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TRAVEL
Birmingham’s Civil Rights Institute
offers an emotional step into the past
By Timothy Cox
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.
s my vehicle moved
across the Alabama
state line for the
st-time, ever, I re
counted names like Bull
Connors and George Wallace.
Then, Rosa Parks and Dr. Mar
tin Luther King Jr. came to
mind.
As an African American who
“grew up” during a time period
when The Movement took
shape, states like Alabama,
Mississippi and even Georgia,
could conjure very negative
emotions — especially indel
ible on the minds of young
blacks whose only images of
the south was gathered from
network TV newsdramaticfilm
footage. For middle-age and
older adults, we generally
“know” the Civil Rights story.
But enter the halls of the
Birmingham Civil Rights In
stitute, and you’ll gather a re
newed vigor concerning The
Movement, how somany people
suffered and died for rights too
many of us take for granted
these days. At any rate, what’s
commonly called the Civil
Rights Museum sheds a more
positive light on Birmingham,
even though the facility por
trays the city in its darkest
moment.
Although it’s called an insti-
Aries Spears to appear
at Comedy House
Ever since Chicago native Aries Spears was 14,
he has been a force in comedy. His quick wit,
charisma and aggressive style have earned him
critical acclaim. A former regular on Fox TV’s MAD
TV, he has starred in feature films and numerous
late-night talk shows..
A principal cast member with MAD TV, Aries
brings a fresh approach to the already edgy show.
He does impersonations of James Brown, Al Pacino
and his idol, Eddie Murphy. Spears was born April
3, 1975. Although his roots lie in Chi-Town, he was
raisedin New Jersey. He’s appeared on Def Comedy
Jam on HBO and Showtime at the Apollo. He also
had arecurringrole on NBC’s “It’s Different World.”
He also starred in the short-lived CBS series,
South of Sunset with former Eagles guitarist Glenn
Frey; appeared in Fox TV’s Crosstown Traffic and
Brisco County Jr. He’s also appeared on Loveline
(MTV), Vibe (with Sinbad), the Keenan Ivory
Wayans, Soul Train and did voice-overs for ani
mated an character on the TV show C-Bear and
Jamal.
(Comedian Aries Spear appears at the Comedy
House Theatre, Thursday, April 13 through Satur
day April 16. For ticket reservations, call 736.9190).
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Walking through The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is like taking a step into
the South’s segregated past. Above are segregated drinking fountains and the
actual jail from which Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his famous “Letter from a
Birmingham jail.” The institute is open Tues. thru Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun
days, 1 to 5 p.m. For tour information, call 205.328.9696.)
tute because of the many edu
cational activities and lectures
that occur there, simply put,
this state-of-the-art facility is
primarily a museum. Located
inthe heart of what's called the
historic district of the city, the
museum sits on 16* Street —
just across from the famed Six
teenth Street Baptist Church
where four young girls were
killed in-a Sunday morning
AUTUDLIA PULUD
bombing at the church, Sept.
15, 1963.
Walking inside the museum,
you initially enter a hallway
entrance that purposely intro
duces you to the segregated
world of Birmingham — which,
like other American cities, had
a nightlife district which fea
tured the great jazzmen of the
periodlike Louis Armstrongand
Duke Ellington. In addition,
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there were thriving black busi
nesses,alongwith churches, fra
ternal groups and other high
society organizations depicted
in the many photos on display.
Perhapsmostrivetingwasthe
portion of a Greyhound bus lo
cated inside the facility. Tar
nished with blackened ashes,
this was the actual bus am
bushed by agroup of whitehate
mongers who threw Molotov
~
cocktails inside the bus which
was occupied by Freedom Rid
ers. The bus is in a darkened
area of the museum, and an
eeryfeelingnaturally overtakes
those who enter this part of the
building.
Other displays included the
actual jail cell where Dr. King
compiled his “Letters from a
BirminghamJail”and TV news
casts and newspaper reports
that chronicled the hate-filled
sentiment of those times. Also
interesting was an electronic
map which tracked routes of
Freedom Riders, primarily
starting from Jackson, Miss. to
Selma, Ala., and continuing
through Birmingham, Atlanta,
Augusta, Columbia,S.C.,Mary
land, Virginia, Pennsylvania,
New York and New England.
Take my advice. If you find
yourself en route to Birming
ham anytime soon — for busi
ness purposes, church trips,
familyreunions or general plea
sure — visit the Birmingham
Civil Rightslnstitute. Foracity
once commonly known as
“Bombingham,” this town has
made a positive rise and is a
true testament to its motto —
Inspired by the past, A vision
for the Future.
APR 13-16
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