Key facts
- Photographs of Martin Luther King Jr. wearing flower lei from Hawaii residents during the 1965 Selma march are now on public display in Honolulu.
- The lei were brought by a delegation from Hawaii who participated in the pivotal Civil Rights march.
- The Selma marches were crucial to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
- Many of the photos, taken by Civil Rights photographer Matt Herron, have never been publicly displayed before.
- The exhibit aims to remind people of Hawaii's participation in the Civil Rights movement and runs until July 7.
Photographs capturing a significant moment in the Civil Rights Movement, where Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was seen wearing flower lei from Hawaii, have been unveiled in an exhibit at the Hawaii State Capitol in Honolulu. The display features previously unseen images taken by Civil Rights photographer Matt Herron, showcasing King adorned with lei gifted by Hawaiian residents who traveled to Selma, Alabama, in 1965.
The Selma-to-Montgomery marches, including the one on March 7, 1965, known as Bloody Sunday, were pivotal in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which aimed to dismantle discriminatory voting practices against Black Americans in the South. A delegation of four individuals from Hawaii brought 48 lei to Selma, with one participant, high school teacher Charles Campbell, quoted as saying, "Selma has the capability of becoming a real sore that could affect the entire nation."
The exhibit, which runs until July 7, is part of Hawaii's commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. Keith Regan, Hawaii's comptroller, stated that the exhibit highlights the participation of people from the Aloha State in this crucial historical event, emphasizing their desire to show "aloha" and support the fight for equality and justice.
Among those present at the unveiling was Steven Springel, whose mother, Nona Ferdon, was a graduate student who traveled to Selma. Springel noted that growing up in Hawaii, he and his sister did not experience segregation, underscoring the significance of his mother's journey. Tomi Knaefler, a reporter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin at the time, also planned to attend but was unable to due to her age; her daughter represented her. The exhibit's opening coincides with the U.S. Supreme Court's 2026 term, which saw a ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act, raising concerns about the future of Black political representation.