SELMA, Alabama: SAD, Decaying City Is Dying Despite Its Incredible History

I visited the historic town of Selma, Alabama.
Joey's Instagram: / joeysroadtrip
Travel Vlog 273

[@shunteljohnson4586]

This is my home . Born and raised. I still live here. Thank you for visiting. ❤❤

[@bonniehall578]

What's your age? How are you doing?

[@TutTut-du2dd]

I visited your hometown in 2018 when Montgomery had the opening of the Justice museum. My best friends grandmother and mother grew up there now both deceased. Its a very important place in history. I am blessed to have been able to visit.

[@lorettaatchison6126]

A lot of the buildings that you are showing were torn up by the tornado in Jan. of this year. I am from Selma and it is lacking in places to shop and people go elsewhere to shop. It's taking forever for insurance to pay up for the houses to be fixed. A good bit of Old Town was hurt bad.

[@dolivia7100]

The city has been an impoverished eye-sore with heavy, dark energy long before the tornado in January 2023....LOOOONG before. It's hard to tell which were hit and which were in that state before! A change gonna come . . .

[@valeriehill6747]

Thank you

[@teresa7365]

ON A SIDE NOTE: On Jan. 12, 2023 Selma, Alabama took a direct hit from a high end EF2 tornado, some reports said EF3 with wind speeds between 130-150 MPH winds doing massive damage to the town.

[@LovingMyOwnSkin]

I live in Montgomery and that tornado was catastrophic! Selma is having a hard time coming out of it and I hate it

[@imhooks1]

Yep was coming to say at 5:40 that building was hit by the tornado.

[@marving1416]

That house that was close to the street look like it was put there by a tornado!

[@Bear_58]

That's very sad. I've lived through several hurricanes and subtropical storms and depressions as well as indirect tornadoes. Horrifying is the only word that I can relate to those situations. My house was completely destroyed and I was left homeless. As of January 1st I will be homeless again...

[@sheilaeason1190]

Selma look like a ghost town 😳

[@coachsmith4947]

This video broke my heart. Born and raised in Selma. My mother owns her house there. After going to college, myself and 3 siblings all never came back to Selma. The city has been in decline for years. But like the other comments said the tornado that hit the city earlier this year was devastating. I dont want to go into the laundry list of issues with the city. But I will say like myself, most people from here leave and never come back.

[@paelzermaedche-px4qd]

There you have it.

[@angelawilson3144]

Im from Selma too. Left back in the late 80's. Have 4 other siblings that left too. Now all 6 of us have left, never to return. Lots of good memories and also some bad

[@49er61]

Joe you deserve everything you might make from your travels. You research the history so well and present it exceptionally well holds interest from start to finish. Thank you for sharing and allowing us all to travel along with you.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Thanks 👍

[@vrj40]

If there are no industries to find work, then it doesn't matter whether you're in Selma, Detroit, Toledo, etc. You will unfortunately see dying cities and towns.

[@donaldpruett852]

A police officer called in on his car radio and said; "I have a strange situation here. An elderly woman just shot her husband for walking on her freshly mopped floor." His supervisor asked; "Have you arrested her?" "No", replied the officer. Supervisor asked; "Well, why not?" The officer said; "Because the floor is still wet."

[@JohnSmith-ti2kp]

It is impossible for those not living in this region to understand the underlying mentality that prevents towns like Selma from prospering. Basically, the majority there are waiting for someone to do something, that almost always means, "the govment". This way of thinking has been ingrained so deeply for so long, 50+ years, that changing it is improbable and closer to impossible.

[@Bear_58]

You can see what was a very beautiful city back in the day. It's too bad that all the multi billionaires in this country don't invest in rebuilding such a historical city. It has so much potential. Very sad to see it's slow death... Thanks Joe.

[@glennjenkinson1103]

Someone invented a word,racism,how is it the people we are told to love ruin everything given to them,

[@jerrysanders9101]

No doubt- instead they and the globalist leftists invest in China Ukraine and other places they can get rich or get away with murder.

[@paelzermaedche-px4qd]

Why should any billionaires pump any money in a place where nobody is motivated to do something about it. Even if money is spend it usually ends up being run down again. So, if that's what you want, so be it, or no point to invest.

