Birmingham, AL

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
DESCRIPTION: A compelling reason for families to visit Birmingham; born of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, it and the Memphis Civil Rights Museum, are the two best museums of their kind nationwide; take a moment to appreciate the Civil Rights Movement contributions of Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth as recognized in a life-size bronze statue just to the right of the entryway; from the grand entry court, its clear the epic scale and architecture of this institution are befitting the magnitude of the movement; yet the museum retains a human scale and integrates well with its historic surroundings -- it invites you to spend all day exploring its treasures and subtleties; contextual windows peer across the street at historic 16th Street Baptist Church and Kelly Ingram Park; accurately described as a living institution with components that range from an Orientation Theater with an excellent introductory film, Oral History Project told by those who participated in the movement, an Archives Department of memorabilia for researchers and educators, an Education Department which produces programs for schools and the public at large, the Barriers Gallery features 14 venues portraying Birmingham life from 1920-1954, included segregated streetcars; Confrontation Gallery features 3 venues that depict the climate of violence and intimidation part and parcel to Alabama’s brand of segregation at the time; Movement Gallery features 16 venues that chronicle the history of the “modern” Civil Rights Movement from 1955-1963 - there is no better gallery to capture the trials, tragedy, and triumphs resulting from the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR); perhaps the greatest contribution this museum makes is to unflinchingly speak to the conscious of modern Birmingham on the path of reconciliation; A MUST VISIT!

ADMISSION: adults $11, age 65+ $8, children grades 4-12 outside Jefferson County $5

DAYS & HOURS: Tue-Sat 10a-5p, Sun 1p-5p

ADDRESS: 520 16th Street North  MAP

PHONE: 205-328-9696

WEBSITE: http://www.bcri.org

Kelly Ingram Park
DESCRIPTION: Pace Freedom Walk in the park slowly to digest the gravity, sacrifices and triumph as Civil Rights Movement theory met harsh reality at this National Historic site; bronzed sculptures of police attacking civil rights protesters with a Billy-club, police dogs attacking civil rights marchers, children jailed for Civil Rights marching, and three ministers praying for justice capture a truthful snapshot of the madness of Jim Crow in the 1960s -- it sends a visceral reminder to generations to come that America must never return to those days of discrimination against any group of people; a statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and four paths along Freedom Walk converge towards a center inscription with calming words of hope

ADMISSION: free

DAYS & HOURS: daily dawn to dusk

ADDRESS: bounded by 16th Street, 17th Street and 5th Ave, and 6th Ave  MAP

Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
DESCRIPTION: Fittingly based in the historic Carver Center for the Performing Arts, Birmingham’s citizens and civic leaders deserve ‘props for this noteworthy contextual reuse of a Chitlin’ Circuit theater -- this noteworthy because most Chitlin’ Circuit theaters around the nation have be “redeveloped” out of existence; the concert theatre features a number of contemporary shows

ADMISSION: small fee for museum; concert prices are separate

DAYS & HOURS: Tue-Sat 10a-5p, Sun 1p-5p

ADDRESS: Fourth Ave and 17th Street, North  MAP

PHONE: 205-254-2731

WEBSITE: http://www.jazzhall.com

Eddie Kendricks & The Temptations Memorial
DESCRIPTION: Located in Memorial Park, this remarkable monument to the man with the golden tenor and the Tempting Temptations, by artist Ron McDowell; perhaps no song ever captured the smooth delivery of Eddie (1940-1992) as the perfectly as his vocal signature piece, Just My Imagination; hailed by music critics as one of the best R&B songs of all-time

ADMISSION: free

DAYS & HOURS: daily dawn to dusk

ADDRESS: Fourth Ave, North at 18th Street  MAP

Onyx Agency Theatre
DESCRIPTION: Chalethia Williams co-founded this Black theatre group in 1989;  the signature work among their repertoire was Stomping on the Avenue – an original musical about the Fourth Avenue District spanning from the 1890s to the 1990s; the musical highlighted that you could get your shoes, shined, teeth fixed and good meal any day on Fourth Avenue

DAYS & HOURS: none

ADRRESS: group performed at 16th Street Baptist Church, Carver Center for the Performing Arts and Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

PHONE: none; GROUP STATUS UNKNOWN

WEBSITE: none

Fairfield, AL

Miles College
DESCRIPTION: Opened in 1908 this Historically Black College is excelling amidst a climate of financial challenges for similar institutions; its number one in enrollment growth among all 41 UNCF member institutions, graduation rates increased 68%, and endowment increased 281% since 1994; notable among its 11,000 alumni are Richard Arrington, Birmingham’s first African American and 5-term mayor, UW Clemon, the first African American federal judge in Alabama, Dr Luther Williams, Assistant Directorate of the National Science Foundation; the attractive campus features all the spirit one expects for such an historic small liberal arts college of 1200 students

ADMISSION: free

DAYS & HOURS: daily

ADDRESS: 5500 Avenue G  MAP

PHONE: 205-923-2771

WEBSITE: http://www.miles.edu