Civil Rides - Alabama
Civil Rides - Alabama will take us through some of the most iconic moments of the Civil Rights era. We will retrace Dr. King’s march on Montgomery from the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma. That’s just on day 1!
Dates: Saturday, October 19, 2019 and Sunday, October 20, 2019
Friday, October 18, 6:30pm:
Opening Celebration Dinner
Pintlala Baptist Church
73 Federal Road
Hope Hull, AL 36043
Saturday, October 19, 8am:
Words of Welcome and Inspiration at the front steps of the iconic
Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL.
We begin our ride at 9 am and retrace the March on Montgomery.
Lowndes County Interpretive Center is our first stretch point at 29 miles. The interpretive center has a small museum describing the March and tells the story of this important site.
Selma Interpretive Center is our second stretch point at 21 miles away from Lowndes County. As soon as we ride across the iconic Edmund Pettis Bridge, the interpretive center will be immediately on the right. Like the Lowndes County Interpretive Center, Selma IC has important photographs and videos explaining the significance of Bloody Sunday, the murder of Rev. James Reeb, and the struggle for voting rights in Alabama.
Sowing Seeds of Hope in Marion, AL, will be our finish line on day on at 24 miles from Selma. (75 miles or 20 miles or ride until you want SAG—no judgment) This is one of our Together for Hope sites that is directed by Mrs. Frances Ford. We will be able to see and hear about the important work Mrs. Frances does and has done in Marion with Together for Hope. We will shuttle all the riders to the hotel and then have an evening meal together in Marion.
Sunday, October 20, 8am:
Zion United Methodist Church in Marion, AL, will be our starting line for day 2. We will have a brief service in this sacred space where local leaders staged a voting rights march that lead to the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson. His murder was what prompted the March on Montgomery. We will ride from this location at 8:30am.
Heilberger United Methodist Church in Heilberger, AL, will be our first stretch point on day 2 at only 11 miles. This is a hilling ride, so our stretch points will be closer together.
SawMeal Restaurant in Brent, AL, will be our second stretch point at 11 miles from Heilberger.
The Country Store in West Blocton, AL, will be our third stretch point at 16 miles from the SawMeal Restaurant.
Legacy YMCA in Bessemer, AL, will be our fourth stretch point at 21 miles from The Country Store. If riders are not at the Legacy YMCA by 3pm, we will shuttle all remaining riders to this point or all the way to St. James Baptist Church at the staging point.
St. James Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL, will be our staging area only one miles from our finish line. It is 16 miles from Legacy YMCA. We will all gather here and ride the last mile together and arrive at 16th Street Baptist Church by 5pm.
16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL, is our finish line! This historical church just had a memorial service for the 56th anniversary of its bombing, which kill four young girls: Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Addie Mae Collins. After the finish line, we will shuttle riders to the hotel and return to 16th Street Baptist for our closing celebration and the kick-off to CBF Alabama’s annual meeting.
Included in this ride: SAG, hotels (single or double occupancy), breakfasts, suppers, jersey, snacks, full-distance and “final 20” routes to accommodate any and all rider abilities.
As with all of our rides, we are raising money to help end hunger and rural poverty.