[@Jimbo0341usmc]

You can’t just throw money at towns like this and preform a miracle…. It’s been tried in communities like this and you were better of flushing it down a toilet. Let’s be real and take about what the actual problem here is…

[@kbanghart]

​@@glennjenkinson1103please explain, how do you connect people we love to ruining everything?

[@58jennypenny]

so sad to see what once were happy family home like this. I live in England and it's very educational watching your videos, I've learned a lot about places I've never heard of, thank you for that.

[@lorrie5881]

So many places..I'm thinking some of the people they are shipping here..they could revitalize some of them.....like give them a few empty towns..😏

[@Lalunabreeze]

Jenny, I live in the US. SERIOUSLY, I’ve never seen anything like these places. It appears to be lots of them. Makes me mad the government can’t jump in to help these poor rundown cities. Nope, instead they send sheet loads of money to countries that hate the US. GO figure.

[@Lalunabreeze]

@@lorrie5881that’s true lorrie. They will have free housing , food and programs for training and jobs. Like tax credits to employers to hire them. So, your right set up these empty run down cities where there’s room for them to grow and make a good living.

[@laurie7689]

@@lorrie5881 No jobs. No transportation. No services. The asylum seekers have to be able to get to the Fed. court house for their cases. To revitalize the buildings, they'd have to bring them up to code. Everything always comes down to money. Also, just because an old house is falling in, doesn't mean that the property doesn't have an owner. I knew one person here in Alabama who inherited his great grandparents old house and land. The house wasn't worth restoring and was purposely allowed to fall in to make removal easier after several years. The family just wanted to keep the land, not the house.

[@ectofix8447]

Thank you so much for the tour. I was born in Selma at Craig Air Force Base in 1960, but we moved away shortly after while I was still an infant. My Dad was stationed there at the time while attending flight instructor school. After moving to Virginia for a few years, we settled in Texas in 1964 - where I was raised. During my teen years living in Texas, Dad told me a story about when we were in Selma. He said he’d invited all of his flight crew over to the house for a cookout. One of them, who was black, flatly turned down my dad’s offer. When my dad asked WHY, the man told him, _“For your own safety and for mine. Folks in these parts won’t allow a white man to invite a black into their home and let them get away with it.”_ That man and my dad kept in touch for many years afterwards as friends. From that story, I’ve always made sure that when I tell people where I was born, I quickly clarify that I never remembered the place and that I find it shameful that bigotry was so rampant then.

[@AloneInTheVoid]

I was born at Craig Air Force Base in 1960 as well. My dad solo'd a T-bird on the day I was born!

[@doodybird5766]

My mom's best friend was an elderly black lady that use to come drink coffee with her and sit around shooting the breeze. It was until I was graduating and I 8nvited her that SHE let her racism show by telling me it would be inappropriate for her to be seen at my graduation with my family, after all those years of company, laughter and friendship then that comes out. It was the last time I ever spoke to her.

[@kbanghart]

​@@doodybird5766your mom said this, or the black lady?

[@Yenchantress1isaStarr]

@ectofix8447 It is amazing how each of us have unique stories.I was born & raised in Alabama. So, were my parents & grandparents. I was born in 1963. I did not ever experience racism; until I was an adult & moved to Louisiana. My grandfather was born in Dallas, Al in 1914. Dallas is 31 minutes from Selma. He later moved further to south Alabama & lived in a middle-class neighborhood with my grandmother & their children. He was a strong man, with a thriving business. The neighborhood he lived in was mostly non-colored residents, & Jews. The children of these families would often visit & sleepover w/my mom & her 4 siblings. Until the parents; of a couple of the children, over charged my grandfather for goods. They were Jews. The father was charging non-blacks less for the same goods, that were hiked-up for my grandfather. My grandpa found out. He addressed the father publicly w/expletives & forbid his children to ever cross his threshold again.They did not ever come back. He continued to thrive in his business, and no harm ever came to him for his bold stand.

[@venusbaptiste8210]

​@@doodybird5766you mean AFTER all the nightrides and lynchings Black people had to endure during that era, you'd expect her to STILL come to your houses??...

