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Sunday Morning News

Youngest Participant of Historic Civil Rights March in Selma, Alabama, Talks About the Experience

Aired March 5, 2000 - 9:25 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

PHILLIPS: Thirty-five years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. led a march that would go down as one of the bloodiest in U.S. history. Among the hundreds of people who gathered in Selma, Alabama, for the walk to Montgomery was 8-year-old Sheyann Webb, the youngest person to march.

She later collaborated on a book about her childhood memories titled "Selma, Lord, Selma," which was made into a movie.

And Sheyann Webb, currently the coordinator of student activities at Alabama State University, joins us this morning from Selma, Alabama.

Sheyann, good morning.

SHEYANN WEBB-CHRISTBURG, STUDENT ACTIVITIES, ALABAMA STATE UNIV.: Good morning.

PHILLIPS: Hey, let's begin. You were 8 years old. It was 1965. What drew you into this? Can you hear us OK?

Oh, we lost audio feed. We will try and get that fixed and come back to Sheyann in just a few moments.

We are now going back to Selma, Alabama, where we have Sheyann Webb with us, the 8 -- well, when she was 8 years old, was the youngest child to march in the famous civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery.

Hello, Sheyann?

WEBB-CHRISTBURG: How are you?

O'BRIEN: Good. Glad to have you with us.

Let's begin. Eight years old, how the heck did you get involved in the marches? Children just weren't involved.

WEBB-CHRISTBURG: Most certainly, not only children but even adults at that particular time. During that particular time, it was turbulent times for adults to participate in the movement. And of course, with me being 8 years old, growing up in the midst of racial discrimination, violence, tears, and of death of a people fighting their inalienable rights, this was even devastating for me as a child.

PHILLIPS: We just saw a picture of you with Martin Luther King, and your girlfriend Rachel. What was it about your relationship with him that affected you so much? You said he would give you personal messages.

WEBB-CHRISTBURG: My best friend, Rachel, and I developed a very unique relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King, and I truly feel that it is what really captured my attention and Rachel's attention in terms of our involvement and participation in the movement. Dr. King was such a unique and special leader, and because of the many of our numerous conversations that he had with Rachel and I, he motivated us even more as children during that time.

PHILLIPS: Sheyann, as I was reading your book -- I've got to read this, At 8 years old, you wrote your obituary. That's how much fear you had. And you wrote, "Sheyann Webb, 8 years, was killed today in Selma. She was one of Dr. King freedom fighters. She was a student at Clark School, Selma. Sheyann want all people to be free and happy." This blows my mind.

WEBB-CHRISTBURG: Well, I could imagine so, as I look back on that particular time, it blows my mind too, believe me. But it was remarkable. And I could -- you know, at that particular age, there were many things that I couldn't quite understand at the time. But because of the energy and enthusiasm Dr. Martin Luther King, and just being in the midst of those freedom fighters, courageous freedom fighters at that time, it even encouraged me on as a child.

However, as I grew in that movement, the experience that I had as a child crossing the Edmund Pettus (ph) Bridge, really made me understand what the movement was truly about. The picture of Bloody Sunday has never left my mind, neither my heart.

PHILLIPS: Well, as I read the book, I see that you did have energy and enthusiasm. You also had a beautiful voice. And I know you still hear those freedom songs. Will you give us just a little bit of one that stands out in your mind?

WEBB-CHRISTBURG: Well, the freedom song that stands out most in my mind that was very, dear to not only myself as a child but the freedom fighters during those turbulent times was, "I ain't gonna let nobody turn me around." Broken men, women, with canes while tears were falling from their eyes just to sing this song often during that movement. And I'd like to sing a piece of that this morning.

PHILLIPS: Do it, Sheyann.

WEBB-CHRISTBURG (singing): Ain't gonna let nobody turn me round, turn me round, turn me round, ain't gonna let nobody turn me round, I'm gonna keep on a-walkin', keep on a-talkin', marching up the freedom land.

PHILLIPS: Sheyann Webb, you are one amazing woman. Thanks for being with us this morning. Once again, the book, "Selma, Lord, Selma." Thank you. WEBB-CHRISTBURG: Thank you.

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