By Xavier Morgan

The Selma Times-Journal

The George Washington Carver Homes hold a special place in the hearts and minds of many.

Surrounding Brown Chapel A.M.E. church on Martin Luther King Street, this is the mecca for the Voting Rights Movement.

Built in 1952 for low- and moderate-income households through federal funding, G.W.C. Homes were the first public housing complex in Selma.

The homes are named after world-renowned scientist George Washington Carver, whose advancements in the fields of agriculture and botany reached far beyond the Deep South.

GWC residents opened their hearts and homes during the Voting Rights Movement. Workers from across the country were housed and fed there.

The likes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Congressman John Lewis and many other civil rights activists were well-known faces throughout the community.

During the 50th anniversary of the “March on Selma,” GWC Homes will be presented with a historical landmark during a short ceremony on Saturday, March 7.

Bruce Lorenzo Holmes Sr., former GWC resident, is leading efforts to commemorate GWC as a historical landmark.

Fifty years later and the emotion and love for the place he grew up in still runs deep through Holmes.

“The GWC taught me to never give up and fight for whatever you want,” Holmes said.

Walking through the George Washington Carver Homes, it seems like Holmes could tell a story about every nook and cranny.

“I was right here outside playing when I heard loud booms and screams,” Holmes said of Bloody Sunday.

With all the history surrounding the homes, Holmes can’t grasp why GWC hasn’t been recognized for its role in history.

He’s made it his mission to honor the place that molded him and so many others.

On March 7, Holmes dream will become a reality.