The Hall Family Legacy
The family that opened their land to history during the Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March.
Land, Courage, and Sacrifice
In March 1965, the struggle for voting rights reached a pivotal moment in American history. Thousands of marchers walked from Selma to Montgomery demanding the right to vote.
Along that historic road stood a farm owned by David Hall.
When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the leaders of the movement needed a safe place for marchers to rest, the Hall family opened their land.
That land became Campsite One.
For one night, the Hall farm transformed into sacred ground — a refuge where exhausted marchers gathered, prayed, and prepared to continue their journey toward justice.
What happened on that land would become part of the story that helped lead to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
But the sacrifice of the Hall family did not end when the march moved forward.
The Cost of Courage
Opening the farm to the movement carried consequences.
After allowing the land to be used for the march, David Hall faced severe economic retaliation in Selma.
Local institutions refused to extend the credit he needed to continue operating his farm. His bank account was closed. Without access to seed loans or operating credit, the farm could no longer function.
The decision to support the march cost him the livelihood he had built for his family.
David Hall eventually left farming and worked as a maintenance man in a Selma housing project to support his family.
Yet the land — and the story — remained
A Daughter Who Refused to Let the Story Be Forgotten
David Hall’s daughter, Susie Anna Hall-Stover, understood the importance of what her father had done. She witnessed the sacrifice firsthand.
For decades, she worked quietly to preserve the land and protect her father’s legacy. She believed that the world needed to know the story of the man whose farm sheltered the marchers on the first night of their journey.
Her dream was to see the site recognized and preserved so that future generations would understand the courage it took to stand on the side of justice.
Before her passing in 2023, Susie and her sister Alma began advocating for a memorial on the site of Campsite One.
Their work planted the seeds for a larger vision.
Three Generations Reclaim the Land
Today, the Hall family continues that work through three generations of stewardship.
Susie Anna Hall-Stover fought to preserve the story.
Velda S. Kennedy, Susie’s daughter, continued the effort to reclaim recognition of the property.
Tracie A. Todd, Susie’s granddaughter, now leads the effort to transform the site into a place of learning, remembrance, and inspiration.
Through years of work, the Hall family successfully reclaimed the property's recognition as a working farm through the USDA.
Today, the land operates as a pine tree farm, maintaining the agricultural legacy that David Hall began.
But the family’s vision extends even further.
Building Selma
The Hall family is working to create a living historical destination on the site of Campsite One.
This vision, known as Building Selma, seeks to transform the land into an experiential center where visitors can learn about the Selma movement, voting rights, and the untold stories of the families who supported the march.
Through the work of the David & Channie Hall Foundation, the site will preserve the memory of Campsite One while creating opportunities for education, reflection, and community gathering.
This effort ensures that the courage shown on this land will never be forgotten.
