Is Montgomery Ready for Selma to Montgomery March?
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Next month, tens of thousands of people will descend on the capital city for all of the events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery march.
But is the city ready for all of the expected tourists?
“We’re going to far exceed 50 thousand, at least the weekend of the 6th, 7th, and 8th.”
Anita Archie is coordinating the 50th Anniversary Selma to Montgomery March and its surrounding events. She says Montgomery will see record-breaking crowds.
“If anybody is looking for a hotel the weekend of the 6th, 7th, and 8th, you’re pretty much out of luck.”
“They’re coming from all across the United States,” says Lakresha Daniel. “We even have some guests coming from overseas.”
Daniel is the General Manager of the Hampton Inn in downtown Montgomery and says the hotel is 100 percent sold out for the march.
“We actually have other sister properties here in the area but they are sold out as well. So we are sending people, of course, to Birmingham, the Birmingham area.”
Although some tourists will be lodged in Birmingham, city leaders say they’re doing everything they can to highlight Montgomery. Michael Briddell says the city has worked to improve streetscapes and remove blight.
“We’ve probably spent nine million dollars just beautifying and upgrading the portion of the trail that runs from the city of St. Jude all the way up to the state capitol,” he says.
And along that trail will be plenty of law enforcement agents, who are also currently preparing for the march.
“That’s why it’s very important for us in law enforcement to meet,” says Montgomery County Sheriff Derrick Cunningham. “Not only on the local side but on the state side and on the federal side as well and that’s what’s taking place right now.”
There are some hotel rooms available for the week of the 24th, which is when the march ends at the state capitol, but city leaders say those rooms will soon be sold out as well.
To see a list of events surrounding the Selma to Montgomery march, just visit http://dreammarcheson.com/
