Road Scholar: May 7 - 14, 2017
Heart of the Civil Rights Movement: Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma and Birmingham
(Just a note: photography was limited or not allowed at some of our stops.)
Day 1 - Atlanta
The day began with an important background lecture by Mr. Stephen Davis. His theme was "How We Got Here From the Civil War: A Civil Rights Timeline". The short version of his comments is that since 1865 when slavery was abolished by the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, there has been non-stop social, political and economic pressure to modify and limit the rights and standing of the "freed people", to disenfranchise, diminish and "keep blacks in their place".
I feel like it is worth a little space here to add some detail to the short version.
The good news in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War was that in 1868 and 1870 the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments were passed guaranteeing civil rights to citizens and preventing states from disenfranchising citizens based on "race, color or previous condition of servitude". In 1875 the Third Civil Rights Act was passed prohibiting racial discrimination in public accommodations. The bad news is that by the 1890's The Civil Rights Act of 1875 had been declared unconstitutional. And, more ominously, Southern state governments began make legal the denial of rights and freedoms through a series of statutes known as "Jim Crow" laws.
"Jim Crow", a derisive slang term for black men, came to mean any state law passed in the South that established different rules for blacks and whites. Based on a theory of white supremacy and a reaction to the economically depressed times of the Reconstruction era, "Jim Crow" laws that structured society to separate whites and blacks touched every part of life in the South. But segregation was not limited to the South. Discrimination, intimidation and violence in the form of race riots took place throughout the country to the extent that in 1909 The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded to fight back and seek redress.
Throughout the first half of the 20th Century until the end of WWII the spirit and the fact of "Jim Crow" was a rising tide throughout the South and the nation. It was the link between segregation and white supremacy here at home and Hitler's promotion of a "master race" that shocked the conscience of some citizens and jump started early efforts at change. For example, in 1948 President Harry Truman ordered the complete integration of the Armed Forces.
But more importantly on May 17, 1954 the Supreme Court announced their decision in the Brown v. Board of Education case, declaring that racial segregation of children in public schools was inherently unequal, violated the 14th Amendment of the Constitution and must stop. For many this decision signaled the beginning of the struggle we now identify as The Civil Rights Movement.
With that background we set out for our first stop, The Carter Presidential Center.
In 1982, he founded The Carter Center. The nonpartisan and nonprofit Carter Center has as it's mission to "Wage Peace, Fight Disease and Build Hope" by engaging in efforts to resolve conflict, encourage democracy, protect human rights, prevent/eradicate disease and advocate for mental health. As an example, this sculpture on the grounds of the Carter Center recognizes the initiative to eliminate River Blindness, one of the leading causes of preventable blindness worldwide.
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| "Sightless Among Miracles" by J. R. Waller |
And as to the replica of the Oval Office, it was a surprise to me. It seemed small in scale. Not like I remember from "West Wing".
Our next stop: The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site
and Preservation District.
Located
along Auburn Avenue, this National Park Service site preserves the
places that were the roots of Dr. King's lifelong fight for equality and justice.
The National Park Service Visitor's Center was established in 1980. It anchors the preservation district and houses an extensive exhibit honoring King and his legacy of non-violence. In the 12 years that he led the movement, Black Americans made more progress toward equality than at any time in the history of the United States. Dr. King credited the courageous men, women and children he led for the movement's achievements and successes.
Ebenezer Baptist Church Horizon Sanctuary built in 1999 (above)
Looking across to the Ebenezer Baptist Church Heritage Sanctuary
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| Ebenezer Baptist Church Heritage Sanctuary |
Born in 1929, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. grew up in Atlanta in a close-knit neighborhood along Auburn Avenue. Ebenezer Baptist Church, built between 1914-22, was the center of spiritual and community life for the King family. Both his father and maternal grandfather preached there.
In 1948 King was ordained as a Baptist minister and served as Assistant Pastor at Ebenezer.
In 1960 King and his family returned to Atlanta where he served as Co-Pastor at Ebenezer with his father, Daddy King, while leading the Civil Rights Movement. "The Church has always been home to me" Dr. King wrote.
The Heritage Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall inside Ebenezer have been restored to their 1960's appearance and are open to the public.
Adjacent to Ebenezer Baptist Church is the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, established by Coretta Scott King after his death in 1968. (Below)
The Plaque reads: "The Eternal Flame symbolizes the continuing effort to realize Dr. King's ideals for the "Beloved Community" which requires lasting personal commitment that cannot weaken when faced with obstacles."
Freedom Hall borders the Reflecting Pool and houses biographical exhibits on Dr. King.
