Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Remembering



Kelly Ingram Park is a place for remembering.  Birmingham in the 1960's was a city in turmoil. This is a part of Birmingham's history that evokes memories of racial stife that tore our city apart and a civil rights movement that demanded much needed changes.  Today Birmingham still remembers the past and takes pride in the positive changes that have taken place over the years.  Kelly Ingram Park sits across the street from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the 16th Avenue Baptist Church.  The sculpture  in this park is startling and thought provoking, serving as a visual reminder of sacrifices made during those turbulent times.  It is indeed a place for remembering,  learning from the past, and celebrating the present. 

I will be bringing more photos from this historic district in weeks to come.

8 comments:

PJ said...

Last year my husband and I stayed at the Tutwiler which put us in proximity to everything in the downtown area. We visited Kelly Ingram Park and were given a tour by one of the locals. Nearby was the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church which I had heard of all my life. It was really moving to be in the places where such important struggles took place. Great choice for a photo.
Pensacola Daily Photo

Halcyon said...

Great composition! Having a person contemplating the statue makes for a more interesting photo than just the statue itself.

Jackson has also had its share of racial strife. I really need to find the Medgar Evers house and put that on my blog one of these days.

Laurie Allee said...

What a powerful and disturbing sculpture. It's painful to look at. This photo is very moving, VIrginia.

Unknown said...

Very poignant

Marie Reed said...

I am looking forward to your historical district series à la Virginia!

Rob said...

Well done, difficult to shoot and talk about our troubled past. But important to remember to refrain it from ever happening again.

Janet Kincaid said...

Wow! What an evocative and honest memorial to a dark period in our nation's history. Bravo to the men and women of Birmingham who stood up to injustice!

Les Barr said...

I seem to remember what happened there back in the early 60's. I was still in High School back then.