By Monica Collier Staff Writer
Originally published in the TimesDaily Mar 5, 2017
The quote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” was first attributed to Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana in 1905.It’s commonly believed that Winston Churchill paraphrased Santayana’s quote in 1948 while addressing England’s House of Commons: “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”Let that sink in.
Not only is the Civil Rights Movement part of American history, it’s a substantial part of Alabama history. It’s vivid recent history that many of your friends and neighbors recall in firsthand accounts.The Alabama Civil Rights Trail itinerary on tourism.alabama.gov is a four-day journey making stops in Birmingham on Day 1, Selma on Day 2, Montgomery on Day 3 and Tuskegee on Day 4.With the goal of keeping within the parameters of a true day trip from the Shoals, let’s focus on a pared down version of Day 3: Montgomery.
Tip: Brace yourself for a long day.There’s no way around it — a round trip to Montgomery from the Shoals is upwards of six hours driving time. In “there-and-back” terms, it’s arguable the outermost destination to the South that allows for roughly equal amounts of drive time and visit time and holds to a 12-hour time frame.
Tips: Choose a pretty day. Get an early start. Don’t overdo it.With roughly six hours to spend in Montgomery, three stops allowing for two hours each makes sense. Of the six Montgomery stops listed on the Alabama Civil Rights Trail at tourism.alabama.gov, the Rosa Parks Museum, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church and the Civil Rights Memorial and Museum are must-sees.
The ultimate tip for this day trip is: Be prepared to ride an emotional roller coaster.
Rosa Parks Museum (Troy University campus)252 Montgomery St., Montgomery
Admission: Adults, $7.50; 12 and younger, $5.50
Hours: Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; closed Sunday
Information: 334-241-8615 (Large groups must call for reservations)
Rosa Parks is known as “the mother of the Civil Rights Movement.” Her refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus to a white man sparked a citywide boycott of the public transit system that brought attention to racial injustices across the nation.School children know her by name and history books summarize her importance to the Civil Rights Movement as a whole but who was Rosa Parks?Standing before a bus in the museum seeing and hearing the sequence of events that happened Dec. 1, 1955, unfold is powerful. Yes, Parks was a 42-year-old seamstress who was tired after a long day at work. Yes, she remained seated in the middle of the bus in a segregated world that dictated her to do otherwise. But there's more to the story.Parks, although often described as a quiet, gentle woman, was not a victim. She was educated and had black activist friends. She knew the city’s segregation laws and knew she was within her rights to hold her seat that day. And that’s what she did.Parks knew both the consequences and implications of her defiance. She remained calm as she was escorted off the bus and transported to the city jail. In roughly 24 hours, news of her arrest spread through the city's black community.Within days, Montgomery's black community mobilized and called for a bus boycott that lasted 381 days and was a catalyst that brought about nationwide change.Parks’ decision to keep her seat challenging the city’s ordinance on bus segregation is credited with launching a revolution fought with prayers and dreams.
Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church454 Dexter Ave., Montgomery
Admission: Adults, $7.50; 11 and younger, $5.50
Hours: Tours by appointment
Information: 334-261-3270, dexterkingmemorial.org
For those unfamiliar with Montgomery’s role in the Civil Rights Movement, visiting the Rosa Parks Museum first provides background and fully explains her part as a catalyst for a sequence of history-changing events.To continue the story, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, which is a short drive from the museum, is a logical next stop of the day.Before ringing the bell for entry, stand before the church’s beautiful double doors and reflect. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. walked through this doorway. His position at Dexter Avenue as pastor from 1954-1960 was his first and only full-time pastorate.The doors open to the church basement. King’s beginnings as a civil rights icon started in this basement. The day after Parks’ protest in 1955, the meeting that launched the Montgomery Bus Boycott was held here.Not long after the initial bus boycott meeting, King was elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association and organized the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He directed boycott activities and wrote speeches in his office in the church basement. He rehearsed sermons and speeches from a podium that is still in the basement.In the basement’s foyer is a wall mural outlining significant moments in King’s life. Poignant vignettes depict his legacy in the Civil Rights Movement. At the center is a scene illustrating the story of King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”To the left of the basement’s main doors is a narrow staircase leading up to the sanctuary. Climb the stairs and stand still for a minute. Take in the room. Other than a few updates such as padding on the pews, the 139-year-old red brick church is in its original state. It’s also still home to an active congregation.Wanda Battle, Dexter Avenue tour director, is a Montgomery native but lived in Atlanta for more than 10 years before returning to her hometown.“I never thought I would live in Montgomery again,” Battle said. “When Dr. King was killed April 4, 1968, mother moved us in August to Atlanta. So I completed high school and graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta. I never thought I would come back here, but my husband brought me back 21 years ago. He passed away eight months after he brought me home.”At first, Battle wasn’t comfortable being back home. She said leading tours at Dexter Avenue and looking for other teaching moments about civil rights makes her feel blessed to be back in Montgomery.“It is home,” she said. “And to be here doing this is noble work. My family all worked for civil rights — in the bus boycott. Now it’s as if I have an opportunity to make a contribution. I feel so honored and blessed. I just say thank you Lord every day I walk into this amazing place.”Tip: After the tour, go to the corner of Dexter and Decatur avenues in front of the church and look to the right. As views go, the Alabama State Capitol looks majestic. That's a trip for another day.
Civil Rights Memorial and Museum400 Washington Ave., Montgomery
Admission: Adults, $2; children free
Hours: Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed Sunday
Information: Schedule group tours at splcenter.org
The Civil Rights Memorial and Museum at Southern Poverty Law Center is a block from Dexter Avenue Baptist Church and brings Alabama’s role in the Civil Rights Movement full circle.The memorial itself is positioned in front of the museum. Water covers the wall where Martin Luther King Jr.'s words are etched into the black granite — "... until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."The wall and adjacent circular table honoring the Civil Rights Movement were designed by Maya Lin. Lin also designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.Tip: Wait until after touring the museum to spend time at the memorial.The Civil Rights Memorial was dedicated in 1989. In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center turned a portion of its office space into a Civil Rights Museum.Lecia Brooks, director of the Civil Rights Memorial Center, said attendance has increased each year since the museum opened. She estimates 45,000 visited in 2016.“This is our history — it’s Alabama state history,” Brooks said. “It talks about the very important contributions Alabama made to the Civil Rights Movement. I think it’s especially important to Alabama and other places in the South because they are typically remembered for not allowing rights for African Americans — but it’s also the place we made civil rights a reality.”In addition to commemorating significant people and events, the memorial honors 40 individuals who lost their lives during the Civil Rights Movement.The 40 names may not be known to most visitors. The first room of the museum has free standing stations telling each person’s story. A brief glimpse into their personal stories is an emotional experience. Seeing the names next to the faces — both young and old, men and women, black and white — personifies the sacrifices each made to usher in change.The theme of reflection and paying homage to sacrifices made for a greater good carries over from the main room to the museum’s theater.Seeing the museum’s film helps put the Civil Rights Movement into perspective: Change didn’t come easy, it didn’t come fast and people from everyday walks of life made a difference.Not only can a few minutes in the theater bring a new understanding to the meaning of courage and bravery, it can elicit feelings of heartbreak, pride, hope and responsibility.With a newfound belief that one person can make a difference, exit the theater, move to the next room and stand before the Wall of Tolerance. Visitors are reminded that the fight for civil rights is ongoing and invited to add their name to the wall.Now, emerge from the museum renewed and gaze into the memorial table. Touch the names etched into the stone covered in flowing — not stagnant — clear water. Remember, the spaces left between each entry is there intentionally to signify that the struggle for civil rights continues.
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