The tombs of Dr. and Mrs. Martin Luther King are the centerpiece of the
Reflecting Pool.
From a sermon delivered by King at Ebenezer on February 8, 1968:
"Everybody can be great because everybody can serve...You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant."
We began Day 2 at Morehouse College. Waiting just outside the campus, I was drawn to this apartment building which, intentionally or not, honors an era just passed (and mourned by many).
Morehouse College was founded in 1867 in the aftermath of the Civil War to educate young African American men. Their Mission Statement includes the goal "to develop men with disciplined minds to lead lives of leadership and
service by emphasizing the intellectual and character development of its
students and by assuming a special responsibility for teaching the
history and culture of black people".
We began with a lively walking tour of the Morehouse College campus led by an engaging Morehouse student. 
The Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a graduate of Morehouse College, Class of 1948.
"In particular, we seek to produce men of acuity, integrity and agency; men who commit to brotherhood; and men who strive to lead consequential lives."
(from the Morehouse web site)
We were greeted warmly on the campus. The impression left was of a vibrant and values driven environment.
We completed our time at Morehouse College with a VERY interesting lecture delivered by Dr. Larry H. Spruill. He ably led us through an active learning experience on Martin Luther King's concept of "the Gospel of publicity" and the use of photojournalism and cameras as nonviolent weapons in the struggle for civil rights.
Above is a photo of the worksheet with notes I took during his presentation. Notable civil rights era photographers and journalists played an essential role in exposing the brutality and violence of racism and segregation to the nation outside the deep South. This was not "fake news". Lecture take away: Photojournalism documented and preserved the stark truth and was employed as a conscious strategy by the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.
Our final stop on Day 2 was The Center for Civil and Human Rights.
The Center for Civil and Human Rights, through expertly developed exhibitions, connects the American Civil Rights Movement to the contemporary global Human Rights Movements.
Two exhibitions, one detailing the legacy of the American Civil Rights Movement, and the second highlighting the worldwide movement for human rights, serve as a reminder about "the long arc of history" where civil and human rights are concerned.
The Center for Civil and Human Rights is located in a 20 acre park known as Pemberton Place. Also found there are the Georgia Aquarium and The World of Coca-Cola (invented in Atlanta in 1886!). As urban spaces go it made a fine impression under clear blue skies.
On Day 3 we departed Atlanta for Montgomery, Alabama. Montgomery has the dual distinction of being knows as "the cradle of the Confederacy" and "the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement". We arrived in Montgomery at the old Union Station Visitor Center.
Our first stop was the Alabama State Capitol. (Below) Most significantly, what I want to point out is the State Flag of Alabama. Note it's design: a white field AND a red Confederate cross. This is not the well known Confederate Battle Flag that is an enduring legacy of the Civil War and a contemporary political and social symbol. BUT it is nonetheless a Confederate cross...in 2017. And it is the State Flag of Alabama. Draw your own conclusions!
Next stop was the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. This striking red brick structure, built in 1883, is located just blocks from the Alabama State Capitol.
Our visit there was a joyous occasion as guests of their "Tourism Ministry".
Although no photography is allowed in the basement of the church, a large mural covers the walls depicting the struggles and landmark moments in the life of the movement and of Dr. King.
We next walked a short block away to the Civil Rights Memorial Center. Sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Center recognizes that not all heroes of the Civil Rights Movement were famous leaders and strategists. Most "foot soldiers" of the Movement were men, women and children who chose to demonstrate courage and the conviction that justice was worth standing up for.
Inside the Center, exhibits and a short film reflect on the power of individual activism and the hope that radiates out from acts of conscience.
The Wall of Tolerance
All who visit the Center are invited to join the many others who have taken a pledge to work for justice and add their name to the Wall of Tolerance.
And outside is The Civil Rights Memorial, honoring those who died during the Civil Rights Movement.
Behind the table on a curved black granite wall is Dr. King's paraphrase of Amos 5:24:
We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
The Civil Rights Memorial was dedicated in 1989.
Our final stop of the day was the Dexter Church Parsonage. Reverend King and his family lived in the modest 7 room house from 1954-1959. Many of the rooms include furniture used by the Kings when they lived there. Our visit was made unique and interesting by our docent and guide. She attended Dexter Baptist Church and was acquainted with the Kings. She spent time in the house attending activities sponsored by the Pastor and his wife. Her personal anecdotes made this a very touching visit.
History happened in this home. In the pastor's study many strategy meetings were held during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Activists gathered and formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in this house. And during the Bus Boycott this house was bomb damaged while Coretta Scott King and their daughter were in the house.
