From the Passenger Seat: Bombingham...ummm, I mean, Birmingham

We went to visit a Battlefield. No not a site from the revolutionary or the civil war, but a battlefield from the Civil Rights Movement.

To be honest, I couldn’t understand why we were going to Birmingham Al., I thought it would be a waste of our time and day; from everything I could find online it seemed like just a industrial city with little site seeing. The only place that looked interesting to visit online was a park, that had statues of ferocious canines. I had little recollection of the significance of this city on citvil rights, but knew enough to know that by name it was important to that era of history.

King and others praying

By the time we arrived, the Civil Rights Museum had already closed. I don’t think we had a pre-planned idea we were going to visit the Museum, but once we passed by, it seemed like an interesting place to visit. Nevertheless, there was a park across the street and I thought this might be the one I had briefly read about online, so we decided to walk around.

When we got to the park, a homeless man named Juan asked us if we knew what we were looking at around the park and the meaning behind everything. When we all sort of fumbled around trying to find the right way to say, “No, we just wanted to get out of the car and see some interesting sculptures” he wedge his way into our group and gave us a tour of the park and a history lesson of Birmingham.

For a homeless man, he spoke very eloquently and seemed pretty intelligent. Juan told us he was there as a young man in his teens during the demonstrations when the Black Community enlisted children to march, because the ranks of the adult had been depleted. Children as young as six were arrested, dogs attacked some, and the water cannons turned on others; he was apart of it all. I’m not sure if I believe him; it could be that he was just telling us a tall-tale about his part to draw us into the story.

16th Street Baptist Church- Site of Church Bombing

Whatever the case, he was a interesting tour guide, probably one of the best guides I ever had. He even told me the best places to stand to get the best picture. Yes, nothings for free, he wanted a tip for his troubles. Honestly, I’m stingy with my money and rarely give to the homeless, but this man wasn’t looking for a hand out. He had provided a service and wanted compensation and in my opinion was a much better way to get money than standing on a corner with a sign.

While searching the internet on the park (Kelly Ingram Park) I found a couple other bloggers who had been given a tour by Juan. One is a freelance Photographer who took a picture of our tour guide. Check out his site here.

APlace for Revolution and Reconciliation

4 Fountains represting four girls killed in the church Bombing

Overall, the park was a moving experience and probably one of my favorite stops on our trip. I was jolted by the experience of having to walk down a walk way where Canines on a leash were lashing out (though I sloughed off my emotions turning to humor). I was moved by seeing the memorial of the four fountains representing four your girls killed in a church bombing, as you could view the church from the fountain. Also the sculpture of the children protesting that read "I ain't afraid of your Jail" as you walked around a walk way to see the children behind bars. The whole park was a Beautiful testament to the power of peaceful demonstrations and how Martin Luther King was able to stop segregation through the peaceful protest demonstrations of children.