The Unseen
I've been sitting here for half an hour, mesmerized by the photos published in the Birmingham News today. The photos were kept in a box for decades by editors who didn't want to draw national attention to the racial discord in Birmingham during the Civil Rights Movement. The pictures chronicle the stories of the first black students attempting to enroll in white Birmingham schools, the Freedom Riders, the church bombing that left four young girls dead, as well as other protests and arrests of the Civil Rights era.
I think of Julia sitting next to her friend Simeon, giggling during lunch in the school cafeteria. They have no clue of the sacrifices that were made just so they could do that. One day, they will know. The Civil Rights story is still one that needs to be told. I commend the editors of the Birmingham News for finally letting these pictures tell it.
posted by Deana Nall @ 9:16 AM
7 Comments:
At Mon Feb 27, 10:40:00 AM,
Nellie said…
I am continually amazed that all of that took place in my lifetime. I can well remember visiting relatives in Alabama when I was a child and seeing signs for "Whites" and for "Coloreds." Pitiful!! I am so glad my grandchildren will not live in such an environment, and I pray that we will all remember that part of our history so that we do not repeat it.
At Mon Feb 27, 11:04:00 AM,
Deana Nall said…
Hi, Nell! Skip looked so lonely at small group last night. We all miss you!
At Mon Feb 27, 02:19:00 PM,
Kelley said…
What a tragic time in our country's history. One that should not be repeated.
Photojournalism is a powerful teaching tool.
At Mon Feb 27, 02:29:00 PM,
Nellie said…
Hi, Deana! It is good to know that I am missed. I really, really, really am missing being at home! It was great to spend time with Ike and Brenda at lectureship last week, and then to have a few days at home with Skip. But, it sure made it hard to come back to being the caretaker. Mom is doing very well, though, and I hope I will be able to return home permanently within a few weeks. I am thankful for blogs as they keep me informed and also challenge my thinking (as in Mike Cope, Chad Nall, Deana Nall,etc.) Hope to see you all soon!!
At Tue Feb 28, 09:12:00 AM,
Brian said…
Have you seen "Citizen King" that PBS runs all month long during Black History Month(which February is)?
They show clips from the marches, and they always show these really angry white people protesting.
It's easy to look in hindsight and say that there's no way I would be doing that, I would have been one of those white guys that was hanging with Dr King...just like we say we wouldn't have been with the mob that yelled 'Crucify Him'...I remember Dad telling us that once he was wanted to eat with an Afro American but his friend told him there was no place in Beaumont they could eat together....
At Tue Feb 28, 10:46:00 AM,
Cheryl said…
Being the minority for the last years has greatly broadened my perspective on this issue. When I'm in a situation here where people are laughing at me, tricking me, cheating me...because I'm white...I just want to disappear and hide. These folks who stood up and said "what you are doing is wrong"...well its nothing short of amazing. I am thankful for their courage. And inspired by it...
At Tue Feb 28, 07:33:00 PM,
Heather said…
Wow on the photos. I taught a book on the 4 girls killed when I taught freshman English. It was a harsh reality that most of my students hadn't been capable of grasping before that point.
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