BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – An effort to preserve civil rights heritage sites and share stories of the past with communities in order to keep the history alive.
The Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium hosted a two-day event to teach and empower communities to continue sharing the stories from the civil rights movement.
“It is our responsibility to preserve, protect, promote,” said Rev. Lukata Mjumbe, executive director of The Consortium.
Rev. Mjumbe says they are focusing on training foot soldiers on how to tell these important stories at historic sites across the state.
“We believe that our civil rights heritage sites have to collaborate, have to coordinate, have to be connected because it’s one movement and there are many stories within that one movement but these stories show up in different ways in Birmingham, in Selma, in Montgomery, in the Black Belt,” he explained.
That’s why they’re focusing on protecting the many historical landmarks in Birmingham.
“I like to say that the A.G. Gaston Motel was a freedom zone and was a place for black people could come and rest and have conversations and meet and plan,” said Dr. Rolando Herts, Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument Superintendent. “MLK and Shuttlesworth and others came together in Room 30 there, they call it the War Room, to plan the Birmingham Civil Rights Campaign that led to the Children’s Crusade in Kelly Ingram Park.”
Other sites include the 16th Street Baptist Church and Bethel Baptist Church.
“Bethel’s been bombed three times over its history and one of the reasons that it was bombed was because of it’s prominent role. Well, after three bombings you can imagine the building would’ve suffered some very serious disrepair,” shared Pastor Thomas Wilder with Bethel Baptist Church.
The pastor is ensuring his church will remain standing in order to preserve the site and all it’s history.
“We’ve been working with the Mellon Foundation as well as some private citizens to put together augmented and virtual reality presentations in the basement so that even when the Executive Director and I are no longer working actively, we will have ways to tell the story to generations coming after us,” said Pastor Wilder.
“Civil Rights sites: so very important, have always been important but even more critical now as we have conversations about preserving our democracy and understand how the past connects with the present,” said Dr. Herts.
The Winter 2025 Convening happened ahead of the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday which is March 7.
These civil rights groups are hoping to expand tourism to these historic sites, in order to continue educating people about not only where we’ve come but where we’re going.
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