners and community support.

• Parties involved in partnerships need to be in agreement in order for collaborations to be successful. Part of this issue is the need to verify information as listed previously.

• Jurisdictional roles and responsibilities, such as law enforcement, are not clearly defined.

The Trail currently has good relationships with local communities; however, official agreements are not in place.

• Future development could threaten the integrity of the Trail and the ability to effectively tell the story of the marches. This challenge requires coordination and collaboration as the National Park Service does not own land along the Trail except for the Lowndes Interpretive Center, making it imperative to work with partners and land owners.

Easements are a key way to protect the Trail from development.

Fundamental Resource or Value

Partnerships and Collaboration with Trail Partners and Local Communities

Opportunities

Opportunities

• Coordination with scenic byway groups could provide additional support and interpretation for the national historic trail.

• Work with the Alabama State Historical Preservation Office as new bridges are built along US Highway 80 as there may be funding opportunities for easements with this construction work. This coordination needs to occur as soon as possible in order to protect historic landscapes by creating easements with private landowners.

• Need to identify the principal individuals who were involved in the Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches and the Selma voting rights movement. Need to seek out their expertise and experiences to be able to share this knowledge with younger generations in order to connect them to the Trail and this important history.

• Develop partnerships that focus on younger generations in order to work with youth and engage them in meaningful and creative ways. Determining who the foot soldiers of the marches were and who their grandchildren are may be a good way to make connections.

• Need to recognize the contribution of the youth who were involved in the marches and Selma voting rights movement and interpret these experiences to today’s youth.

Data and/or GIS Needs

• Inventory and collect oral histories.

• Establish friends group and partners agreements (memorandums of understanding and memorandums of agreement).

• Historic resource study of the entire Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail.

• Trail partner action strategy.

Planning Needs

• Partnership communication plan.

• Strategic plan.

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV

• The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; 42 USC 4321

• Executive Order 11593, “Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment”

• Executive Order 12898, “Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations”

NPS Policy-level Guidance (NPS Management Policies 2006 and Director’s Orders)

• Director’s Order 7: Volunteers in Parks

• Director’s Order 16B: Diversity in the National Park Service

• Director’s Order 21: Donations and Fundraising

• Director’s Order 32: Cooperating Associations

• Director’s Order 75A: Civic Engagement and Public Involvement

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§1.9.1.6) “Volunteers in the Parks”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4.1.4) “Partnerships”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§7.6) “Interpretive and Educational Partnerships”

Fundamental Resource or Value

Commemorating the Important Sites Associated with the Selma Voting Rights Movement

Related Significance Statements

• Media coverage of the violent confrontation between law enforcement officers and members of the civil rights movement on March 7, 1965, now known as “Bloody Sunday,” followed by the minister’s march on March 9, also called “Turnaround Tuesday,” and the final Selma to Montgomery voting rights march on March 21–25, 1965, brought the issue of voting rights to the forefront of national consciousness and through nonviolent protest won broad support for the cause of civil rights in America.

• Covering 54 miles through Dallas, Lowndes, and Montgomery Counties in Alabama, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail works through partnerships to protect the many places and landscapes that provide opportunities for reflecting on and connecting to the events of the Selma voting rights movement.

• Although the civil rights movement was nonviolent, many suffered from the violent opposition to change and some were even…