About Us

Jo Ann Bland, co-founder of Foot Soldiers Park, was a lifelong advocate for social justice whose work helped preserve Selma’s legacy while inspiring future generations. A Selma native, she was among the original 600 civil rights activists who marched in 1965, courageously standing against police brutality to secure voting rights for Black Americans. At just 11 years old, her participation in the Selma-to-Montgomery marches contributed to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Ms. Bland passed away on February 19, 2026, at the age of 72. Her legacy lives on through Foot Soldiers Park and the countless lives she touched, reminding us that the power of ordinary people can change the course of history.

Born in Washington D.C., raised in the south of France, and currently residing in Los Angeles, Manuel is a filmmaker with fifteen years of production experience. Evolving from production assistant to assistant director for such filmmakers as Woody Allen, Manuel has also worked as a commercial editor and producer for multiple Fortune500 companies. Today, he creates TV shows and writes feature films. He is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal.