US Election: Postcard from Alabama

US Election: Postcard from Alabama

By Alexandra Redgrave • November 4, 2008 • No Comments

“Why Alabama?” asked the border agent on Saturday afternoon. Ah, the trick question. We thought heading for the big ‘A’ might look suspicious because, seriously, why Alabama? When we—that being myself, and my friends Michael and Kristen—set off from Montreal to the Heart of Dixie, it was on a whim with little time to prepare for the question beyond “Why not?”

From its bustling blue collar cities, to the eerily silent cotton fields, Alabama is haunted by history. It was here that Rosa Parks defied racial segregation laws, inciting the Montgomery Bus Boycott that went all the way to the Supreme Court. And it was here that Martin Luther King led marches for the Civil Rights Movement from Selma to Montgomery, where he gave the “How Long, Not Long” speech and later wrote his “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” Through the lens of this turbulent past is a presidency that means much for the future of the Deep South—a region defined by loss and resurrection. We wanted to witness this historic election for ourselves.

Our answer provided enough anticipation to fuel a twenty-four hour road trip, along with some diner grease. We headed south through New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia, pulling into Alabama late Sunday night thanks to the driving beats of a crunk radio station we picked up somewhere outside of Atlanta.

Life decelerated upon waking up the next morning in Montgomery, the sleepy state capital. Pedestrian crosswalk lights count down for seventy seconds. People take time out from opening their shops to chat with friends. And yet, slowing down isn’t entirely up to the citizens of Montgomery. “For Sale” signs occupy much of the main street properties, and several storefront windows revealed hasty closures. A building with the sign “River Of Life” was looking anything but life-giving.

Ironically, it was on our way to a ghost town that we found the optimistic little city of Selma. Perched on the banks of the Alabama River, Selma has history coursing through every back alley. It was the starting point for three Civil Rights marches, including “Bloody Sunday” in 1965, and is home to the state’s largest historic district, encompassing over a thousand structures. Hoping to use the past as a way forward, residents are trying to rebuild their city from the ground up. There is still much work to be done—both politically and emotionally—but visitors are warmly welcomed by this community-in-progress.

Walking parallel to the river along Water Street, I met a couple taking in the unusually warm Monday afternoon. When asked about the election, a hint of nervousness crept into their voices. “If McCain gets in, I’ll start farming,” said John, a carpenter. He worked at a boat building company in Connecticut, but when it shut down he had to pack up and head back home to Selma after having been away for thirty years. His wife, Francis, is due to have a baby boy in February.

“A lot of people are undecided,” she said. If economic hardship continues—which they believe it will with McCain at the helm—they plan on buying a plot and “living off the land.” Until tomorrow, all John and Francis can do is wait before deciding their future. They look worn down from being so patient.

Tomorrow: Photos from election day in Alabama.

US Election: Postcard from Alabama

Posted in The Haulout •

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