By Christiana Norris
Just 20 minutes from the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex is the cradle of civil rights in Birmingham, one of the key battlegrounds for desegregation in 1963. Six important sites are steps from each other in the Birmingham Civil Rights District.
Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument
1510 5th Ave N
One of President Barack Obama’s final acts as president was to create this national monument that encompasses several significant locations in civil rights history: The Masonic Temple Building, also known as the “Black Skyscraper,” The Historic Bethel Baptist Church, a key site in the 1961 Freedom Rides, and St. Paul United Methodist Church, one of the oldest African-American churches in Birmingham.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
520 16th St N
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is a good place to start, with its focus on teaching visitors about Birmingham’s civil rights movements. It has permanent exhibits on the Rev. Martin Luther King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, the Children’s Crusade and other significant events that happened here. Currently the institute has a special exhibit on A.G. Gaston, one of the few Black hotel owners in the Jim Crow era.
1510 5th Ave N
After seeing the exhibit at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, you can head over to the A.G. Gaston Motel, now a national monument co-owned by the city of Birmingham and the National Parks Service. Built by Arthur George Gaston and designed by Stanley B. Echols, this motel was the site of activity for Southern Christian Leadership Conference leaders during the Birmingham Campaign in 1963, where they strategized and held press conferences in the motel courtyard.
500 17th St N
Kelly Ingram Park, part of the Birmingham Civil Rights Monument and located right outside the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, is famous as the site where children protesting for civil rights were attacked by police dogs. It showcases several sculptures that depict the struggle. It’s free to visit and open every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
1530 6th Ave N
16th Street Baptist Church has an extensive history in the 20th century Civil Rights movement, being the first Colored Baptist Church in Birmingham. In 1963, a bomb exploded in the church, killing four girls and injuring 20 other members. This bombing garnered sympathy and support from several parts of the world. More than $300,000 was contributed to its restoration and reopening in 1964.
1727 4th Ave N
The Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park honors the Temptations’ lead singer, a Birmingham native, known for his falsetto singing style. He and the four other Temptations hit the top of the charts with their Motown music, but did not settle just for fame. While releasing music, they made protest songs such as “Cloud Nine” and “Message From A Black Man.” The park is a block away from the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.
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