A Tale of Two Entrances: Selma's Tabernacle Baptist Church

African American architect David T. West designed the Tabernacle Baptist Church in 1922 at the corner of Broad St. and Minter Ave in Selma. At that time, black people weren't free to walk or have addresses on Broad Street, Selma's main north-south artery. The building's location at the corner meant congregants would have to come and go from the Minter side, but the architect could still make a statement. West designed a grand entrance for use on Minter Ave (to the right in this picture), and an identical entrance facing Broad St. Though the doors on Broad St. went unused, they faced the town's major thoroughfare. According to Sam Walker, historian of the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute, the address changed from Minter Ave to Broad St. when the Jim Crow laws were reversed.

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- John Brecher

IN-DEPTH

• 50 Years Past Selma: Historic Town Marches Towards Change
• A Life in Selma: Growing Up On a Cotton Plantation