[@everettnichols9062]

The railroads built a lot of 'shotgun' houses to house employees! You will find many of them near railroad yards and other railroad facilities!

[@TinkerTailor4303]

I believe the "statement" on that building is biblical. Fascinating place, past and present, and one of your best videos. Way to power through the rain! Weather matched your seemingly blue mood.

[@devonlengacher3403]

Yes a direct quote from the Bible.

[@sandrajohnson2489]

Power through the rain? It was barely sprinkling!

[@TinkerTailor4303]

@@sandrajohnson2489 it was still gloomy and not the best weather to be out and about ... unless, of course, you're a duck!

[@user-lw7mw1cj5k]

Definitely a dying town. If it was my hometown I would move too. Once decay and rot start it is hard to stop. The homes have some quality construction and features but because of location and the local economy there isn't any value to them. It is a bit sad and a bummer. They will also loose their bridge if they don't get it maintained. It looked a sorry state. Thanks for taking the time to record the town. It needs to be remembered and your documentation was very good.

[@joycelebaron2582]

I always feel bad when Joe drives through one of these towns with all the abandoned homes. Mostly I feel bad for the neighbors who somehow managed to keep their homes in good repair because I'm sure there's vermin crawling around the abandoned homes and encroaching on their houses as well.

[@galacticWeather101]

Used to live there gotten worst every year dead bodies in the streets,hour drive to the closest employment, and a uncaring government

[@gatorgogo2742]

Sad that such a historically rich town has come to this dereliction People can't live and thrive where there are no opportunities for jobs. Towns like Selma are no longer unfamiliar sites, and it will continue. Thanks, Joe. You got there so early that Dollar General wasn't open!

[@patriciawilhite7038]

Hey Joe! You might Google the EF3 Tornado that hit Selma in January of this year. Selma took a direct hit with winds of 136mph. Much of the homes you showed were in the path. Nine people were killed. I know this bc my grandpa lives there. He is in his 90’s and his home was totally destroyed. FEMA has offered little to no help to these folks so restoration is slow to non-existent.

[@elbertmoreno2159]

You should be happy that atleast we still have money to send to Ukraine...

[@patriciawilhite7038]

@@elbertmoreno2159 And why should I be happy about that? 🤷‍♀️

[@elbertmoreno2159]

Not sure, I think Lindsey Graham said it was good for USA...

[@karlm8682]

That's Build Back Better for you! Let's GO Brandon!

[@patriciawilhite7038]

@@karlm8682 Facts!

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

The houses tell me that Selma was once a lovely little gem of the south.

[@catlover614]

A very enlightening and interesting video. Lots of beautiful old homes, but always so sad to see them deteriorating like that. Some of the old buildings downtown would have been lovely in the past, too. It was nice to see the churches, I wonder if they are all still open. Thanks for showing us around, Joe, very much appreciated as always.😊💚

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Thank you, CL. 👍😀❤️

[@cosmyccowboy]

We have lived off the efforts of our ancestors about as long as we can

[@blossomhere9028]

I was in Selma in Dec.2022.Yes to some incredible homes .Yet is is a dangerous town.The people living there have little desire to change.

[@davidgreenhow7811]

Thanks for the video. The hope and courage of those who marched for justice in 1965 deserve to be remembered. It's sad to think that as Selma dies, its important place in American history may be forgotten.

[@andrewward5891]

Just read a recent story that 3 rural Alabama hospitals are going to close their birthing departments because of losing money from population loss, poverty of residents, and high rates of non insured. So pregnant women in these areas will have long drives for prenatal care and to give birth. And Alabama banned abortion. So women have to give birth if they can find a place to do it.

[@yaminatoday1151]

The buildings are really beautiful and alot of the streets are so clean. It's just empty. But, man, you can see the potential!

[@johnpollard4158]

The shotgun houses are mostly a testament to segregation. It's the portion of town where blacks lived and had businesses. On a side note, there was a bad tornado in Selma back in January. Some of those houses may have been victims. I noticed some of the trees around them looked wrecked.

[@dewaba1]

Shotgun houses were built to avoid paying taxes, real estate was tax based on frontage rather than square footage. Athough I believe the style home originated from Haiti by West Africans and was first brought to New Orleans.