Time to take a break with a few random shots of Montgomery:
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| Native son, Hank Williams is remembered. |
Montgomery Riverfront (very pleasant)
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| Downtown Mural |
And by contrast, The First White House of the Confederacy, the executive residence of Jefferson Davis and his family before the capital of the Confederate States of America was moved to Richmond, Virginia in 1861.
Day 4 - Montgomery
Our first stop was The Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University in downtown Montgomery. The story and the times of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Rosa Parks are presented through a series of multimedia presentations, period photography and even a vintage municipal bus like the one in which Rosa Parks rode.This is the only museum in the country dedicated solely to the legacy of Rosa Parks.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott, in which African Americans refused to ride
city buses to protest segregated seating, took
place from December 5, 1955, to December 20, 1956. It is regarded as
the first large-scale organized action against segregation in the U.S. It is important to remember that the full story of the build up to the boycott and it's aftermath is a lengthy and complex story. But within the full history of this event is a seminal figure, Rosa Parks, whose courage and determination have made her an icon in the history of the United States and the Civil Rights Movement.
On
December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks, a tailor at at downtown Montgomery department store, was on her way home from work. She traveled daily on a segregated bus system where black citizens were limited to designated seats in the back of the bus. Also blacks could be ordered by the driver to give up their seat if the bus became overcrowded. But the evening of December first was different. She refused to yield her seat to a white man on a
Montgomery bus. She was arrested and fined. The boycott of public buses
by blacks in Montgomery began on the day of Rosa Parks’ court hearing.
The campaign lasted 381 days. On December 20, 1956 The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in Browder V. Gayle, declaring the Alabama and Montgomery laws requiring segregated buses to be unconstitutional. Ultimately Montgomery was ordered to
integrate it's bus system. One of the leaders of the boycott, a
young pastor named Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as a
prominent national leader of the American civil rights movement in the
wake of the successful boycott action.
After the boycott ended Rosa Parks, who had lost her job in the department store, was unable to find employment in Montgomery. Her husband had lost his job also as a result of their participation in the boycott. He found no employment. Eventually Rosa, her husband and her Mother moved to Detroit where she lived for the rest of her life. She was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Clinton. She died on October 24, 2005.
Five years after the Montgomery Bus Boycott, on May 4, 1961, a group of 13 black and white civil rights
activists launched the "Freedom Rides", a series of bus trips through the
American South to protest continued segregation in interstate bus terminals despite the passage of laws integrating interstate transportation. The
Freedom Riders departed Washington, D.C., and
attempted to integrate facilities at bus terminals along the way into
the Deep South. One of the leaders was John Lewis.
Our next stop was the Freedom Riders Museum, located in the Greyhound Bus Station in downtown Montgomery.
The Freedom Riders
encountered tremendous violence from white protesters along the route,
but also drew international attention to their cause. Upon arrival in both Birmingham and Montgomery, riders were attacked and beaten while the local police watched. Outside Anniston, Alabama a bus was set fire while passengers were still on the bus. Over the next few
months, several hundred Freedom Riders engaged in similar actions in what became known as Freedom Summer. In
September 1961, the Interstate Commerce Commission issued regulations
prohibiting segregation in bus and train stations nationwide.
Today the Freedom Riders are commemorated in this museum. One interesting feature of the museum is the discussion of the "architecture of segregation". I have included it here and hope you can read the text.
Our final stop in Montgomery was The Equal Justice Initiative.
The years 1954-1968 are often thought of as the era of the Civil Rights Movement. Our visit to EJI brought into focus the reality that "The Movement" continues and circumstances in present day America present a continuing call to action. I encourage you to check out their web site for the full range of initiatives. The scope of their work is impressive.
Mission Statement
"The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration
and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and
economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most
vulnerable people in American society.
Founded in 1989 by Bryan Stevenson, EJI provides legal representation to people who
have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state
jails and prisons. We challenge the death penalty and excessive
punishment and we provide re-entry assistance to formerly incarcerated
people".
The 2 hours of our visit at EJI constitute a "you had to have been there" experience. Our group was given a brief introduction to the work of the EJI by two staff attorneys, which was as expected. And then came the unexpected. A gentleman entered the room and walked to the front. We recognized him from a brief video we had just been shown. The gentleman was Anthony Ray Hinton. Spontaneously we all stood to recognize his entrance.
I refer you to the video to see Mr. Anthony Ray Hinton reflect on his freedom. https://youtu.be/HbMjJX_az3I
At one stop I purchased a button and a bookmark. They both said "The March Continues".
We left Montgomery for Selma and made a stop at the National Park Service Visitor Center that is just outside of Selma.They provide a moving video and a well done exhibit previewing the history of the civil rights movement in Selma and, in particular, the Selma to Montgomery March.
