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BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA By the early 1960s, Birmingham was considered one of the most rigidly segregated cities in the American South. Martin Luther King, Jr., began a series of demonstrations in the spring of 1963 to oppose racial segregation in the city. The 16th Street Baptist Church was used as a main meeting point for the protests. |
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The 16th Street Baptist Church was the
African-American church closest to downtown Birmingham.
Demonstrators would meet, organize, hold prayer services, and rally inside the church. |
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At the beginning of a major demonstration in Birmingham, hundreds of protesters streamed down the front steps of the church. They then marched toward the segregated restaurants and lunch counters of the city. |
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Adjacent to the 16th Street Baptist Church is Kelly Johnson Park. It was the assembly point for many important marches. Birmingham police were ordered to break up the demonstrations. |