[@smellincoffee]

A portion, not the portion. There was a prominent black business district in the heart of downtown, adjacent to the then-Jewish dominated Broad Street. And yes, the tornado came through that area, but it was no respector of persons. The tornado gutted neighborhoods old and new, rich and poor, black and white. May mark the point that some future historian says "And that was the end of that."

[@smellincoffee]

A lot of the 'black' areas of town used to be where the white working class lived. My dad grew up in a shotgun house in Selma. The black business districnt was in downtown and it looked great. Take your tired old narratives elsewhere.

[@johnpollard4158]

@@smellincoffee sorry you don't like historical facts.

[@smellincoffee]

@@johnpollard4158 I like historical facts plenty, especially when they're not cherrypicked to form a convenient narrative. Peace.

[@mekkler]

Good in-depth look at a very historic town. I remember all that happening. Chaotic times.

[@HaveKayaksWillTravel]

Selma, It's an amazing place. It doesn't look like they sell much house paint around there. The downtown doesn't look too bad. I bet those old shotgun houses do have some serious history. We are going to start putting our videos in a category, good, bad, or ugly. Selma fits in all three.

[@galacticWeather101]

Was nice, but after years of abandonment, poor ownership , and a tornado the city looks horrible

[@margaretduncan1848]

What is a shotgun house?

[@trinidad179]

​@margaretduncan1848 A Shotgun House is a home that has at least one double barrel shotgun in every room, including the shitter.

[@laurie7689]

@@margaretduncan1848 A shotgun house is a long, narrow house (rectangular usually) whose backdoor can be seen from the front door. Basically, you could shoot a gun from the front of the house to the rear of the house without hitting any walls. Think of a shotgun home as being one long corridor/hallway with all the rooms off to the sides of the hallway. They were typically the homes of poorer people and found in many rural areas.

[@briliant8]

Thank you @laurie7689 for your intelligent and correct answer to what a shotgun house is. People really need to know the correct definition not someone giving out false, trying to be funny answers. Again thank you.

[@flick1ca]

Thats crazy to see literally stunning mini mansion just surrounded by decaying homes. Normally you see nice areas and town and then crummy areas but they seem blend in here. I would like to talk to the people who live at that house and see what they think and they’re life in like

[@sandrajohnson2489]

New Orleans looks the same way. You will see fabulous mansions and right next door is a shack. Mansion, shack. Mansion, shack.

[@galacticWeather101]

I do believe if the national government didn't move the craig airforce base that selma would still be a thriving town it was the main employment back in the day nowadays you have to drive all the way to Prattville to work.

[@FunGetAways]

Yes, this hurts my ❤ to see this town with so much history in such a poor state 😢 Thanks for sharing with us and love the history you put about the town in video!

[@robertsmith5489]

Tornado damage in January 12 2023 Selma Alabama. Destroying 40 homes and killed 7 people 😢

[@deweygill1973]

I paid a visit to Selma in March, saw the Pettis bridge. And I was taken back by the poverty and run down buildings, although there are still some neat historic ones as well. I took photos of some of the same homes and buildings you are showing here, on a similar rainy depressing day.

[@markd8469]

Thanks for doing these videos. I enjoy watching them and learning things along the way

[@jonathanbaggs4275]

I used to go to selma all the time 30 and 40 years ago. Went to wonderful parties at sturdivant hall. The cemetery is so full of historic figures buried there. Always dreamed of living in one of the beautiful homes there - now you can buy them for practically nothing relatively speaking. The st james hotel is where legend has it jesse james stayed for a while laying low.

[@stephenoshaughnessy2279]

It's up to a cities people to upkeep a town and assure a good future. Selma is falling to the state of the Mississippi Delta.

[@NativeNYer]

That was really sad but whoever wrote on that wall knows where their help comes from. Very enlightening ty 4 the vid. U and Nicole stay safe out there!

[@janefinley-english1051]

What a surprise to see Selma in this sad shape. Very sad. Hope they will have a renovation & business will be able to function. Thanks for traveling there.

[@throne1797]

History does not often yield prosperity. You've got many non-US and non-southern folks watching. So you might need to explain why these long narrow houses are called shotgun houses. Wonder how many of those estates are true antebellum. Usually when the roof goes,so goes the house.

