Wow I have to say when I saw Birmingham News my first thought was the UK then I saw that the AL part and I had to do a double take. I guess that’s kinda sad considering Alabama is where I was born and raised.
I didn't grow up in the civil right era so of course I don't have any memories of it. But I do have parents and grandparents who have experienced the things that happened in those photos first hand and I grew up hearing stories from that era. Heart breaking stories that will make you sick to your stomach and wonder how on earth our society could be that cruel and baric but they also shared stories that taught me the importance of equal societies and equal rights.
One story that comes to mind when I see those photo's is a story my Dad use to tell me. My grandfather was helping some people who were black find jobs and my father says he can remember several occasions of the Klu Klux Klan burning crosses in their front yard and throwing bricks and rocks in their windows. Of course my grandfather being the stubborn big hearted preacher that he was told his children not to be scared of the cowards hiding under bed sheets because those men would soon see the day come when they wouldn't have bed sheets to hide under anymore. Anyway my grandfather continued to help in any way he could to those who were in need of jobs or in need of some assistance.
There's more stories like that one that I could go on for hours with. My Dad grew up around Birmingham in that time period so he saw some very rough things as you could imagine. But I wont go into all of that.
Being from Alabama that part of our history is something that still ashamed me but I also think it's important to remind us of our mistakes and to take ownership of them to ensure that they never happen again and to continue to work on any issues we still have today. It's important to stare at these haunting images and learn from them. To continue to learn from them until the problem is no longer in question.
So thanks for posting this link. I had not seen this. I will be sending it to my Dad to take a look because I think he would be really interested in seeing it. He is a history buff especially if the history is something he saw first hand. If my grandfather were still alive today I think he would be proud to see that maybe some of those cowards have been outed from their bed sheets. But we still have a long way to go as well.
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I didn't grow up in the civil right era so of course I don't have any memories of it. But I do have parents and grandparents who have experienced the things that happened in those photos first hand and I grew up hearing stories from that era. Heart breaking stories that will make you sick to your stomach and wonder how on earth our society could be that cruel and baric but they also shared stories that taught me the importance of equal societies and equal rights.
One story that comes to mind when I see those photo's is a story my Dad use to tell me. My grandfather was helping some people who were black find jobs and my father says he can remember several occasions of the Klu Klux Klan burning crosses in their front yard and throwing bricks and rocks in their windows. Of course my grandfather being the stubborn big hearted preacher that he was told his children not to be scared of the cowards hiding under bed sheets because those men would soon see the day come when they wouldn't have bed sheets to hide under anymore. Anyway my grandfather continued to help in any way he could to those who were in need of jobs or in need of some assistance.
There's more stories like that one that I could go on for hours with. My Dad grew up around Birmingham in that time period so he saw some very rough things as you could imagine. But I wont go into all of that.
Being from Alabama that part of our history is something that still ashamed me but I also think it's important to remind us of our mistakes and to take ownership of them to ensure that they never happen again and to continue to work on any issues we still have today. It's important to stare at these haunting images and learn from them. To continue to learn from them until the problem is no longer in question.
So thanks for posting this link. I had not seen this. I will be sending it to my Dad to take a look because I think he would be really interested in seeing it. He is a history buff especially if the history is something he saw first hand. If my grandfather were still alive today I think he would be proud to see that maybe some of those cowards have been outed from their bed sheets. But we still have a long way to go as well.