Birmingham, AL was our first stop on this day. We toured the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Again, we had the fortune of having a guide, Mr. Clark, who insisted on being called “Doc”, who was 80 years young, who had played for many bands including Duke Ellington’s. His tour was great because he not only told about the history of jazz, he was able to relive it for us because he was part of it as it grew from its infancy in the 40’s and 50’s to the present time. Doc played his clarinet during various parts of the tour as he illustrated an important turning point or a song that had become popular.

He spoke of the very strong impact of Franks who developed the Negro marching band at the Industrial School. Because of Franks’ love of music, he established bands and taught the members how to play the instruments. Not only that, he required that they learn to read the music. As a result, many of them later became famous in their own right, establishing their own bands and touring the country, playing in black clubs as well as in segregated white venues.

In the afternoon, we went to the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and saw a movie that depicted the civil unrest of the times.
The September 15, 1963 racially motivated bombing of Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, which resulted in the death of four innocent black girls, was the lowest point of the Civil Rights movement and perhaps one of the darkest days in Birmingham’s history. Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, and Addie Mae Collins were killed in the explosion. Angry blacks rioted and the civil authorities responded with great violence. Others eventually were killed as well. There were over 50 bombings of churches, homes, black businesses over an 18 year period that started in 1947.

Freedom Park was across the street from the church. The marchers would usually gather here to organize before starting their march. Many were brutally attacked and beaten in this park by police and attack German Shepherd dogs.

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute was the last place we visited on Wednesday. As the name implies, it focused on the atrocities associated with the difficulties that the black man and woman had while trying to secure the right to vote. It also contained a large display on theories that are abundant regarding how Dr. King was killed, by whom, who was the mastermind, etc. Did James Earl Ray act alone or was he paid by others? Was the FBI or some other US Agency involved?