Selma, Alabama

Selma, Alabama
City
City of Selma
From top, left to right: St. James Hotel and Water Avenue; Edmund Pettus Bridge; National Voting Rights Museum and Institute
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  Queen City of the Black Belt, Butterfly Capital of Alabama
Interactive map of Selma
Coordinates: 32°24′59″N 87°1′29″W / 32.41639°N 87.02472°W / 32.41639; -87.02472[1]
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Dallas
Founded	1815
Incorporated	1820
Government
• Type	Mayor–Council
• Mayor	James Perkins Jr. (D)
Area [2]
• Total	14.40 sq mi (37.30 km2)
• Land	13.81 sq mi (35.77 km2)
• Water	0.59 sq mi (1.54 km2)
Elevation [1]	135 ft (41 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• Total	17,971
• Density	1,301.40/sq mi (502.46/km2)
Demonym	Selmarian
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	36701-36703
Area code	334
FIPS code	01-69120 [1]
GNIS ID	163940 [1]
Website	selma-al.gov

Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County,^[1] in the Black Belt region of south central Alabama and extending to the west. Located on the banks of the Alabama River, the city has a population of 17,971 as of the 2020 census.^[3] About 80% of the population is African-American.

Selma was a trading center and market town during the antebellum years of King Cotton in the South. It was also an important armaments-manufacturing and iron shipbuilding center for the Confederacy during the Civil War, surrounded by miles of earthen fortifications. The Confederate forces were defeated during the Battle of Selma, in the final full month of the war.

In modern times, the city is best known for the 1960s civil rights movement and the Selma to Montgomery marches, beginning with "Bloody Sunday" in March 1965, when unarmed peaceful protesters were assaulted by County and state highway police.

By the end of March 1965, an estimated 25,000 people entered Montgomery to press for voting rights. This activism generated national attention for social justice. That summer, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed by Congress to authorize federal oversight and enforcement of constitutional rights of all American citizens.

Due to agriculture and industry decline, Selma has lost about a third of its peak population since the 1960s. The city is focusing on heritage tourism, to build on its role as a major influence in civil rights and desegregation.

Selma is one of Alabama's poorest cities, with an average income of $35,500, which is 30% less than the state average. One in every three residents in Selma lives below the state poverty line.