She made civil rights history in Selma. Now, she guides visitors through its past

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/18/ [login to see] /meet-the-woman-who-guides-visitors-through-selma-and-was-part-of-its-civil-right
JoAnne Bland wants to welcome you to Selma, Ala. The 69-year-old was born in this small city, and except for time away for college and the Army, her hometown has defined her work, purpose and, possibly, her very soul. It's a calling, one she wants to share with all Americans.

When you meet JoAnne Bland, you're told to expect a "bossy grandmother who is totally awesome." That's how Deborah Douglas, the author of a travel guide to the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, describes Bland anyway.

Bland has been giving tours of Selma for 33 years. She's direct and gets right to the point when explaining how things work on her tour.

"I talk, you listen," she says with a laugh. And that laugh is a cue to her storytelling style, a mix of humor and no "sugarcoating." Underneath her jacket, she wears a T-shirt with a one-word message: "Kindness."