Gaelynn Lea: Advocating for Disability Rights Through Music
Gaelynn Lea is a classically trained violinist who was born with brittle bone disease, a genetic disorder that results in very fragile bones. She shares more about her condition and how being a wheelchair user hasn’t stopped her from performing.
ASO Director Reacts to Political Crisis in Venezuela
Venezuela’s political crisis is at a boiling point. There are food shortages, and dozens have died in recent violent protests. Carlos Izcaray, music director of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, has seen Venezuela’s downward spiral firsthand and shares his experience.
Civil Rights Institute Reverses Decision on Angela Davis Award Again
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute will award Birmingham native Angela Davis its 2018 Fred Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award -- again. Friday's reversal is the latest development in a public controversy that has embroiled the institute for the last month.
Civil Rights Institute Grapples With Fallout From Davis Decision
A few weeks from now, political activist Angela Davis is expected to speak in Birmingham. This despite that earlier this month, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute rescinded an award it initially planned to give to Davis. The decision roiled the city, sowed divisions, and led to the resignation of three board members.
Alternative Events Planned To Recognize Birmingham Native Angela Davis
More developments came today in response to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute's decision to cancel an award presentation for scholar and activist Angela Davis. The top three leaders on the Institute’s board resigned and another group announced alternative events to honor the Birmingham native.
Birmingham Poet Gives Voice to Enslaved Women
Dr. James Marion Sims, the man known as the father of modern gynecology, spent years performing surgery on women who experienced complications tied to difficult childbirth. This was in the 19th century at his makeshift hospital in Mt. Meigs, just outside of Montgomery. Sims, who is white, performed this experimental surgery on black enslaved women – without anesthesia. Birmingham author Kwoya Fagin Maples recently published a collection of poems meant to give voice to these forgotten women.
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