Research Resources
Primary Sources · Oral Histories · News Archives · Institutional Records
Oral Histories & Video
December 6, 1985. Rachel West Nelson, Alice's daughter, describes the West family's role in the civil rights movement, including the Freedom House, Jonathan Daniels, and her mother's activism. Archived at Washington University in St. Louis.
A recent video interview with Rachel West Nelson about her mother Alice West, the Freedom House, and the legacy of the Selma civil rights movement.
Primary Written Sources
Alice West's own account of her family's role in the civil rights movement, including her description of the Freedom House, Bloody Sunday, and Jonathan Daniels. A primary source of exceptional historical value.
Tributes from civil rights veterans including Bruce Hartford, who stayed with the West family in 1965 and provides a first-hand account of the Freedom House.
The official family Facebook page for Alice Martin West, including press releases, photographs, and tributes from the community.
News Archives
WSFA News, March 3, 2023. The initial news report of Alice West's death, with biographical details and community tributes.
Montgomery Advertiser, March 4, 2023. Reports Alice West's death on the eve of the annual Bloody Sunday bridge crossing commemoration.
Black Belt News Network, March 3, 2023. Obituary with biographical details and community tributes.
Black Belt News Network, 2020. Interview with Alice West at age 91, reflecting on the civil rights battles of yesterday and today.
News & Observer, 2015. Op-ed discussing Lonzy and Alice West's long struggle for voting rights in Selma, Alabama.
New York Times, January 31, 1965. Reports on the deliberately obstructive voter registration tests used to deny Black Alabamians the franchise — the system that Lonzy West faced when he tried to register.
Books & Academic Sources
The memoir co-written by Rachel West Nelson (Alice's daughter) and Sheyann Webb, documenting their childhoods in the George Washington Carver Homes during the civil rights movement. Basis for the 1999 Disney television film.
Comprehensive article on Jonathan Daniels, the Episcopal seminary student who lived with the West family in 1965 and was killed shielding Ruby Sales from a shotgun blast.
Scholarly article on Jonathan Daniels from the Encyclopedia of Alabama, documenting his time in Selma and his relationship with the West family.
Photographs & Visual Archives
Historic photograph from the Jonathan Daniels Album, VMI Archives Photographs Collection. Shows Jonathan Daniels with a West family child during the spring of 1965.
The Civil Rights Freedom Wall at Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma lists Alice West and Lonzy West among the foot soldiers of the movement.
Aerial photograph showing demonstrators on Sylvan Street between Brown Chapel AME Church and the George Washington Carver Homes neighborhood — the geography of Alice West's world.
Institutional Archives
The Amistad Research Center at Tulane University holds the records of the Society of St. Edmund (Edmundites), who served Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Selma. These records document the Edmundite mission in Selma and their role in the civil rights movement.
Saint Michael's College in Vermont holds a digital archive of the Edmundite Southern Missions Collection, documenting the Society of St. Edmund's work in the Black Belt South, including Selma.
The Sisters of St. Joseph Archive in Rochester, New York holds records documenting their service in Selma during 1965, including their work alongside the Black Catholic community that Alice West was part of.
Virginia Military Institute's digital exhibit on Jonathan Daniels, including photographs from his time in Selma with the West family.
The National Park Service's documentation of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, including the George Washington Carver Homes and Brown Chapel AME Church.
Faith & Church Sources
The history of Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Selma, Alabama, where Alice West was a lifelong member.
The Catholic Extension Society documents the Catholic Church's role in the Selma marches, including the Edmundites and the lay Catholics who participated.
A 1965 Catholic newspaper article documenting the Edmundites' public support for the Black community in Selma during the civil rights movement.
Episcopal News Service article on the 50th anniversary of Jonathan Daniels' martyrdom, including quotes from Alice West and Rachel West Nelson.
Research Note
The Josephite Mission in Selma maintains a historical database containing papers and other materials related to Alice West and the Black Catholic community of Selma. Researchers seeking access to these materials should contact the Society of St. Edmund's Southern Mission directly. Additional materials may be found in the Amistad Research Center at Tulane University, which holds the Society of St. Edmund's records, and at Saint Michael's College in Vermont, which holds the Edmundite Southern Missions digital archive.
This archive is a living document. If you have materials, photographs, letters, or first-hand accounts related to Alice Martin West, please contact the Alice Martin West Foundation.