Big Push to Make AL Civil Rights Monuments National Parks

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/10/Unknown-e1477689650584.jpeg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:480;s:4:"file";s:35:"2016/10/Unknown-e1477689650584.jpeg";s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Unknown-e1477689650584-336x252.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:252;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Unknown-e1477689650584-140x140.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"Unknown-e1477689650584-80x80.jpeg";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:35:"Unknown-e1477689650584-600x338.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Unknown-e1477689650584-600x480.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:480;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Unknown-e1477689650584-415x311.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:415;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Unknown-e1477689650584-353x265.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:353;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:35:"Unknown-e1477689650584-600x400.jpeg";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:35:"Unknown-e1477689650584-600x480.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:480;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Unknown-e1477689650584-125x125.jpeg";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:{}}}
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:9:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:480;s:4:"file";s:12:"Unknown.jpeg";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"Unknown-140x140.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"Unknown-336x252.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:252;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"wbhm-icon-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"Unknown-80x80.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"Unknown-600x338.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"wbhm-featured-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"Unknown-300x300.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:300;s:6:"height";i:300;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"Unknown-415x311.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:415;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"Unknown-353x265.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:353;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"Unknown-125x125.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:0;s:14:"optimized_size";i:0;s:7:"percent";i:0;}s:5:"sizes";a:1:{s:4:"full";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] => already_optimized
        )

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

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

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

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

)
1647606773 
1477673299

Against the dilapidated backdrop of the A.G. Gaston Motel, Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, explained what a national park designation would mean for the areas made famous for some of America’s most tragic historic events.

“The reality is the National Park Service is America’s story teller, and there are big parts of our nation’s history that are not yet being told,” said Jewell.

A big push is underway to designate several Alabama civil rights locations as national parks. National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis, Congresswoman Terri Sewell and Mayor William Bell joined Jewell for a tour of Birmingham’s civil rights district. They strolled almost sadly through Kelly Ingram Park, stopping every few feet to discuss the statues that help tell the park’s story.

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Birmingham Mayor William Bell discuss one of the statues in Kelly Ingram Park that help tell the park's story.

Esther Ciammachilli,WBHM
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Birmingham Mayor William Bell discuss one of the statues in Kelly Ingram Park that help tell the park’s story.

The tour ended at the 16th Street Baptist Church. Sitting outside was Charles Person, one of the original Freedom Riders. Earlier in the day Person and the group visited the site of the 1961 bus burning in Anniston, which is also under consideration. Person reflected on the positive racial changes he’s seen in the U.S. since that horrifying day, and compared it to the country’s current racial climate.

“Instead of talking to each other, we’re talking about each other, at each other. We need to change that around, where we can sit down and discuss because most of the Freedom Riders have no animosity toward those who attacked us,” Person said. “So it’s a matter of their willingness to sit with us and just to find out what were we thinking then and what are we thinking today.”

Inside the church, the group heard from members of the public. Dozens were in attendance and all strongly agreed that Alabama’s civil rights monuments are important markers that help tell America’s story, even the bad parts. Lisa McNair’s sister, Denice, was one of the four black girls killed in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church.

“The stories of the people in this area and the sacrifices they made need to be told so that young people and old people will know them in history, because they were stories of people that fought bravely, honestly and peacefully for American rights, as American citizens,” McNair said.

A bill was introduced in Congress earlier this year that would make Birmingham’s civil rights district and other Alabama civil rights monuments into national parks, but the bill has been stalled in committee since late March. Mayor William Bell and Congresswoman Terri Sewell expect President Obama to designate the areas through executive order before he leaves office in January. The president has the authority to do this through the Antiquities Act, said National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis.

L to R: Birmingham Mayor William Bell, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis and Congresswoman Terri Sewell inside the 16th Street Baptist Church to hear public comment on the national park nomination.

Esther Ciammachilli,WBHM
L to R: Birmingham Mayor William Bell, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis and Congresswoman Terri Sewell inside the 16th Street Baptist Church to hear public comment on the national park nomination.

“[The Antiquities Act] was established under Teddy Roosevelt and has been used literally hundreds of times by all but three presidents since Teddy Roosevelt,” Jarvis said. “Our current president, Barak Obama,  has used it more than any president in history.”

However, if President Obama does use his executive power, it could still be another two to three years before the areas actually become national parks.

 

In the Missouri Ozarks, residents struggle to rebuild after tornadoes

Twisters that tore through Union County, Missouri killed 6 people. One couple survived against incomprehensible odds in a trailer obliterated by the storm.

‘Segregated facilities’ are no longer explicitly banned in federal contracts

The Trump administration cut a clause from federal contracting rules that had been on the books since the 1960s: Companies are no longer explicitly prohibited from having segregated facilities.

This is why Canada has plenty of eggs — and the U.S. doesn’t

While the U.S. grapples with an egg shortage caused by avian flu, eggs remain plentiful and affordable in Canada. There are reasons for that, including that egg farms there tend to be smaller.

Trump says he’s ending Secret Service protection for Biden’s adult children

President Trump said he was ending "immediately" the Secret Service protection details assigned to Democrat Joe Biden's adult children.

Israel launches deadly series of attacks on Gaza

Israel said the early Tuesday attacks were launched after Hamas refused to release more hostages held in Gaza. The strikes appeared to end the current ceasefire that took began in mid-January.

He lost his first LA Marathon medal in the fires — this weekend he got his second

15-year-old fire survivor Abel Rivera's home in Altadena burned down in January, and he lost everything — including his medal for finishing the 2024 LA Marathon.

More Arts and Culture Coverage