Woman Returns to Church on Historic Route After 60+ Years
[gtxvideo vid=”cVtkXn3W” playlist=”” pid=”XiOflQdH” thumb=”http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/cVtkXn3W.jpg” vtitle=”Woman Returns”]
This Wednesday crowds from all across the country will be in Montgomery for the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Selma to Montgomery March. And for some of those people the journey’s personal.
Helen Gaines returned to her hometown of Montgomery this weekend for the first time in more than 60 years.
Her two sons from Chicago brought her up from Florida to visit her old home and church. They had a hard time figuring out where it was, but a stranger helped them find the Mt. Zion AME Zion Church’s old building where she said she instantly knew she was home.
She moved when she was 12 or 13, it was a time when segregation was a part of daily life.
Helen Gaines said, “I witnessed all the early bad things that happened. We weren’t allowed to go in the Capital building, I lived 7 blocks from the Capital building and we weren’t allowed to go in the Capital building, but some how we made it.”
Because of her health, Helen Gaines couldn’t stay longer than a weekend. But she says it’s enough to see not only a piece of our country’s history, but also her own.
There are marchers on the road retracing the Selma to Montgomery route, they will arrive in the Capital on Wednesday.
