The Spider Martin Civil Rights Collection is proud to present a brand new, beautifully restored, grand scale, 70-piece 60th Anniversary Commemorative Exhibition titled…SELMA IS NOW.

Some of these compelling images have never before been seen publicly and the exhibition will open its National Tour debut at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in Montgomery, Alabama, on February 28, 2025 and run through June 1st. The exhibition will feature an accompanying book that is available for sale here.

One of the most pivotal chapters in American history was captured through the insightful lens of a 25-year-old Birmingham News photographer named James “Spider” Martin. Throughout the transformative month of March in 1965, Spider diligently documented the intense voting rights protests in Selma, Alabama, from the harrowing events of “Bloody Sunday” to the powerful final 54-mile march to Montgomery. In honor of the 60th Anniversary of the historic events that inspired the landmark Voting Rights Act, this remarkable collection of newly restored photographs serves as a poignant reminder of the lasting impact of those courageous acts and the ongoing struggle for social justice and equality. The fight for voting rights, dignity and the essential freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution remains an unfinished endeavor.

Spider Martin’s striking photographs of the Selma to Montgomery March stand as a poignant reminder of the extraordinary bravery exhibited by those who marched in 1965, steadfastly standing in nonviolent defiance to secure these vital rights for future generations. In revisiting this profound history, we can rediscover our shared humanity and recognize the critical importance of these fundamental principles to our democracy, both in that era and in the current day. The sacrifices made by the marchers in March of 1965 paved the way for the liberties we enjoy today, and it is clear that the struggle for social justice continues resolutely.

Truly, Selma Is Now.