Foot Soldiers Park awards first Jo Ann Bland Civil Rights Legacy Scholarships – Selma Sun
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Updated: July 31, 2025 @ 1:40 pm
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Two Selma students are the first recipients of the Jo Ann Bland Civil Rights Legacy Scholarships from Foot Soldiers Park.
The scholarship is awarded to those who are descended from Foot Soldiers during the Civil Rights Movement and who “demonstrate civic commitment, academic excellence, and leadership aligned with the organization’s mission,” said a press release on Wednesday.
“I’m super excited that we were able to give two scholarships to two very deserving residents and students here in Selma,” said CEO Kimberly Smitherman. “I think that this is a step forward for our community in supporting our youth because we know the youth are our future.”
“And this is just the beginning. We will continue to grow the amount of scholarships we give and the amount of funding that we give and we hope that we can get support from the community, and from people all around the world so that we can do that for our youth.
Smitherman and Jo Ann Bland herself presented the scholarships to Jo’Darius Hamilton and Rachel Curtis in a ceremony on July 16.
“It made me feel truly special to be one of the first two recipients,” said Hamilton, a Southside High School graduate. “I’m grateful to the foot soldiers, and I just want to say thank you. What they did was so honorable, and I just feel very special.”
Hamilton is the cousin of Albert Southall Sr., the founder of Southall’s African American Literary and Arts Museum and Gallery in Selma. He graduated with a 3.52 GPA, with courses in economics, government, writing, and STEM. He plans to attend Auburn University for the Building Science program and enter construction management.
Curtis is a Selma High School graduate and plans to attend Tuskegee University. She completed a dual enrollment program with Wallace Community College and graduated with more 30 earned credits and a cumulative GPA of 3.21.
She is a descendant of several Foot Soldiers, including her grandmother, Rachel West Milhouse, the co-author of “Selma, Lord, Selma, a first-hand account of civil rights marches of 1965.”
Her great-grandparents were activists Lonzy West, Sr. and Alice Martin West, who reportedly helped people register to vote by preparing them to pass the literacy test requirement.
“I am appreciative and want to thank the foot soldiers,” she said. “They’ve taught me that hard work and dedication pay off in the long run. Knowing that more scholars will be blessed with this scholarship after me makes me happy and it inspires me.”
Each received a $2,000 scholarship.
“These kids are so deserving,” said Bland. “They’re the ones who are going to make a difference. I want them to remember the legacy of the people they represent, whose blood runs through their veins, the foot soldiers. They are the foot soldiers of today, and I’m incredibly proud and honored that they are our first recipients.”
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