NC man asks for foot soldiers’ names to add to growing list he’s compiled for years

A North Carolina man was inspired by trips to the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee to compile a list of names of foot soldiers who crossed the bridge protesting for equal voting rights on Bloody Sunday in 1965.

Burgess Bailey, who lives in Statesville, North Carolina, less than an hour north of Charlotte, attended the annual Jubilee for years and says the people he met inspired the list that contains a majority of the Selma Foot Soldier’s names as well as those in Marion and Perry County.

Bailey attended the Bridge Crossing Jubilee this year in his bright yellow and blue motor home that features the lists of Foot Soldiers, divided by county, displayed along with some pictures from Bloody Sunday.

The inspiration for the list came from a meeting with Amelia Boynton Robinson and continued after meeting many other leaders in the civil rights movement.

“I also got to meet Hugh Stewart up in Marion,” Bailey said. “I remember him reflecting on what Dr. King said about fear, how he did not want anyone with fear out there marching. He also told us how he left Marion and came down to Selma on Bloody Sunday and how they did the march from Selma all the way to Montgomery.” Bailey said he also got to meet Della Maynor. He added that meeting the Foot Soldiers gave him a perspective that cannot be obtained in history books.

“You hear about the people who came across the bridge on Bloody Sunday. And you hear them recognize other Foot Soldiers, but you always hear the Foot Soldiers recognized as a group,” Bailey explained. He added that his reason for collecting all of the names is “to acknowledge all of the Foot Soldiers and to honor them individually.”

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When he started collecting names, many were willing to be put on his list. But some people have been reluctant because “in 1965 they really didn’t want anyone to know their names because of various repercussions that could come about.”

The list started with the names of the people that crossed the bridge on Bloody Sunday. Then names from people in Marion. He hopes to get more names of foot soldiers from Lowndes County with the help of people like Executive Director of the Perry County Chamber of Commerce Dr. Ozelle Hubert. In Lowndes County, he spoke at the first ever Selma to Montgomery by Way of Lowndes County event and pleaded with the people of Lowndes County to speak up. He reassured everyone that adding their name to the list is ok.

“My main thing by far is to acknowledge, honor and remember all of the Foot Soldiers,” Baily said. If anyone has a name they want to add, Bailey said to feel free to call him at 704-500-1621.

He also appeared on WHBB 1490 radio on the Randy Williams show and made appearances at events surrounding the Jubilee making people aware of what he is doing.

Bailey said he would like to see a memorial erected in the future with his lists where everyone could see it, maybe at the foot of the bridge. He also said a project for the near future is to mark and highlight the three campsites used by the Foot Soldiers during the days they marched from Selma to Montgomery.