Today’s post is 2100 words, 52 photos, one video, a 10 minute read. Enjoy!

Hi everyone,

This week I’ll take you to two historic theaters in downtown Birmingham and a tour of the 16th Street Baptist Church. We’ll work a 1/2 day at an urban farm and visit the Southern Museum of Flight.

If you missed the first post in this series, click here.

Alabama Theater

Gary, our guide for a tour of the Alabama Theater, met our group at the door . He was funny, engaging, and knowledgeable about this theater as well as movie theaters in general.

The Alabama Theater was opened in 1927 by Paramount and is currently owned by Birmingham Landmarks, Inc., a non-profit organization created to restore the Alabama and Lyric theaters. It was the largest theater in Birmingham’s theater district seating 2500 people. Around this time, there were 73 theaters in the theater district. I found it interesting that each major film studio such as MGM, Paramount, Warner Brothers, Fox, and others had their own theaters in the larger cities. They showed their own movies exclusively, most would play a week unless they were extremely popular, they were held over. Some movies would be played at second-run theaters for a discounted admission. I should mention that most of the theaters were segregated including the Alabama. It didn’t admit African-Americans until the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Even then it was slow.

While most theaters were built to show silent films, they quickly adapted to talking pictures. They also hosted vaudeville and other performing acts. beauty pageants, and the local chapter of the Mickey Mouse Club that was the largest with over 7,000 members! Gary showed us some of the architectural features that were restored after a major renovation in 1998. He pointed out the clam shells, hidden animals, and interesting lighting features.

Gary even took us to the basement to check out the restrooms that were added after the theater opened and concessions were added. A recent addition is an expanded women’s restroom to establish “potty parity.”

This is a view of the theater from the balcony section. Note the interesting features on the walls and ceiling.

This is one of the distinctive features of the theater, the 1927 Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ or “Big Bertha” as it is known locally. This is a giant unit orchestra designed for silent films. It features multiple keyboards (four in this case), numerous pipes that imitate strings, brass, percussion, and sound effects such as sirens or horns. Played from a single console, a full sound of an orchestra from hidden chambers around the stage filled the theater. The organ at the Alabama contained all the features available from Wurlitzer. It’s beautifully decorated to give it a distinctive look.

At the end of the tour of the theater and a discussion of the organ, Gary sat down to play it. A short video follows. It was a great ending to a fun tour.

Urban Cookhouse

After our tour, we walked to the nearby Urban Cookhouse for lunch. The food was excellent. I had a berry salad with chicken salad added. The service was quick. It’s right across the street from the Robert S. Vance Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse. Some might remember that Judge Robert S. Vance, a Federal Appeals Court Judge, was assassinated in 1989 by a bomb mailed to his home by a disgruntled man who was later sentenced to death and executed for this and other murders. It might be coincidence but Robert Vance was a leading advocate for the Civil Rights Movement. But I digress.

An interesting feature of this restaurant is that it is located in the former Federal Reserve. The restrooms were in the vault! For safekeeping, I guess.

Carver Theater for the Performing Arts – Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame

After lunch, we walked to the Carver Theater, a place where African-Americans could see first run movies in Birmingham. It’s now a performing arts center and the home of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

Our tour of the Carver was led by Leah, the operations manager. We watched a film about the performing arts scene in Birmingham with an emphasis on jazz music. The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame was created in 1978 by local civic leaders to bring attention to Alabama’s contributions to the jazz world. Inductees include local music educators and performers as well as nationally known acts such as Duke Ellington, Sun Ra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, and Harry Belafonte. It was an enjoyable and interesting visit.

16th Street Baptist Church

The 16th Street Baptist Church was the first black church in Birmingham. The current building was erected in 1884. During the Civil Rights Movement, it was one of the places where organizers met and held rallies. Civil rights leaders such as the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were frequent speakers at this church.

This church gained worldwide attention on Sunday September 15, 1963 when a bomb exploded and killed four young girls (Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley) and injured 22 others waiting for Sunday School to begin. Four members of the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) were identified as the perpetrators of the horrific crime. Three of the bombers were eventually tried, convicted, and sent to prison where they died. The fourth died before being charged. This was one of many bombings in the Birmingham that became to be known as “Bombingham.”

Also on that day, two African-American boys were killed in separate incidents. Virgil Ware was shot while riding on the handlebars of his brother’s bike. The two white teenagers were given probation. The other was shot in the back by a white police officer. Johnny Robinson fled after a group of Black youth allegedly threw rocks at a car with white passengers. No one was punished for this killing.

This bombing was one of the main triggering events for legislation for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

Our guide for the tour of the church was LaJoyce, a member of the church and an excellent presenter. We began the tour in the basement of the church where the girls were killed. The walls are covered with images from the day and the Civil Rights Movement. We were not allowed to take photos. We watched a short film after which LaJoyce answered questions.

We were allowed to take photos upstairs in the sanctuary. She told us that at the time of the bombing there were over 1200 members, now it’s about 300.

After the bombing, this stained glass window was given to the church by the people of Wales. It depicts a black Jesus with his arms outstretched asking for forgiveness. We could only take photos from a distance.

