I will be attending the National Endowment for the Humanities workshop: But For Birmingham...The Rise of the Magic City and the Evolution of the Civil Rights Movement, from July 6-13. I'm driving so that I can visit Antietam National Battlefield, and then visit Montgomery and Selma after the workshop ends (that gives me the opportunity stand on the Edmund Pettis bridge in Selma, site of the bloody Sunday march in 1965, and worship in Dexter Ave Baptist Church in Montgomery (MLK Jr.'s first pastorate). The focus of the workshop is to look at the post Civil War history of Birmingham, Alabama, and understand its role in the Civil Rights Movement. I'm excited because this is the 50th anniversary of the Birmingham campaign orchestrated by Martin Luther King, Jr. and other leaders of various civil rights groups. You might remember that this is the campaign in which children were used to march--children who were brutally set upon by police dogs and high pressure fire hoses. It is also the campaign which occurred in the face of horrific KKK violence--the nickname for Birmingham in the 1960's was "Bombingham." The most tragic event of 1963 was the church bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham--a blast that took the lives of four young girls. One of the speakers we will hear is Carolyn Maull McKinstry--a survivor of that blast and best friends with one of the victims. You can check out the details of the workshop at http://www.bcri.org.
So--what's the purpose of this blog? Well--several things:
1. I will get the opportunity to reflect on my daily experiences, and share those reflections with you.
2. I will hopefully be able to encourage readers to think about some tough questions--and maybe even pick up a book or two to read.
3. I am struggling with the recent Supreme Court decision in the voting rights case, Shelby v. Holder. Hopefully my studies in Birmingham and beyond, will help season my perspective.
4. Since I teach post Civil War US History, as well as the Civil Rights Movement, this will serve as a reminder of some of the interesting people I met, and the exciting on site visits I participated in.
So, that's what's coming up. In the days before the trip I will offer some thoughts about two of the books I have read in preparation for the workshop. Feel free to comment and/or ask questions.
