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Three surviving Foot Soldiers were honored at a breakfast March 2 hosted by Selma High School.

Louretta Wimberly, Earnest Carter and Rev. Charles A. Lingo each received gold medals for battling racial injustice during the 1960’s.

Wimberly is best-known for working with the late Congressman John Lewis on the historic Selma-to-Montgomery march. She also was part of the Selma teachers’ march.

“The Superintendent did not stand in our way,” Wimberly said. “Without us, they woud not have black teachers to teach the students.”

Carter is a foot soldier of the 1965 Voting Right Act and currently serves as a trustee board chairman at Morning Star Baptist Church.

“It took a lot of blood, days and nights from home,” Carter said. “But the foot soldiers did win the day.”

Lingo, now a pastor in Decatur, Georgia, joined the Southern Leadership Christian Conference (SCLC) in 1964. Lingo was a white pastor who fought for equality.

“White people were denying Black people the right to vote,” Lingon said. “I stayed with a Black family in Selma and was honored to be part of it.”

Common Power, Charles Mauldin and the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Committee were sponsors of the Foot Soldiers breakfast.

 

JoAnne Bland, another surviving Foot Soldier and Selma City councilman Michael Johnson attended the breakfast.