Well whoopdedoo, I slept until 7:30 a.m. I was up at 4:45 a.m., but I decided to lie back down, and before I knew it, it was 7:30 a.m.! When I got up, the place was busy with the kids. I helped Gail with some breakfast preparation while others packed. Everyone was leaving today, so Shelley and I are on our own. It will be quiet, which is welcome, but we will also be missing the activity.
Everyone packed up and left by 11:30 a.m. Shelley and I relaxed while considering nearby sightseeing options. We realized Birmingham was less than 60 miles away and decided to visit, drawn by its notable civil rights history. Around 1:30 p.m., we went to Kelly Ingram Park, home to the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. I felt uneasy being there during the holiday; the area was empty, though several shady-looking, possibly homeless individuals were around. Despite this, the visit was peaceful and educational. An excellent addition to the walk, the signs provide details for an audio tour. The phone number is (205) 307-5455. Due to unexplained hip pain and concerns about the environment (safety), Shelley did most of the walking, and I stayed in the car.
 |
| Kelly Ingram Park Entrance |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
It was the first week of May 1963 when Birmingham police and firemen attacked civil rights demonstrators, many of whom were children, in the streets around this park. The violence sparked a nationwide outcry, speeding up integration in America's most segregated city.
Birmingham, where the initial major confrontations with Freedom Riders occurred, was selected by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) for a major protest campaign. Kelly Ingram Park, formerly West Park, served as a central gathering place for protesters: sit-ins, boycotts, marches, and arrests aimed to end segregation in Birmingham. Led by Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and SCLC President Martin Luther King Jr., the protests involved boycotting department stores and marches. Dr. King was arrested and spent three days in solitary confinement, writing, smuggling, and publishing his influential “Letter from Birmingham Jail” defending nonviolent resistance.
Birmingham, where the Freedom Riders faced initial confrontations, was chosen by the SCLC, which urged children to join the demonstrations. On May 2, under Public Safety Commissioner Bull Connor, police detained 600 child picketers, some as young as six; by the next day, 1,000 were jailed. Firemen doused protesters, including children, with hoses, while police used nightsticks aggressively. K-9 units released dogs into crowds, pinning down a woman and seriously injuring teenagers. A bystander was dragged into a German Shepherd’s jaws by a police officer. An AP photographer captured this event, symbolizing Birmingham’s unrest.
Fearing a race riot and economic damage, local businesses made a pact with the SCLC. However, Alabama Governor Wallace rejected the agreement, and Bull Connor urged whites to boycott the stores. To prevent violence, President Kennedy sent 3,000 Army troops to the outskirts. Merchants removed ‘whites only’ signs and desegregated lunch counters. The new mayor repealed Jim Crow laws, desegregated the library, golf courses, public buildings, and schools.
On September 15, 1963, in the basement of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, five young girls—two sisters—gathered in the ladies’ room in their best dresses, excitedly chatting about the new school year. It was Youth Day, and they were preparing for the Sunday adult service. Just before 11 o’clock, a bomb exploded under the church steps, throwing the congregation to the ground. They sought shelter under the pews, shielding each other from falling debris. In the basement, four young girls were killed, 14-year-olds Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and 11-year-old Cynthia Wesley. Addie's sister Sarah survived but lost her right eye.
 |  |
|
|
Robert Chambliss was convicted of murder on November 14, 1977. The other suspects faced trial in the following decades. In 2000, the FBI assisted Alabama in charging the remaining suspects. Thomas Blanton was convicted and sentenced to life on May 1, 2001. Bobby Frank Cherry was convicted in 2002; his claim of planting the bomb led to his life sentence. Herman Cash died in 1994 and was never prosecuted for murder.
 |  |
We returned to the cabin just before 6:00 PM for dinner. Shelley called her father, as we’d been away for a few days. After she finished, she heard birds inside. We found the Echo in the master bedroom playing sounds like an aviary. Apparently, an alarm had been set.
No comments:
Post a Comment