Thursday, February 20, 2014

Birmingham, Alabama

We went to Birmingham, Alabama to attend a close relative’s wedding.  Given that we had come to Birmingham for a wedding, we had very limited time to do “sightseeing” in Birmingham. 
 
The city definitely has an important place in US history for its Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Movement was an effort by black people in the 1950s and 1960s, especially in the South, to eliminate racial segregation and discrimination (er go gain equal rights).  This movement was led by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. 
 
MLK chose to do this via non-violent protests and civil disobedience.  He was definitely influenced by the philosophy of non-violence practiced by Mahatma Gandhi. The non-violent protests and civil disobedience included a bus boycott.  This was because blacks were allowed to only sit in the back seats of the bus and not the front seats.   They also had several “sit-ins” and “marches” to protest racial inequality.  Those who took part in these movements were punished by the local government authorities.  They were attacked with fire hoses and police dogs.
 
People in many cities throughout the South participated in the Civil Rights Movement.  However, Birmingham had a defining moment.  During the Movement, the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham was bombed by the white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan.  Four young black girls attending the church were killed in September 1963 and the whole country mourned.  This was a turning point for the Movement and it helped the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, under President Lyndon Johnson.
 
Here are a few photos:
 
                                                           16th Street Baptist Church
 
                                                                     Church Sign
 
                                Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. - Assasinated at the age of 39
 
The caption under the statue says: I ain't afraid of your jail
 
This sculpture is dedicated to the foot soldiers. Here is the caption:
 
This sculpture is dedicated to the foot soldiers of the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement.  With gallantry, courage, and great bravery, they faced the violence of attack dogs, high powered water hoses, and bombings.  They were the fodder in the advance against injustice, warriors of a just cause; they represent humanity unshaken in their firm belief in their nation’s commitment to liberty and justice for all.
 
We also found time to visit Vulcan Park where we saw a 56ft tall Vulcan statue (The Roman god of metal, work and forge).  This was commissioned by Birmingham to represent their new growing city at the 1904 St. Louis World Fair.

                                                     Vulcan (not Spock from Star Trek)

                                                    Overview of the City of Birmingham

                                                               Streets of Birmingham

Birmingham at night

 

34 comments:

  1. I dont understand why in US names are similar to other countries..new england, or this Birmingham...why they create confusion?

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  2. city looks very beautiful.. quite deserted too :)

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  3. Even I had been to Birmingham in London, to the Venkateshwara temple!

    I have seen some movies based on the racism in these areas.

    It was interesting to read about MLK, though I know a bit vaguely.

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  4. Thanks for your comments Renu. America was colonized by the British (along with other countries). The British sent prisoners to America to settle. The areas that have British names are areas colonized by the British. These names were taken by the settlers (from Europe) homeland.

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  5. Thanks for your comments Rajlakshmi. The city photo was taken on a Sunday afternoon. That is the reason it looks deserted.

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  6. Thanks for your comments Sandhya. There is a memorial place for MLK in Atlanta, Georgia. We visited there also.

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  7. Thanks for your comments Aakanksha. I am glad you liked this post.

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  8. Nice photos .. Reminds me of some of the parks in Washington some months ago ..

    Recently I read 2 books based around this period : "black like me", and "the help"... It's so sad .. The humiliation, and the suffering the faced .. They didnt even have the status of human beings !!

    Even "gone with the wind" talks about their situation ..

    Their suffering makes them rebellious and take to the streets in many places even today .. The govt in US seems to talk about helping them, but, my uncle who is an educator says it doesn't help .. The govt gives funds but takes them back in a diff way at the same time .. They continue to live in poor areas and continue to be into gangs, drugs Etc and continue to recieve negativity from the rest of the country .. It's like a cycle ..

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  9. Btw, I agree jayalalitha is a master politician, of the wrong kind though !

    She is stupid in the sense she only sees the immediate future .. She doesn't see that this action can hit her back in the years to come ...

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  10. Cool pics. This enables us to get a flavor of the place. Thanks for that :)

    I've read the Wiki article on MLK, and I was mighty impressed. I am sure he would have been proud to know that in the near future, there would be a Black President for the US.

    Destination Infinity

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  11. Nice pictures SG. Racism and social discrimination are the bane of society all over the world. Thanks for the informative post.

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  12. Thanks for your comments Deepa. And, welcome to my blog. In South, discrimination against blacks are still there, but in a very very subtle way.

    Deepa, please visit here as often as possible. Thanks.

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  13. Thanks for your comments Rajesh. I am sure MLK would have been proud of Obama.

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  14. Thanks for your comments Reshma. I am glad you like this post.

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  15. This was very informative and the pics are fab clicks too. Thanks for sharing!

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  16. Thanks for your comments Shilpa. I am glad you liked this .

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  17. Lovely piece of history there and some cool clicks.

    Rosa Parks bus story is very famous here, if i am right?

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  18. It reminded me of our struggle against the British,the streak of oppression seems to have been every where in this world. None of us can wipe the slate clean. Really sad.

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  19. I am an admirer to Dr. Martin Luther King and the civil liberties movement. There has been a huge social change after that. I wish we could have something like this in India too.

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  20. Thanks for your comments Asha. Rosa Parks was a revolutionary. She refused to sit in the back of the bus even when the police beat her.

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  21. Thanks for your comments Rama. It is indeed very sad.

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  22. Thanks for your comments Meera. We visited MLK's memorial in Atlanta, George. Stay tuned for a post on that.

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  23. I had an oppurtunity of being there once a few years back.
    These pictures are very nice.Honestly,I am hardly a tourist hence didn't catch up,with most of the places you clicked

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  24. Though we had info.about MLK,this much details are new.So thank you for that.Pretty-looking city.

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  25. Thanks for your comments Mr. Chowla. Probably you had gone there on business so did not have time. May be next time.

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  26. Thanks for your comments Sarala. I am glad you liked this post.

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  27. Great pics and info SG. Thanks for the virtual tour. I feel like reading more about MLK Jr. My knowledge is limited to few books and movies only.

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  28. Thanks for your comments Ash. I am glad you liked this post. We visited MLK's memorial in Atlanta, Georgia. Stay tuned for a post on that.

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  29. Glad to know about Birmingham :) Thank you for posting this :)Your posts reveal your affection for the US :)

    Thank you so much for visiting my Arts blog and encouraging me always :)

    Regards,
    Sindhu
    Tantu
    The Arts & Me

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  30. Thanks for your comments Sindhu. I am glad you liked this post.

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  31. A nice trip it seems and love the clicks..

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  32. Thanks for your comments Ranita. I am glad you liked this post.

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  33. Hope you had time to mingle with some Southerners. The city is definetly beautiful but the people are more so. :)

    Nice clicks!

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