Civil Rights Museum and Memorials, Montgomery AL

Freedom Riders, Dr King and Others Remembered in Montgomery, Alabama

Nov 25, 2008

A memorial wall for tolerance, historic markers, and names carved in granite are some of the ways activists in the Civil Rights Movement are remembered in Montgomery, AL.

During the 1950s and 1960s, non-violent activists in the Civil Rights Movement were often violently attacked for their attempts to desegregate the South. Black churches were bombed, Freedom Riders were beaten and their buses burned and African-Americans were arrested for sitting at “whites-only” lunch counters. It was a time of turmoil, courage and sacrifice.

Today, Montgomery, Alabama is recognized as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement, where many significant events took place on the city’s streets and in its historic buildings. It is also the location of a number of museums and memorials dedicated to the memories of those who fought and died in the struggle for Civil Rights.

Visiting any or all of the Civil Rights museums and memorials in Montgomery is a great way to deepen one’s knowledge and understanding of Civil Rights the leaders and ordinary people whose simple acts changed the nation. The following sites focus on the Civil Rights Movement, past, present and future.

Civil Rights Memorial

A black granite table serves as a fountain as water flows over the names of 40 Civil Rights activists who died in the struggle for Civil Rights. Behind the fountain, more water flows over a black granite wall inscribed with excerpts from the book of Amos quoted by Dr. King. Sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the fountain stands outside the Civil Rights Memorial Center and is free and accessible 24-hours a day.

Civil Rights Memorial Center

Dedicated to those whose struggles and sacrifices contributed to the Civil Rights Movement, the center houses exhibits, a 56-seat theater, a classroom for educational activities, an area dedicated to contemporary social justice issues and the Wall of Tolerance, where visitors may sign their names and pledge to work for justice, equality and human rights, the ideals of the Civil Rights Movement.

The center is open Monday – Friday 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM and Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Closed Sunday. Admission is $2 for adults and free for children 17 and under.

Former Greyhound Bus Station

In 1961, activists attempting to challenge segregated transportation laws rode interstate buses into Montgomery. At the Greyhound Bus station, they were met by an angry white mob and were severely beaten. Today the station is closed, but a story board on the outside walls tells the story of that event and its effect on the Civil Rights Movement. The site is open and free to the public.

National Center for the Study of Civil Rights & African-American Culture

On the Alabama State University campus, the center’s mission is to document and preserve the written and oral history of the Civil Rights Movement, the black history of Montgomery and the history of ASU. Various programs, lectures and exhibitions are scheduled throughout the year for both children and adults.

An exhibition hall is free and open to the public during business hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with rotating shows of African-American art. The center also houses the papers and artifacts of the Montgomery Improvement Association, headed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and formed in Montgomery on December 5, 1955, to direct the Montgomery boycott.

The copyright of the article Civil Rights Museum and Memorials, Montgomery AL in Alabama Travel is owned by Pamela Watson. Permission to republish Civil Rights Museum and Memorials, Montgomery AL in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.