![]() Every summer the kids and I do a novel study and visit parks or museums or places that represent what we have read. Because of this trip, this summers book selection was our own local author- Christopher Paul Curtis' Award Winning Novel - THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM. Those of you who know me well, also know that I have been interested and studying the Underground Railroad, and the Civil Rights Movement for many years. So this book was important for me to share with the kids. Though after years with me, they know much more about the subject than the majority of kids their age. For myself, it was important to me that after reading and learning so much about it, I wanted to visit one of it's most famous sites while I was here. So Em and I took a novel study field trip in Birmingham, Alabama today. It is about 1 1/2 hours south of Huntsville, and a much bigger city. It is also the city that during the 60"s was known as BOMBINGHAM. Bombings, Riots, Freedom Rider Bus Blockades, Boycotts and Lunch Counter Sit-Ins all took place here, and the most famous of those may be the Bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church , where 4 young girls were killed. Today Emmy and I visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. http://www.bcri.org/index.html, which just happens to be directly across the street from the 16th Street Baptist Church. The views of the church through the windows of the Institute was a very powerful and emotional part of the displays. Pictures were not allowed inside the Museum. So Emmy and I took them outside of the Church and the Dedication Park across the street which honours those who fought and even died for their civil rights. . Here is pictures from our visit there today. ![]() Honouring the Foot Soldiers. Birmingham's notoriously Racist Police Commissioner used Dogs to victimize and violently keep segregation intact. ![]() The 4 Little Girls. Killed when a Bomb exploded at their Church. Cynthia, Addie Mae, Denise and Carole. ![]() 16th Street Baptist Church - as viewed from the dedication park, and past a statue of Martin Luther King Jr. ![]() 16th Street Baptist Church After we finished at the Museum - we stopped of at the gift shop. They had a great library of books and information that expanded on the videos, newspaper articles, dioramas and displays we had just seen. I picked up a couple books, and well.... as you can see Em's still thinking about what she learned today too.
1 Comment
Shirley
7/30/2014 11:57:26 pm
Emmy so much to learn but so interesting right? So glad we live in this day and age
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