[@MrGooper]

Hey guys, I stumbled upon your channel yesterday and found it very interesting. I’ve now watched dozens of them. You got close to my area in on of your vids when you was in west Kentucky. Keep um coming and I’ll keep watching them!

[@georgekelly9797]

Selma, such a sad ending to such a historic city. Thank you for the tour, it gives us an insight of what’s happening to some of our city’s.

[@sandrajohnson2489]

I went to school in Selma back in the late 60's and early 70's. Back then, Selma was a pretty cool town at least me and my friends thought it was. We were young and liked to hang out. I met my very first boyfriend in the projects. He was/is three years older than me and had dropped out of school. I fell in teenage love with him instantly. About three years ago we reconnected on Facebook but after talking to him for a while I realized that he had changed so very much. I stopped talking to him. My friends and I would go to the drive-in theater and have fun. The place had bleachers in front of the screen and swings for kids. Because we knew so many people we would walk around and talk to everyone who were in their cars. Most were there on dates to make out. Lol. I did it a few times myself. Once in a while we would go to the old cemetery that was very rundown, over grown and even some of the tombs had been broken. The boys would scare us girls and all of us would sit around drinking Mad Dog 20-20 or cherry vodka. Gawd I got so sick drinking that stuff. We also enjoyed going to Carter's Drug store and hanging out at the restaurant part. There was also a teen hangout called the 'Shing-a-ling' and a local band would play there. It was next door to a fast food place called Chic 'n Treat. On the weekends, anyone who had a car would drive around and around the place to see who was there. Lots of teens hung out there. Craig Air Force base was in Selma too and some of us young girls liked the older guys in uniform. As a matter of fact, my son's dad and my first husband was stationed at Craig. At the time, I was living with my two half sisters and their dad in Flamingo trailer park. After a few years they moved to Banks trailer park. I was raised in south Florida and would travel back and forth between Florida and Selma because I didn't get along with my father. Years ago I found an old classmate of mine on Facebook and he told me how bad Selma is now. He said it's mostly a ghetto. He lives closer to Montgomery I think.

[@1AloneX2]

the old "apartment complex" is the old Good Samaritan Center Hospital, the bridge is the site of 1965's Bloody Sunday conflict

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

This is so sad for me. My parents both grew up in the Birmingham area...Hueytown and Bessemer. They moved to Galena Park, TX in the mid 50s. When I was a child, we always visited once a year, and I have wonderful memories of Alabama. That was back in the 60s and early 70s. It really pains me to see what the state has become.

[@johnpollard4158]

The state is doing great. 2% unemployment is half of what Texas is. Selma is an outlier.

[@independentthinker8930]

One town does not make the state! I'm just up the road a couple of hours and exact opposite

[@205rlg6]

Even Birmingham's worst looking neighborhoods aren't in as bad shape like Selma, Prichard, Anniston & Bessemer. Don't think Alabama as a whole looks like this.

[@sandrajohnson2489]

I was born in Birmingham but my parents didn't live there for very long. Lived in Selma too back in the 60's-70's. Yeah the state is sad looking.

[@CorettaJG]

The state of Alabama needs a lot of change in state government. The state has been run into the ground for decades by those in state government. It is at the bottom of every list.

[@Surfguitarist59]

Wow..!!! I love seeing these historical towns you guys visit. It's a shame the historical buildings are not preserved..

[@Marvel-Rogue]

So glad YOU did this one @Joe & Nic's Road Trip 🚗👍

[@andytaylor5476]

A year ago in January, an EF2 tornado destroyed one third of the city. It's path was through the downtown area of Selma. The city is still dealing with the damage cleanup as well as rebuilding.

[@cecoya]

Thanks for sharing, I don't really have any words to describe what I saw. Safe travels and have a great day

[@notapplicable4185]

I took a hiatus from watching your videos for awhile as life got little busy, but just watched your Selma video and what a historical place! You gave us alot of good info and remind me of how much I enjoy your travels. As a retired guy, your videos bring up both sadness and pleasure. Sad that our country has gone to hell when it used to be the greatest country to travel in. Small towns were the lifeblood of our country in my opinion. They were the absolute best places to grow up. Thanks once again for what you share with us and I will be watching your videos one again. I know of no one that does the job as well as you.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Thank you! 👍😀

[@BrunieStudios]

So very sad, want to cry…this town should be a historical treasure of the USA.

