Birmingham has been at the centre of the Civil Rights Movement and particularly in the late 50's and 60's. There is a Museum to the Civil Rights struggle near the 16th Baptist Church in Birmingham, that is well worth a visit. They have original footage of confrontations - such as the Freedom Riders trip, newspaper articles, personal film reel of peoples' views and much more. The footage of the later 'I have Dream Speech' in DC is empowering and uplifting. I am not American and yet the message and effect of the displays is grounding and emotional. Why can't all peoples be allowed to live their lives in peace with the same rights.
The Baptist Church was the site of many of Rev. Shuttlesworth speeches (The Birmingham airport is named after him) and those of Martin Luther King. These speeches challenged the status quo and gathered the strength of the black community to persist in their passive resistance to segregation despite all provocations; and there were many. The museum is a standard brick building and not worth a pic, but the church is a different matter.
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| Outside the Museum |
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