Where is everybody???

While in Birmingham this past week, several of us noted the lack of people on the streets and in the parks.  We wondered where they were.  Even the Civil Rights Institute, the focus of the 50 year anniversary celebrations is fairly empty.
Today I drove to Montgomery to see Dexter Ave Church, (MLK's first pastorate), the state capitol complex to which the voting march came and the Greyhound Bus terminal where the freedom riders came.  As you'll see in the photos below--there is hardly anyone anywhere, at least in this very historic section.  Maybe it's just that, being from NJ, I'm used to people all the time.  But it was a bit sad to see so few people at these extremely important civil rights landmarks.  Maybe it means nothing at all--but I do wonder.
In any case, here are some pictures.

DexterAve Baptist Church

Birmingham's 4 Little Girls on the Civil Rights Memorial

The Civil Rights Memorial--designed by Maya Lin, who designed the Vietnam Wall. Unfortunately they are renovating it, or water would be flowing over it.

Alabama State Capitol

Jefferson Davis--President of the Confederacy---hmm, a traitor?

State Capitol

Looking down the empty road--Dexter Ave Church on the left.  The voting rights march of 1965 came straight at you from this view.

Note the view--you are looking at Confederate Pres. Jefferson Davis with Dexter Ave Church and the route of the voting rights marchers in the distance.

The Confederate Memorial

What the Alabamians thought of their Civil War soldiers

One of numerous Confederate battle flags--probably the most inflammatory in our day.

The first Confederate White House

The Greyhound terminal--note the lighter section on the left--that's the old colored entrance.

Catherine Burks- Brooks--she spoke to our group yesterday.  This is her mug shot when she, along with John Lewis and the other freedom riders were finally arrested in Jackson, MI.

A picture of the terminal--"colored" folks would have to walk past the busses to get to the colored waiting room.

The old colored entrance