[@MichaelSmith-hs5iu]

I was stationed at Craig AFB (1962-1966) which is actually just up the road from Selma. I can remember as a young airman all the problems with the civil rights during those years. As military we were not allowed off the base to witness those famous marches, but watched them unfold on the television. Of course the base is closed down now as an AFB. A lot of the buildings are still there. I did manage to go back to the base 53 years later to see the deterioration of the base and the city,

[@tedwilloughby555]

Mike, did two years at the SAGE radar center in Montgomery. Was there 1964 1965.

[@sandrajohnson2489]

I married an airman from Craig. His name was Terry Holka. Did you ever know a guy who was stationed there by the name of Bill Mather? He was unique to say the least. He was a hippie, wore the top of his hair long (blonde) and combed it in a way that it hid under his cap. He wore round glasses and rode a motorcycle. He was my boyfriend for a while and he never should have been because he was a lot older than me.

[@KatKO510]

I used to go to the Catholic Church on the base. It was very nice there at the time.

[@feep303]

“All the problems with the Civil Rights” wording is fundamental.

[@smellincoffee]

There are parts of the base housing that police officers are reluctant to visit.

[@lindaburns4890]

Thank you for all the nice videos you are bringing to us, they are educational, and We learn the history of those places, plus travel with you and Nicole,since I found you I follow you,Take care waiting for the next video.😂

[@alexandralovesgoats3360]

Appreciate you covering the history of Selma. This city has many beautiful churches. The architecture of some of the homes is gorgeous. I do like the shotgun houses. I too wonder if the colors represented anything. I wish I could go back to 1970 and see Selma before the city began to decline. Thank you. Looking forward to Mississippi.

[@sandrajohnson2489]

I lived in Selma and went to school there. It was a thriving place back in the day. Sad to see it the way it is now.

[@stevenclark2894]

thanks, enjoying, still watching.

[@kevinhoock9742]

Great history and facts you give us every week ....

[@usbankusa]

Thanks for sharing. It is kind of sad to see what happened in SELMA.

[@michaelwoodford3990]

Real eye opener that a city can get into such a state with such a beautiful river frontage and some lovely houses in the surrounding environs, very sad.

[@grantmillington9104]

I'm subscribed to over 200 channels and this is the only one I watch every video. That says a lot.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Wow, thank you! 👍😀

[@BirdDogey1]

My church denomination had a university there but had to close it about 15 years ago. It didn't have a sufficient student population to stay open.

[@jenskimble]

Hi, Joe, we really enjoy your videos and check often for anything new. We visited Selma three years ago and shared the same disappointment you felt. Such an important city in the fight for civil rights, and it just sits deteriorating. Just a quick comment though on a lot of what you saw, where the roofs were blown off and disarray here and there… there was a really bad tornado two years ago that caused a lot of that damage. However, we saw the same vacantness in the downtown area that you saw this past week. I wish someone had the funds to at least start on one block fixing it up.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

I agree.

[@SajjadKhan-jn7cw]

really very enjoyable video i watched all your videos thanks for sharing joe and Nic 👍

[@dianehodges6889]

Love Your Videos and All The Details you give us About each town ❤️

[@beautifulflorida]

Thank you very much for the great video!

[@RichardFelstead1949]

Thanks for sharing your journey, Joe. Greetings from Australia.

[@nathant17]

Great video. I knew about the civil rights history but had no idea about the Civil War history of Selma. Sad to see the old historic buildings not being preserved.

[@godzilla6740]

Enjoyed yr tour of Selma.

[@DUMPSTERDIVINGADELAIDE]

Good morning, (for me) - Thanks for the video, EXCELLENT information, Regards, Simon 😊

[@melinnwflorida1762]

Selma got hit really hard by a tornado in January 2023. Some of the destruction of the town is due to that.

[@polly8844]

I recently moved south, and I love the insight you provided in your videos.

[@philiporourke7896]

Great vid, dude and dudette. Lots of fun to watch, thanx.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Awesome!

