Birmingham Civil Rights District Named National Monument
Birmingham city leaders announced Thursday evening that the Birmingham Civil Rights District, once a hub of violence and aggression toward African-Americans, is now a national monument. President Obama named it one of three new monuments Thursday, as part of his administration’s commitment to protecting culturally and historically significant places, according to the White House.
Mayor William Bell, joined by civil rights leaders, spoke Thursday at the 16th Street Baptist Church. The church was the site of a bombing in 1963 and will be part of the new monument. The monument will also highlight the significance of other nearby sites, such as Kelly Ingram Park, where Bull Connor, then Birmingham’s public safety commissioner, turned hoses and dogs on civil rights protesters.
The designation also will protect the historic A.G. Gaston Motel, which has fallen into disrepair after remaining vacant for more than two decades.
Earlier Thursday as he awaited final word from the White House, Bell said the designation would be especially meaningful to him. “Having grown up and lived all my life in this city, having been born into a segregated society and to see the changes that were made that would allow me to become the mayor of this great city, it would be beyond comprehension,” he said. “And for me to be the mayor at this particular time is almost overwhelming.”
Obama said in a statement Thursday the new national monuments preserve chapters of history. “They tell the important stories of the citizens who helped launch the civil rights movement in Birmingham and the Freedom Riders whose bravery raised national awareness of segregation and violence. These stories are part of our shared history,” Obama said.
The White House named two other monuments Thursday: Freedom Riders National Monument in Anniston and the Reconstruction Era National Monument in coastal South Carolina.
What a government shutdown could mean for your holiday travel plans
Millions of Americans are planning to travel in the coming days. Here's what a potential government shutdown could mean for flying, driving and more — and what you can do to prepare.
Once again, the debt ceiling is roiling Washington. Here are 4 things to know
Lawmakers will have to authorize additional borrowing to pay the government's bills, but there's no reason it has to be done right away — except for politics.
CFPB sues three top U.S. banks for failing to protect consumers from Zelle fraud
The consumer financial watchdog says customers of the top three banks lost more than $870 million over seven years due to a lack of safeguards against fraud on the Zelle network.
An Indiana man is sentenced to 130 years in prison for murdering 2 teenage girls
Richard Allen, who was convicted in the 2017 killings of two teens who vanished during a winter hike, received the maximum prison sentence in a case that's long cast a shadow over the town of Delphi.
Great global photos from 2024: These images delighted us, touched us, dazzled us
People love looking at photos. (Just ask Instagram.) This year, we published a number of photo-driven posts that resonated deeply with our audience. Here are some of our favorites.
Alabama profits off prisoners safe enough to work at McDonald’s, deems them too dangerous for parole
No state has a longer, more profit-driven history of contracting prisoners out to private companies than Alabama. Best Western, Bama Budweiser and Burger King are among the more than 500 businesses to lease incarcerated workers from one of the most violent, overcrowded and unruly prison systems in the U.S.