We made our way to the Brown Chapel AME Church, a center of movement organizing during the the Selma to Montgomery March which took place in 1965.The Gothic style church with its twin towers is now
registered as a National Historic Landmark.
We were treated to a first person oral history in the sanctuary of the church by Lawrence F. Huggins. His business card says "Authentic Foot Soldier - Selma Civil Rights Movement". Mr. Huggins generously shared his experience as an activist and participant in the Selma to Montgomery March.
We then made our way to what is probably the most recognizable symbol of the Civil Rights Movement, the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
The Edmund Pettus Bridge is a National Historic Landmark and the location of what has become known as Bloody Sunday, the Turnaround March and finally, The Selma to Montgomery March to the State Capitol.
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| Alabama River from the Edmund Pettus Bridge |
Selma is located in Dallas County. In 1961 of 15,000 voting age blacks in the county, only 156 were registered to vote. In 1965 George Wallace was Alabama Governor and Jim Clark was Sheriff of Dallas County. Clark was known for his harassing and violent actions towards blacks in their efforts to register to vote.
The Dallas County Voters League, The Student Non Violent Coordinating Committee and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (led by Martin Luther King Jr.) combined forces to capitalize on the situation in Selma to draw national attention to the systematic denial of voting rights.
On Sunday, March 7, 1965 the first attempt was made to march to Selma. Led by John Lewis (SNCC) and Hosea Williams (SCLC), marchers left from Brown Chapel Church heading for the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
The principle of non-violence was tested to the limits by the attack on March 7. In the aftermath Martin Luther King Jr. called on the nation's clergy to come to Selma for another attempt at a non-violent march. On March 9 nearly 2,000 marchers approached the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the troopers who guarded it. They knelt and prayed at the base of the bridge. And then turned around. This became known as Turnaround Tuesday.
A week later President Johnson sent 1,900 federalized Alabama national guard troops, several thousand American soldiers, FBI agents and Federal Marshalls despite resistance from Governor Wallace. Their job was to guarantee the safety of the marchers. On March 21, 1965 the 54 mile trip from Selma to Montgomery began in earnest. By the time the jubilant marchers arrived in Montgomery on March 25th their numbers had swelled to nearly 25,000. Today there are footprints in Dexter Avenue remembering the journey to the State Capitol.
"Let us march on ballot boxes until brotherhood becomes more than a meaningless word in an opening prayer, but the order of the day on every legislative agenda. Let us march on the ballot boxes until all over Alabama God's children will be able to walk the earth in decency and honor". ---King's speech on March 25, 1965 at the State Capitol
On August 6, 1965 President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act which suspended literacy tests, called for the appointment of federal election monitors and directed the US Attorney General to challenge the use of poll taxes by states.
A few random pictures of Selma before we move on to Birmingham.
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| Left of door: Harriet Tubman and right is Frederick Douglas |
Day 6 Birmingham
Dr. King was once quoted as saying "As Birmingham goes, so goes the South." Segregation was deeply established in Birmingham, embedded in law and custom and reinforced by the threat and fact of intimidation and violence. City ordinances required separation of races in parks, pools, hotels, restaurants, theaters, and on buses, in taxis and elsewhere. Zoning ordinances controlled where blacks could purchase property and establish businesses. The city’s police commissioner, Eugene “Bull” Connor, was also notorious
for his willingness to use brutality against civil rights activists, union members, and blacks challenging segregation.
Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth, in 1956, formed the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights and led the church/faith community in civil rights actions in Birmingham.
In 1963 he invited Dr. King and Rev. Ralph Abernathy of the SCLC to come to Birmingham. They did. As a result the city became a locus of strategically planned actions including marches, sit-ins and boycotts. The violent retaliation against these actions resulted in images being broadcast nationally and world wide. As a result a national groundswell of changing opinion developed. Segregation was not simply a local custom maintained by a white power structure. It was a national issue.
We began our day in Birmingham at the 16th Street Baptist Church.
On September 15, 1963, not long after a court battle ended in favor of integrating the Birmingham schools and after months of demonstrations by black activists, an act of domestic terrorism took place at the 16th Street Baptist Church. At 10:22 a.m. a bomb planted by white supremacists detonated on the church’s
east side, ejecting mortar and bricks out from the front of the church and
caving in its interior walls. Most parishioners were able to evacuate
the building as it filled with smoke, but the bodies of four young girls
(14-year-old Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Robertson and
11-year-old Denise McNair) were found beneath the rubble in a basement
restroom.
Public outrage over these deaths was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which was signed into law July 2, 1964 by President Johnson.
