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.
‘The lawn giveth and the lawn taketh away’: Photos from the 41st Annapolis Cup
The yearly competition between the small liberal arts college lauded for its "great books" curriculum and the famed school for naval officer training began in the early 1980s. Several attendees recounted the legend that a discussion between a St. John's College student and the Commandant of the Naval Academy led to the latter's challenge that his midshipmen could beat Johnnies at any sport.
A 3 year legal saga over an inmate’s death has its final day in court
NPR first reported on the case of Charles Givens, a disabled inmate at Virginia's Marion Correctional Treatment Center, in 2023. Four corrections officers were accused of beating him to death and a fifth accused of negligence. Givens' sister, Kymberly Hobbs, sued the five men.
China put steep tariffs on U.S. exports. Farmers are worried
The first Trump administration spent $28 billion bailing out farmers during a trade war with China. The White House has said it's starting to look at how to help this time around.
Ecuador’s next president faces rampant drug violence and few resources to combat it
Ecuador's runoff vote pits Trump ally and incumbent Daniel Noboa against leftist challenger Luisa González, in an election dominated by the issue of security in a highly polarized political landscape.
A crow’s math skills include geometry
Crows in a lab were able to distinguish shapes that exhibited right angles, parallel lines, and symmetry, suggesting that, like humans, they have a special ability to perceive geometric regularity.
Mental health workers go on hunger strike, demanding better pay and benefits
After months of striking, some therapists with Kaiser Permanente stopped eating for five days to bring attention to their union's demands for parity with how the company's other workers are treated.
