GirlTrek took to the streets in downtown Selma Sunday evening as 16 women joined together to walk from the historic Tabernacle Baptist Church to the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

GirlTrek, the largest health movement for black women in America, was created to mobilize women to live their healthiest, most fulfilled lives through a habit of daily walking.

Jewel Bush, GirlTrek national director of communications, said the organization is making strides to promote healthy living in the lives of African American women all around the world.

“We have women walking all over the United States. We even have women walking in pockets and places overseas,” she said. “One of the great   things about GirlTrek is that we use walking as a first practical step in a woman’s health and wellness journey.”

Bush said trekkers from all over America visited Selma during the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

“Selma is definitely a sacred place for us. We walked in the history of the Civil Rights Movement,” she said. “There’s no way to talk about the Civil Rights Movement without talking about Selma, Alabama. To have black women on the ground walking for better health with GirlTrek in Selma is very exciting for us.”

This past March, GirlTrek members walked 100 miles of the Underground Railroad traveled by Harriet Tubman. Bush said being able to retrace Tubman’s steps was a beautiful experience.

“It’s also a beautiful experience to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, to walk in downtown Alabama, to walk in front of [Tabernacle Baptist Church],” she said. “To be able to have women who are from the community, actually out walking is a wonderful thing.”

The trekkers walk Monday through Saturday, at Bloch Park at 8 a.m. and Sundays at 6:30 p.m. at Tabernacle Baptist Church.

Local trekkers said as Daylight Savings Time changes so will the times to meet and walk.

For more information on GirlTrek or to get started with a local GirlTrek group visit www.girltrek.org.