The House by the Side of the Road: The Selma Civil Rights Movement by Richie Jean Sherrod JacksonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an autobiography / memoir told by Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson, the wife of the dentist Dr. Sullivan Jackson. It was their home in Selma, Alabama, "The Jackson Home," that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used as his headquarters to rally supporters for the Voting Rights Act and the Selma Civil Rights Movement. Their daughter, Jawana, was just five years old at the time, and loved when 'Uncle Martin' came to visit.
Greenfield Village in Dearborn (part of The Henry Ford) recently acquired The Jackson Home and had it moved from Selma to Dearborn, Michigan. It is opening to the public this weekend (June 12-14, 2026) with a festive Block Party. We had the good fortune of touring the house last month and the experience was quite moving. The house is preserved just as it was in 1965 with as many original furnishings and accessories as possible. The Henry Ford staff worked tirelessly to find additional items which needed to be added to those original items.
Here is a 48-minute documentary, created by our local NBC affiliate WDIV, which was broadcast earlier this year. The Jackson daughter, Jawana Jackson, is now 65 years old and is featured in the video talking about Dr. King and the role that her house played in making history. One of the fascinating things in this video is how they had to cut the house in two in order to transport it from Selma to Dearborn on two different trucks, and then reassemble it once it arrived in Greenfield Village!
https://www.clickondetroit.com/video/news/2026/02/26/backstory-the-jackson-home/
This is an incredible book telling the story of the Selma Civil Rights Movement. Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson is a wonderful storyteller, and reading the book I felt like she was my grandmother, sitting in a rocking chair with me at her feet on the carpet while she was telling me the tales of her life and all the important people who came to The House by the Side of the Road. A very compelling memoir; very highly recommended!
Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.
View all my reviews
