Civil Rights Activist, Educator, and Historian
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Key moments and achievements from Jo Bland's life.
Jo was born
· Selma, Alabama, U.S.
Community
In 1961, at just eight years old, Jo Ann Bland attended her first freedom and voters' rights meeting presided over by Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama. She became the youngest person to be jailed during any civil rights demonstration during that period, and by the age of 11, she had been arrested 13 documented times for her activism.
Community
In 1961, at just eight years old, Jo Ann Bland attended her first freedom and voters' rights meeting presided over by Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama. She became the youngest person to be jailed during any civil rights demonstration during that period, and by the age of 11, she had been arrested 13 documented times for her activism.
Community
On March 7, 1965, 11-year-old Jo Ann Bland was among the marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge during the event that became known as "Bloody Sunday." She witnessed fellow activists being brutally beaten by police and Alabama State Troopers as they attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery in support of voting rights for African Americans.
Community
On March 7, 1965, 11-year-old Jo Ann Bland was among the marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge during the event that became known as "Bloody Sunday." She witnessed fellow activists being brutally beaten by police and Alabama State Troopers as they attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery in support of voting rights for African Americans.
Achievement
Bland was one of seven Black students who integrated A.G. Parish High School in Alabama, braving hostility and resistance to help break down the barriers of racial segregation in Southern education. This act of courage at a young age demonstrated the personal sacrifice that civil rights foot soldiers endured in the struggle for equality.
Achievement
Bland was one of seven Black students who integrated A.G. Parish High School in Alabama, braving hostility and resistance to help break down the barriers of racial segregation in Southern education. This act of courage at a young age demonstrated the personal sacrifice that civil rights foot soldiers endured in the struggle for equality.
Career Achievement
Bland served in the United States Army, bringing the same discipline and courage she had shown as a young civil rights activist to her military service. After her military career, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Staten Island, expanding her intellectual and professional horizons beyond Selma.
Career Achievement
Bland served in the United States Army, bringing the same discipline and courage she had shown as a young civil rights activist to her military service. After her military career, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Staten Island, expanding her intellectual and professional horizons beyond Selma.
Founded Organization
After returning to Selma in 1989, Bland co-founded the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute, dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of the Selma voting rights movement. The museum became a vital educational resource, documenting the sacrifices of civil rights foot soldiers and ensuring that future generations would remember their struggle.
Founded Organization
After returning to Selma in 1989, Bland co-founded the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute, dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of the Selma voting rights movement. The museum became a vital educational resource, documenting the sacrifices of civil rights foot soldiers and ensuring that future generations would remember their struggle.
Founded Organization
In 2017, Bland started Journeys for the Soul, a tour company that brought visitors from across the country and around the world to Selma to experience firsthand the sites of the civil rights movement. Through her compelling storytelling and personal testimony, she educated thousands of people about what foot soldiers endured and sacrificed in the struggle for racial justice.
Founded Organization
In 2017, Bland started Journeys for the Soul, a tour company that brought visitors from across the country and around the world to Selma to experience firsthand the sites of the civil rights movement. Through her compelling storytelling and personal testimony, she educated thousands of people about what foot soldiers endured and sacrificed in the struggle for racial justice.
Jo Bland passed away