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| Sanctuary 16th Street Baptist Church |
Kelly Ingram Park sculpture
honoring the 4 young girls who lost their lives to domestic terrorism.
Across the street from the church is the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute which we toured with our local guide, Dennis McNeely.
Mission:
To enlighten each generation about civil and human rights by exploring
our common past and working together in the present to build a better
future.
Our next stop provided a different angle on the city of Birmingham. In the years following the Civil War southern entrepreneurs, speculators and land developers seized upon the rich mineral resources available in the Jones Valley area of Alabama. Seams of iron ore, deposits of coal and limestone, clay and dolomite were all available within a 30 mile radius. In 1871 the city of Birmingham was founded as the Industrial Revolution gained a foothold in the area. Railroads came, people arrived to take jobs, and Birmingham became know as "The Magic City". Sloss Furnaces was one of the foremost producers of "pig iron" in the country.
Sloss Furnaces
is currently the only 20th century blast furnace in the US being
preserved as a historical industrial site. The walking tour winds
through a complex industrial landscape.
A visit to Sloss Furnaces offers great photo-ops and a remarkable perspective on the era when America grew to the heights of world industrial dominance.
However, in keeping with the focus of our journey, it is important to remember that segregation did not stop at the doorstep of industry. When America entered WWII the market for iron and steel greatly expanded. In 1941 nearly half the total U.S labor force was employed in the iron and steel industry and, of those, more than two thirds were African American.
Economically important was the segregation of jobs.
- At the top there was an all white group of 'managers".
- At the bottom were black “labor gangs”. Sloss utilized the convict leasing system in its coal mines until the late 1920's. Convict leasing is slavery with a different name. And last I checked it is happening in the business of privatized prisons today in the U.S.
- In the middle of the job hierarchy, racially mixed groups performed a variety of skilled and semi-skilled jobs. Even in that middle-group, however, white workers were paid more and held “title” positions like carpenter or machinist. Black workers were restricted to such “helper” roles as carpenter helper or machinist helper.
In near perfect symmetry our final stop of the day and of the trip was
Kelly Ingram Park.
The park is located across the street from the 16th Street Baptist Church and The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
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| Martin Luther King Jr. |
On May 2, 1963 a group of black teenagers were set to march from 16th Street Baptist Church to the Birmingham City Hall. Kelly Ingram Park was the site where police were stationed with canine units, high pressure water jets, and clubs to face down the protesters. When the young people refused to be turned back they were met with unleashed police aggression. Dogs attacked and water cannons knocked them down. Again, through photo journalists documenting this hostile resistance by the police, public awareness and opinion was affected and pressure was brought to bear on the business and political leaders of Birmingham. Some small change took place but protesters continued to face hostile resistance to integration in Birmingham.
The park is organized around a path that circles the park, The Freedom Walk.
Visitors making their way along the Freedom Walk encounter sculpture that depicts the experience of protesters in the park in the 1960's.
For those of you who have made it this far, my congratulations and my gratitude. The experience of visiting all these many places and sites related to the Civil Rights Movement is deeply felt. The sense memory of fear, hate and violence as well as courage, hope, determination and, finally, triumph haunts these places. Most importantly the sense of idealism and purpose that drove the movement is alive and well. And available to take into our lives in 2017. Americans today I think feel tasked with making sense and finding a way to respond (and for many, to resist) in light of undeniable and unsettling social and political currents. And in the case of civil and human rights, there is the reality of the ground gained in the 20th century now at great risk of being lost in the 21st century.
History, in this case, is a refuge and a place of inspiration. Over and over on this trip there was evidence of regular Americans, black and white, who felt the call and found ways to take action. Courage in the face of fear, hatred, intimidation and danger was in ample supply. People stepped into the breach anyway. It happened then. It can happen now.
In Closing
And in honor of Dr. King's insistence on adherence to the principles of non-violence and love.
- On February 12, 1968, sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, began a labor strike to protest unfair wages, unsafe working conditions, and the city’s refusal to recognize their sanitation workers union. In March of 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. was in Memphis aiding and supporting the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike. This was just one of a number of civil rights actions in different cities he was involved in at the time.
- On March 28 a protest march of 6,000 workers and supporters took place in Memphis. It turned violent and it became clear this was now about racism and civil rights as much as it was about workers rights to unionize.
- On April 3 King gave his final and haunting "I've Been To The Mountaintop" speech in which it seemed to foretell his own death.
- On April 4 King was fatally shot/assassinated in Memphis. He was 39 years old.
- On April 9 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was buried in Atlanta.
"When we pray, we move our feet."
John Lewis
Be well, be safe, be active.