[@Steve-ow4jt]

It is truly heart wrenching to see what was once a beautiful, thriving town, with such a rich history, slowly fading away. Some of the downtown buildings look like they could have such awesome potential if only the financial circumstances for the city weren't so bleak. It's just a shame more can't be done to help these historic towns come back to life again. Great video. Will be watching for the next. Until then stay safe and God bless. Steve in Oklahoma

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Well said, Steve.

[@monkeymanstones1]

My son was moved by his mother (with no warning given to me nor note saying so) from my home in Dover, MA to Selma. After 5 years she finally called to say so, but my heart was so broken I had built a steel wall around it. I went to Toys R Us to buy him a brand new Mongoose BMX bike (he was only 3 but he was crazy about bikes and I knew he would grow into it fitting him) and when I arrived home a few hours later she and he were gone. Absolute confusion and shock was my reaction. I went to his high school graduation in Selma and the city seemed poor, but not excessively so. He is in the USA Air Force now in Louisiana. Now I get to see the place he grew up in full daylight, so thanks.

[@stevehoole9847]

These videos make my evenings. Keep them coming.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Will do! 😀

[@neonnoir9692]

Do Graham/Burlington NC. An old railroad/textile town kept alive. Still has the original train station from the 1800s. Historic Burlington and downtown Graham are beautiful.

[@cherienafo7676]

OZ/ Thanks Joey, I absolutely love the residential side of your journeys, feels like I,m in the passenger seat-totally. I dont think you can hear me, but I,m now and again- saying- "slow down !- I want a better look !!" LOL thanks for your interesting and enjoyable work, great stuff. It is indeed sad to see those gorgeous big homes, sitting empty and uncared for. Cheers from Australia.

[@carolwilson7567]

Going through Selma. We lived north of there. Stayed in the St James hotel. Beautiful. Remember also they had a tornado that devastated Selma this spring. It is so sad to see Selma like this. There are such wonderful old homes down some of the streets.

[@carolynkelley2641]

Selma was hit by a tornado in Jan 2023 which is what caused a lot of the damage.

[@user-ws9er6ww1y]

Your supplementary on screen comments are appreciated. Nice work, Joe

[@TheeAviari]

OUR American History! Despite The Past And The Current Issues I Love My Country And The People Within. Thank You Joe For This. 💙

[@VinceGoodrum]

The reason Selma looks like that is because of its violent history, nobody wants to move there and live which includes businesses...and once businesses leave Selma they never come back

[@galacticWeather101]

Not even that it's because the main employer back in the day was the Craig airforce base and the national government decided to move it to Nevada taking all its employees with it or without a job

[@Mooniestarry]

No, he's right the horrible things that happened there are directly correlated to the present state the city is in. The air force base may be part of it but the fact the town was founded by slavery off the backs of the enslaved is a giant part of it. Two things can be true at one time.

[@indianaslim4971]

​@@MooniestarryI ain't buying what you're selling, there's not a business around that makes their decisions based on things that happened 160 years ago, if Selma had no taxes on business they could attract new business investment.

[@Mooniestarry]

@@indianaslim4971 As I said, two things can be true at one time.

[@indianaslim4971]

@@Mooniestarry You are wrong.

[@RupanagudiRaviShankar]

sir slowly i have become "addicted" to your tour videos.😊 Thanks for your efforts in giving a virtual tour of many places. regards

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Your most welcome 😊

[@warrenscarlett9302]

Keep up the good work mate watching from Australia

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Thanks 👍

[@guymanges3628]

Thank you Joe...

[@larrygorst8749]

Thanks for sharing, and caring. Good Lad.

[@ronaldshumaker1248]

SELMA IS A VERY OLD HISTORIC CITY IN MY STATE OF ALABAMA. I REMEMBER A TIME WHEN SELMA WAS THRIVING,GROWING BUSINESSES,AND AIR FORCE BASE ,MAKING GOOD MONEY FROM TOURISM,WHAT HAPPENED? WELL THOSE OF US WHO LIVE IN ALABAMA KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO SELMA.WE KNOW WHY BUSINESSES LEFT,WHY MONEY LEFT,WHY TOURISM MONEY LEFT.WE JUST DONT TALK ABOUT IT,ITS TOO SAD. SADLY BECAUSE OF POOR MANAGEMENT,CORRUPTION, RACEISM AGAINST HISTORY AND OTHER POLITICALLY CORRECT NARATIVES THIS SMALL HISTORIC SOUTHERN CITY WILL PROBALLY NEVER RECOVER.

