New Bill Would Make Birmingham Civil Rights District a National Park

| March 22, 2016 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2013/04/16th-street.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1600;s:6:"height";i:1052;s:4:"file";s:23:"2013/04/16th-street.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:13:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"16th-street-336x221.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:221;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"16th-street-771x507.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:507;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"16th-street-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"16th-street-768x505.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:505;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"16th-street-1536x1010.jpg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:1010;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:21:"16th-street-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"16th-street-800x450.jpg";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"16th-street-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"16th-street-473x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:473;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"16th-street-403x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:403;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"16th-street-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"16th-street-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"16th-street-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => WBHM
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:618064;s:14:"optimized_size";i:429429;s:7:"percent";d:30.52;}s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:51:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/04/16th-street.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:618064;s:14:"optimized_size";i:429429;s:7:"percent";d:30.52;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:5:"large";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1647379760 
1458672123

Federal and state leaders from Alabama announced a bill Tuesday that would designate Birmingham’s historic Civil Rights District as a National Park.

Democratic Congresswoman Terri Sewell stood alongside Birmingham Mayor William Bell to introduce the bi-partisan legislation at the National Press Club in Washington.

“The historic Civil Rights District in Birmingham holds so many stories of the journey from what was once regarded as one of the most segregated cities in America to the Magic City that it is today,” Sewell says.

Birmingham’s Civil Rights District includes the 16th St. Baptist Church, where a bombing in 1963 killed four young girls. Other historic landmarks include Kelly Ingram Park, where iconic images show police attacking protestors with fire hoses and police dogs. Sculptures throughout the park depict these violent clashes.

In a speech following the announcement, Bell expressed sympathy for the incidents that happened today in Belgium.

“On a day like today when you see such tragedies that have occurred over in Brussels and other places all over the world, sometimes we think that things will never change. But Birmingham represents that change can come. And we need to share that message with the rest of the world,” Bell says.

The National Park Designation could be a boon to the city’s economy, Sewell adds.

 

Trump Administration say South Africa’s Ambassador to U.S. ‘persona non grata’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he's kicking out the Ambassador from South Africa -accusing him of hating America and hating Donald Trump.

‘Bloody Saturday’ at Voice of America and other U.S.-funded networks

Federal officials placed 1,000 employees at Voice of America on indefinite paid leave, while severing contracts with Radio Free Asia and other U.S.-funded networks.

Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 9, including aid workers and journalists, witnesses say

Two back-to-back Israeli airstrikes in northern Gaza killed at least nine people on Saturday, according to Gaza civil defense. Witnesses say several of those killed were aid workers and journalists.

Here are 8 photography winners with disabilities who show the world their perspective

Here are the winning entries in this year's Global Ability Photography Challenge.

‘Sounds like censorship to me.’ O cinema co-founder slams proposed eviction over film

No Other Land has no U.S. distributor, so the filmmakers have had to make one-on-one deals with cinemas. Art house theaters such as O Cinema have been screening the film independently.

Look up! The Goodyear Blimp is celebrating a big birthday

We head up into the skies over Los Angeles in honor of the Goodyear Blimp's 100th. Come join us ... there's room for eight.

More Arts and Culture Coverage