Righting the Wrongs

Human Rights

“Human beings seldom step outside themselves to really grasp the needs and fears of others. We often project our own thoughts and beliefs upon strangers, and make judgments based upon how we think they ‘should’ live their lives. If only we could experience a few moments inside the feelings of another person, the world would be a more compassionate and benevolent place.”
Chelle Thompson (Inspiration Line)

As most of you know, Birmingham has a dark history of civil rights violations. In the early 1960’s some prominent African American leaders, Fred Shuttlesworth and Martin Luther King, Jr. and others, organized protests in Birmingham and elsewhere in Alabama to call attention to the plight of African Americans in the Deep South. We have all seen the photographs of a burly, angry Bull Connor unleashing police dogs and fire hoses on young, unarmed and non-violent protestors. The courage and persistence of those young people won the hearts and minds of a nation and brought about the full inclusion laws of this country. Birmingham has tried for fifty years to emerge from the cloud of shame of that era.

I have lived in this city since 1980. In all that time, both the mayor and a majority of the City Council have been African American. We built a world class Civil Rights Institute to commemorate the losses suffered by many for the benefit of all. Our airport is Fred Shuttlesworth International, and many streets are named for the captains of the Civil Rights movement. This city has come a long way toward equal rights.

Last night at the Civil Rights Institute, Birmingham took another bold step. A photographic exhibit opened in the Odessa Woolfolk gallery: Living in Limbo: Lesbian Families in the Deep South. Photographer, Carolyn Sherer, and several friends of mine were on the organizing committee. The exhibit includes women from all walks of life—doctors, lawyers, clergy, military, students and many others—and all races, who were courageous enough to stand before a camera. Many had children. Some faced the camera, while others did not for fear of losing their jobs or hurting their families. Hundreds of people, gay and straight, black and white, came out to celebrate both the women and the Institute.

We still have a long way to go as a nation before acknowledging that all our citizens should have equal rights before the law, but for once, Birmingham is out front instead of lagging behind. For that I am grateful.

In the spirit,
Jane