Sheyann Webb-Christburg, civil rights activist and author, spoke to Airmen for Women’s History Month at the General Jacob E. Smart Center on Joint Base Andrews, Md., March 23, 2017.

Christburg was invited to share her stories and experiences about the mentors and events that shaped her life from a young age.

“Though this was a Women's History event, the attendees left with so much more than women's history,” said Maj. Wanda McDonald, 11th Contracting Squadron commander. “We got a bit of civil rights history, African American history, American history, Women's history and a call to advocate for our youth all wrapped up in one.”

At the early age of eight, Christburg made her mark on history as the youngest civil rights activist to march in the 1965 demonstration, later known as “Bloody Sunday,” in Selma, Alabama, earning her the title of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Smallest Freedom Fighter”.

It was by chance that Christburg was playing in front of a church with her best friend when she met King for the first time, an event that changed the trajectory of her life. King was on his way to a civil rights meeting in the church when he introduced himself to the girls, and invited them to the meeting, which they then attended.

“I stand before you this morning as a true testament and product of the inspiration in which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. bestowed upon me as a child,” Christburg said.

Christburg also attributes much of her success to the women who believed in her when she had no promise of a bright future, including her mother, grandmother and many others.

“These women’s names may not be found in the history books, but they were ordinary women doing extraordinary things,” Christburg said. “They were women who stood up courageously for what they believed in, and they had a passion for helping others.”

 Christburg’s own passion to help others caused her to join the Civil Rights Movement.

 
“At the time it was rare for an adult to be involved in the risky movement, let alone a child,” Christburg said.
Her parents sternly instructed her to stay away from the movement. However, when Dr. King would return to Selma, something in her heart would lead her out the back door of her house and to the pews of the church, where he would speak and she would join hands with others singing songs of freedom.

Since marching in Selma, Christburg has continued her work as a civil rights activist, developed and run a youth development and modeling program, co-authored the book ‘Selma, Lord, Selma: Girlhood Memories of the Civil Rights Days’ in which she reflected on her experiences, and continued to speak and inspire others.

“Women's history month is a time to learn more about the contributions of women in the world and reflect on those accomplishments with the future in mind,” McDonald said. “It's a time to be inspired and assess the potential impact of your legacy. The guest speaker, Ms. Sheyann Webb-Christburg, was an inspiration and motivates me to want to do more to help bring up the next generation.”