My54

On the same day in July, we lost two towering figures of the civil rights movement, of Atlanta, and of the nation at large. In response, we started #My54/My54.org, an initiative to honor the lives and legacies of John Lewis and C.T. Vivian. My54 will bring together diverse individuals and organizations through a personal commitment to physically move 54 miles, the distance of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery march, and engage in intentional thought, civic action, and historical understanding. 54 represents the distance of the Selma to Montgomery march that both Lewis and Vivian were key organizers of.

What is your 54?

(1) Pray With Your Feet: Pledge to walk, run, bike, or otherwise move 54 miles from July 30th (CT Vivian's Birthday and John Lewis' Funeral) - August 28th (The March on Washington)

(2) Share With Your Feed: Share your social networks your journey and purpose and ask them to share theirs

(3) Place Faith Over Fear: Overcome inequality and wrong with an understanding that the arc of the universe bends towards justice

Take a video during the walk and talk about what #My54 means to you, post your map from fitness apps, and share it on social media!

How do I get to 54?

WALK/RUN: This is the most common way to participate, and closest to the actual march from Selma to Montgomery. You will put yourselves in the shoes of brave marchers. Walk in your neighborhood, around a park, through the woods, wherever you can. Use the time to think about the issue that’s driving your own 54, ways you can enact civic action, and re-engage with the physical movement. It seems like an insurmountable task, but break it up into smaller pieces, or share it among a team of friends or family. The Selma marchers covered that distance in 5 days. You have 30, which is less than 2 miles a day! At 4 miles a day, you can be finished in 2 weeks. For the truly ambitious (or crazy) 54 is two marathons…

BIKE: Whether on the open road or at home on a Peloton or SoulCycle bike, you can cover a lot more ground on 2 wheels. Use the #My54 hashtag on your username, post strava segments, and let's ride together. We’ll try to identify some opportunities to do featured indoor rides.

WHATEVER ELSE, TOO! We've heard from people that they plan to go 54 miles while playing sports, while triathalon-ing. It doesn't matter what you do, what you wear, or how fast you go. What matters is that you approach My54 with the right intention. So as you walk, ask, "What is My54?" What is my personal path and mission? What is that idea or goal that I would walk 54 miles in otherwise hostile territory, putting my life at risk? For some, it may be community service and social justice. Others, it may be ensuring their homes and neighborhoods are loving and open. Still more take a personal journey to work on themselves so they can be of better service to others. The answers will be varying, robust, and personal.