Selma in Dallas County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church

Dallas County

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, April 8, 2026

1. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church Marker

Inscription.

Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church. Dallas County. , As president of the Dallas County Voters League. Dr. Reese wrote and signed the 1964 letter inviting Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to Selma to join the struggle for civil rights. On March 7, 1965. Bloody Sunday, Dr. Reese was among the marchers who attempted to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Upon returning to Brown Chapel Church, he answered a call from Dr. King regarding the day's televised events in Selma. Upon completing the first leg of the successful march across the bridge on March 21, Rev. Reese returned to Ebenezer and accepted the call to become the third pastor of the church. In 1972. Dr. Reese and five other African American men were elected to the Selma City Council, a historic election that changed Selma's history. Two years later. Dr. Reese led the Ebenezer congregation to a new church building. This event marked a new day for the congregation and signified their incredible efforts in service to the community and for social justice. work rendered by Dr. Reese. He served 12 years on the Selma City Council and in 1984 campaigned unsuccessfully for mayor against joe Smitherman, the long-term white mayor, but continued to advocate for equality and justice. ,
After serving as pastor with fortitude and resolve for 50 years, Dr. Reese retired. James Perkins, Jr., a young man Reese had mentored and who served as Dr. Reese's campaign manager in the 1984 mayoral race, assumed his role and became the fourth Ebenezer pastor. With the help and support of Dr. Reese, Perkins became Selma's first Black mayor in 2000 and served two terms. Ebenezer served as the backdrop for the political and spiritual endeavors of Reese and Perkins. After his second term ended in 2008, Rev. Perkins relentlessly pursued the office of mayor. In 2020, he won his third term as Selma's mayor while concurrently serving as pastor of Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church. Ebenezer's impact upon the quest for civil rights and social justice is imbedded in the history of Selma.

As president of the Dallas County Voters League. Dr. Reese wrote and signed the 1964 letter inviting Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to Selma to join the struggle for civil rights. On March 7, 1965. Bloody Sunday, Dr. Reese was among the marchers who attempted to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Upon returning to Brown Chapel Church, he answered a call from Dr. King regarding the day's televised events in Selma. Upon completing the first leg of the successful march across the bridge on March 21, Rev. Reese returned to Ebenezer and accepted the call to become the third pastor of the church. In 1972. Dr. Reese and five other African American men were elected to the Selma City Council, a historic election that changed Selma's history. Two years later. Dr. Reese led the Ebenezer congregation to a new church building. This event marked a new day for the congregation and signified their incredible efforts in service to the community and for social justice. work rendered by Dr. Reese. He served 12 years on the Selma City Council and in 1984 campaigned unsuccessfully for mayor

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against joe Smitherman, the long-term white mayor, but continued to advocate for equality and justice.

After serving as pastor with fortitude and resolve for 50 years, Dr. Reese retired. James Perkins, Jr., a young man Reese had mentored and who served as Dr. Reese's campaign manager in the 1984 mayoral race, assumed his role and became the fourth Ebenezer pastor. With the help and support of Dr. Reese, Perkins became Selma's first Black mayor in 2000 and served two terms. Ebenezer served as the backdrop for the political and spiritual endeavors of Reese and Perkins. After his second term ended in 2008, Rev. Perkins relentlessly pursued the office of mayor. In 2020, he won his third term as Selma's mayor while concurrently serving as pastor of Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church. Ebenezer's impact upon the quest for civil rights and social justice is imbedded in the history of Selma.

Erected 2022 by Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church & AHC.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1964.

Location. 32° 25.263′ N,

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, April 8, 2026

2. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church Marker

87° 0.718′ W. Marker is in Selma, Alabama, in Dallas County. It is on FD Reese Street south of Philpot Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1547 FD Reese St, Selma AL 36703, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and in the Black Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church (here, next to this marker); Northern Heights Presbyterian Church (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Defense of Selma Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); A Grassroots Movement (approx. 0.6 miles away); Turning Point (approx. 0.6 miles away); First Baptist Church

Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church & Markers image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, April 8, 2026

3. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church & Markers

(approx. 0.6 miles away); George Washington Carver Neighborhood (approx. 0.6 miles away); Lewis Scott (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Selma.

More about this marker. There are 2 double sided markers located in front of the church, all sides have the same title.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 12, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. This page has been viewed 21 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 12, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.