After we left the church, we stopped at the place where the bombing occurred. 

I’m so glad we had the chance to experience this historical place. I remember when this happened but to see it first hand was memorable.

Kelly Ingram Park

Directly kitty-corner across the street from the 16th Street Baptist Church is the Kelly Ingram Park. It was named for the first sailor to die in combat during World War I. Kelly Ingram tried to save his shipmates from a German torpedo and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. He was a native of Alabama. This park is also the site where many of the Civil Rights demonstrations were held. Today this full city-block is dedicated to that movement. Here are a few photos from the park.

A statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the center of the park.

This sculpture titled Four Spirts is dedicated to the four girls killed in the bombing. Notice there are six doves being released, one for each of the four girls and two for the boys shot the same day.

Jones Valley Teaching Farm

The next morning we were off to do service by helping out at the Jones Valley Teaching Farm by the airport. It’s one of eight teaching farms in the Birmingham school district. The farms offer hands on food education to introduce kids to where food comes from, how it grows, and how it’s made into edible products through culinary arts. There are in-school and after school programs as well as paid internships for selected high school students. It’s a great program.

This two-acre urban farm was started in 2016. It’s a teaching/learning laboratory for students at the nearby Woodlawn High School. The produce that is grown is used for teaching and the excess is offered to area residents at low or no cost. A win/win all the way around.

It was a cool but sunny morning when we arrived at the farm. We met Sedrick, the farm manager, and Hayden, assistant manager, for an overview of the farm and safety instructions. Sedrick, on the right, was a high school intern at Jones Valley and worked his way up to manager. Hayden, on the left, is a horticulture graduate from Auburn University, the land-grant college in Alabama.

They gave assignments for jobs that needed to be done. Some of our group picked flowers that they would give to those interested at their farmers market the next day. The monarchs were busy in the flower patch, worthy of photo attempts. A couple worked.

Some picked kale and collard greens.

Arlene, our host, pruned okra.

This group was taking a break from working in the field.

My job was to “scuffle” between the rows of lettuce, turnips, and radishes. Don’t know what “scuffling” is? I didn’t. It’s hoeing with a scuffle hoe, a horseshoe shaped hoe that swivels slightly on the handle. Pull it back and push it forward, it works pretty good. I was sweating a little when I was done.

I shot this photo then used an app to determine the identity of the plant. It’s hemp and used for a cover crop. I chatted with Sedrick and Hayden about cover crops then we talked about livestock. They talked about rabbits and more likely chickens. There are some obstacles but it’s an interesting proposition. The high school is in the background.

There is a big green house where they were preserving sweet potatoes for next year’s crop.

After a couple hours of work, we enjoyed a box lunch and conversation. It was an enjoyable morning for a great cause.

Southern Museum of Flight

After lunch we traveled the short distance to the airport and the Southern Museum of Flight.

Our guide for the tour of the museum was a volunteer and Air Force veteran, Charlie. Here he’s pointing to the flag of East Germany. It’s part of the Cold War aviation exhibit alongside the Soviet MIG-21.

Charlie pointed out the model of the USS Birmingham that was important in the naval battles during WWII. It was hit by enemy fire at least three times. In one strike near Okinawa, a kamikaze attacked the Birmingham and crashed into the ship. It killed 52 and injured 82. After the war, the ship was sent to dry dock and in 1959 it was sold for scrap. 

The Cobra was the first dedicated attack helicopter in the world. It played a significant role in Vietnam providing fire support with missiles, cannons, rockets, and machine gun.

Charlie took us into a conference room where there was a display of the Bay of Pigs Invasion. In a tent near where the museum is located, the CIA and Air Force officials trained Cuban exiles to fly B-26 aircraft to support the invasion. Members of the Alabama Air National Guard provided the training. The mission was a failure due to poor planning, lack of air support, lack of resources, and flawed intelligence. For years, the U.S. Government denied the involvement of the Alabama Air Guard even though four members died during the failed mission. Their names are listed on the left side of the photo.

There was interesting display of the role of Leonardo da Vinci’s ideas about human flights.

Of course there were lots of airplanes.

I was interested to learn that Delta Airlines began in Monroe, Louisiana in 1928 launching their first passenger flights in 1929. It started out as a crop dusting outfit in Georgia to battle the boll weevil. It moved to Monroe then back to Atlanta 1941.

It was an educational and enjoyable tour.

That does it for this week. Join me for another episode from Birmingham.

Now for the five senses plus one.

Saw – Old theater, church where bombing occurred, park across the street from the church, lots of airplanes, monarchs, plants in the garden

Heard – traffic noises, music playing at hall of fame, clatter at the restaurant

Touch – railings at theater, velvet seats, door handles

Smell – food cooking

Taste – excellent salad, stuffed shrimp, toast with jelly

Learned – history of movies and jazz, some about racial tensions, hardships

Until next week, happy travels!

Tom

PS: Click here for a link to the post about my book “Farm Boy.” Contact me if you are interested in purchasing a copy. Thanks to all have plunked down your hard earned dollars and read the book. TM