Montgomery, Alabama has many civil rights landmarks, including the Civil Rights Memorial, Dexter King Memorial Baptist Church, Southern Poverty Law Center, Alabama State University, and Rosa Parks Library and Museum. Other landmarks, such as the Ben Moore Hotel and Martin Luther King Home, are under development. These sites preserve the history of the civil rights movement and offer educational opportunities for future generations.
The city of Montgomery, Alabama has a rich heritage regarding the civil rights movement in the United States. A number of historic exhibits and sites are located in the city center and sections adjacent to the city centre. Here are some examples of civil rights memorials and landmarks that help preserve this important part of Montgomery’s past.
One of the best places to start a tour of Civil Rights landmarks is the Civil Rights Memorial located at 400 Washington Avenue in downtown Montgomery. Envisioned and designed by eminent architectural designer Maya Lin, this outdoor setting is a reminder of the key events that laid the foundation for the modern civil rights movement in the 1950s. The meditative nature of the memorial allows for quiet reflection on the struggles of the people who were integral to the movement during the next two decades. Visitors will be able to read brief descriptions of key events and short biographies of people who sacrificed much in the name of racial equality. The Memorial is open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is one of the most popular civil rights landmarks in the city.
Nearby on Dexter Avenue, Dexter King Memorial Baptist Church is among Civil Rights landmarks that have remained relatively unchanged over the years. Dexter Baptist Church was the site of the first major rally leading to the 1955-56 bus boycott. This church was also the first full-time pulpit occupied by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. It was in the sanctuary of this church that plans for a boycott of the Montgomery bus system were first announced to the general public and implemented in response to the arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her seat on a city bus in December 1955. Many of Dr. King’s early sermons on God’s love for all people were preached in this pulpit. The church features murals depicting the events of those days and Dr. King’s ministry while he was in Montgomery. Among the guided tours of civil rights monuments in Montgomery, this is one of the most informative and inspiring.
The Southern Poverty Law Center was born through the efforts of two prominent Montgomery attorneys, Joseph Levin, Jr. and Morris Dees. Formed in 1969, the SPLC continues to fight for the rights of people who have little or no resources to protect their legal rights. Within the walls of the SPLC building are the stories of the Center’s creation during the Civil Rights era, as well as some of the historic cases it has won over the years. The SPLC also provides the grounds for the Civil Rights Memorial and also supports the further development of civil rights landmarks throughout sections of downtown and downtown Montgomery.
Located across from downtown, Alabama State University was one of the first institutions of higher learning created for African Americans in the post-Civil War Reconstruction period. Opening its doors in 1867, the University maintains an excellent collection of civil rights documents, pictures, books, newscasts, and television footage. Here the visitor can see live footage of notable events such as the early 1960’s Freedom March bus tours as they stopped in Montgomery, as well as the historic Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. Books containing first-hand accounts of people of all races that have marched for equality are found in this collection.
The centerpiece of Montgomery’s civil rights landmarks is undoubtedly the Rosa Parks Library and Museum, located in the heart of downtown Montgomery Street. The seven thousand square feet of the Museum’s lower level contain permanent exhibits chronicling the first twenty years of the civil rights struggle, starting with the arrest of Mrs. Parks to the many significant events that followed. Special exhibits that focus on racial equality also appear at the Museum on a rotating basis. The Assembly Hall or auditorium often hosts guest lecturers who share expertise in the history of the movement over the years. Visitors are welcome to the Museum Monday to Saturday during the day, with special events open to the public during the evening.
Other civil rights landmarks continue to be acquired and preserved for future generations. The Ben Moore Hotel, located on the corner of Jackson and High Streets, was the site of meetings between black and white community leaders in the early years of the Civil Rights era. The renovation projects of this important building continue.
Another civil rights landmark under development is the Martin Luther King Home, where Dr. King and his family lived during their stay in Montgomery from 1954 to 1959. As the city continues to look for ways to honoring the rich contributions made in the name of equality, many of these hallowed places will take their rightful place as civil rights landmarks open to teach valuable lessons to a new generation.
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