[@viewome]

Thank you Joe for a great view of Selma. It sure is a tired town.

[@BengSilver]

If you blame this on a tornado your out of touch . Open your eyes and take along look.

[@davidscherff2148]

2 Timothy 4:3-4, which says, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

[@corsal31]

Really enjoy your channel folks, i like seeing different places that i'm never likely to see myself, and you make it very interesting too, well done to you both 😊

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Awesome, thank you!

[@catherineleigh9000]

Hi Joe! I know that I already commented but wanted to add. When you go to Laurel- please take the time to look up Ben and Erin Napier. He owns the Scotsman as well as they both have a mercantile store. I know they would love any publicity since they have singlehandedly saved that town. I love them so much I’d like to move there. They have our exact same accent. Be sure and watch one of the Hometown episodes. I’ve seen them all. It’s funny that since I spend so much time watching y’all I feel as if I know you. 😍 God bless you both. Oh btw the town of Wetumpka Al is one that was on Hometown Makeover and I’d love to see how it faring after the tv program

[@lostvlog6857]

A gold mine a forgotten gems, I will be stopping by on my way to FL in a few months.

[@isartoraplatz]

Selma means peace Helmet of G-D And safe its of Hebraic origins… They are shotgun houses they were actually cheaper to build than a regular house my grandma and grandpa… Built them on a separate lot across the street from main house they rented them out and they were very cheap. We also had a grocery store a small one. Thank you…for this video!

[@patm5594]

It is sad to see such a historic place in such decay

[@TheSimba1960]

You know Joe. I'm not surprised many of the houses are empty. They're all so BIG! How can people on diminishing incomes and dying businesses afford to maintain such houses? Just the utility bills alone must be punishable, let alone the upkeep and maintenance. It's real sad to see in virtually every town, such sad degradation. Many of the smaller town are just ghosts of the memories of what they were. It's interesting seeing the US via your 4 wheel. It really illustrates the slow, steady decline of US infrastructure. Shame all that money spent on the US military wasn't spent on the nation. It seems the only business the US profits in is anything militarized and it is evident the infrastructure has suffered greatly from it.

[@brucesumter4327]

so sad to see city's going down i hope you and nico's she doing good ty for video

[@donaldmilhoan6379]

I was in Selma in 2018. I crossed that Edmund Pettus bridge over the Alabama River.

[@AloneInTheVoid]

WOW! My dad was a pilot in the AF, and I was born at Craig AF base in 1960!

[@manterprise]

Thank you!

[@kingjustice1831]

“Based on Agriculture and Farming”. This area was built on slave labor, and so without proper and appropriate support the town dies without it. In reporting about Selma, of all places, you didn’t say the word “slavery” once. Thank you for the video, it was very informative.

[@JohnMoore-xf5wy]

Slavery ended in 1865, ICYMI. NOT 1965!

[@indianaslim4971]

Slavery has no bearing on the status of Selma today, Joe hit the nail on the head when he superimposed the words "due to automation" as the beginning of Selma's downfall, there are plenty of agricultural towns in the north that never had slavery that are also fading away due to the industrial revolution that needed fewer farm workers and the resulting movement of the population to cities and their factories.

[@rogerwhiting5060]

Some of the bad places you seen while here were damaged by a tornado back in January of 2023 me and my girlfriend used to go here for her job and you can definitely see the potential and history of the place I love the art work around the town the most

[@EricBynog-zd4rd]

Good video I use to go Selma Alabama every Christmas to visit and I would go deer hunting I love the city of selma it has a mixed culture but people respect others and they have awesome deer hunting around there lots of wildlife and nice food place downtown Selma now my wife’s grandmother passed in 2012 they sold her old house

[@independentthinker8930]

2 1/2 or so hours,away from me! Total different situation here in Cullman. I remember all the marches