Postmark remembers 1964 Selma march

The United States Postal Service has authorized a commemorative postmark for the 1965 civil rights march from Selma, Ala., to the state capital in Montgomery, a key event in U.S. civil rights history 

The March 7 postmark states, "Selma to Montgomery, 50th anniversary, Footsteps to Democracy, 1965-2015."

The 1965 march was organized by civil rights activists to protest segregation and discrimination that prevented black citizens from voting. On March 7, a first attempt to march was met with a violent response from deputies using tear gas and clubs.

After a demonstration on March 9, the protestors, led by Martin Luther King Jr., and protected by U.S. Army and National Guard soldiers, undertook the 50-mile walk to Montgomery on March 21.

The 1965 Selma March was commemorated with a 37¢ stamp in 2005, part of a set of 10 titled To Form a More Perfect Union (United States Scott 3937).

The stamp reproduces a painting by Bernice Sims that shows the marchers crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., as they begin their walk toward the state capital, Montgomery.

To obtain the March 7 Selma cancellation, which has received a 30-day extension, send your request before May 7 to:

SELMA TO MONTGOMERY Station, Postmaster, 1301 Alabama Ave., Selma, AL 36701-9998.

To learn how to request a U.S. postmark, visit the special postmark instruction page at Linns.com.

The U.S. Postal Service is also selling a cacheted cover franked with the 2013 March on Washington forever stamp canceled with the Selma postmark.

For more information, see Joe O'Donnell's article on Linns.com.

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