An arts exhibition and speaker series centered on the intersectionality of history, civics, art, and culture to include the examination of various art forms and their impacts on the movement for civil rights and social justice.

Through partnership, AL Association for the Arts, National Education and Empowerment Coalition, and Friends of Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trails will manage the traveling exhibition based on Selma’s voting rights activists, known by historians as the “Courageous Eight.” These famous "Eight" were Rev. F.D. Reese, Ulysses Blackmon, Amelia Boynton-Robinson, Ernest Doyle, Marie Foster, James Gildersleeve, Rev. J.D. Hunter and Rev. Henry Shannon. These unsung heroes didn’t get the same notoriety or name recognition as other historic figures, but they were instrumental in the fight for equal rights for African-Americans. Their stories of sacrifices and efforts during the Civil Rights Movement are now preserved in an artistic traveling exhibit that bears its name. Original art pieces on display are the work of artist Phyllis Parks of Montgomery, AL.

AL Association for the Arts was founded in response to the need to empower civic education and engagement in marginalized communities. Using various art forms, we uniquely engage with communities while serving our mission to empower change through civics and arts.

Courageous 8 Traveling Arts Exhibition

Team Members