September 3, 2023 • 11 mins
The Birmingham Campaign was a movement led in early 1963 by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) which sought to bring national attention to the efforts of local Black leaders to desegregate public facilities in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Sources:
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/birmingham-campaign-1963/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_campaign
https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/birmingham-campaign
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/one-mic-black-history--4557850/support.
Audio Onemichistory.com
Follow me on Instagram: @onemic_history
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/onemichistory
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Onemichistory
Please support our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=25697914
Buy me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Countryboi2m
Sources:
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/birmingham-campaign-1963/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_campaign
https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/birmingham-campaign
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/one-mic-black-history--4557850/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Early in nineteen sixty three, theSouthern Christian Leadership Confidence led a movement known
as the Birmingham Campaign to draw nationalattention to the struggle of local black leaders
to desegregate public facilities in Birmingham,Alabama, wildly considered to be one of
the most segregated cities in the UnitedStates. And if you like stories like
this, you could find more storieslike this and one my history dot com.
(00:22):
You'd like support the child he coulddo something. I buy me con
from my Patrion page in the descriptionbelow, give us five stars an Apple
podcasts, and support the YouTube channel. But without further ado, let's get
started the situation. In nineteen sixties, Birmingham was marked by start racial segregation
and intense racial violence. The raciallymotivated bombings were so widespread that one neighborhood
was called Dynamite Heal. These actionswere so frequent and went largely unaddressed by
(00:47):
authorities, creating an environment of hostilityand fear, and a missus chaos was
stringent Jim Crow laws. With apopulation of three hundred and fifty thousand,
sixty percent of them white and aboutforty percent black, inequalities premiated every aspect
of life. Laws prohibitive African Americansfrom holding jobs in the public sector,
limiting their employment to low skilled laborfor far lower wages than the white counterparts.
(01:11):
Additionally, faced segregation in all publicand commercial facilities, and imbalance was
so evident with voting rights, andonly ten percent of the black population was
registered to vote by nineteen sixty.This economic exploitation and social marginalization led to
systemic racial disparity, in further wideningthe chasm of societal differences in Alabama.
(01:34):
At the epicenter of the strict racialhierarchy was Eugene Bull Connor, who was
the Commissioner of Public Safety in Birmingham. Connor's rigid approach to maintaining the status
quote and even going so far asblaming black citizens for the bombings in the
cities. He was unwavering in hisrefusal to accept the segregation and led to
(01:55):
the formation of a group of moderatecitizens known as the Citizens for Progress.
Despite Connor's resistance, with the backingof the Chamber of Commerce and other white
professionals, they led the defeat ofConnor in the nineteen sixty two mayoral race,
leading to the election of Albert boutWealth. However, refusing to admit
defeat Connor and its colleagues, AthleticCommission rejected bout Wealth authority and argued that
(02:19):
they termed did not expire until nineteensixty five. Temporarily, Birmingham was the
home of two city government to bothseeking to a conduct business and fostering a
politically charged climate that will be significantin the Birmingham campaign. This turbulent environment
was the backage for the Birmingham Campaign, aimed at dismantling segregation through non violent
(02:42):
protests. The campaign was originally NADEProject C for Confrontation, partnering with the
Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights ledby Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth. Together they aimed
to challenge the segregation laws and beggingon the power of nonviolent resistance to shift
attention to the rapid racial dispirity.The Birmingham campaign was modeled after the Montgomery
(03:02):
bus boycott and it was heavily reliedon economic pressure against businesses. These other
Christian leadership conference believed that this wouldbe more impactful than pressuring politicians. The
boycott was also boastered because it wasset right before Easter in nineteen sixty three.
Pastors motivated their congregations by asking themto refuse to patronize segregation supporting businesses
(03:23):
in Montgomery's downtown district. Ensuing confrontationsled to some stories removing their discriminatory science.
However, such progress was met withthreats of business licenses being revoked by
city officials. Doctor King, alongwith other officials, led lectures on non
violence, gathered local volunteers for protests. The Collective Assembly was involved in mass
(03:46):
meetings, sittis at lunch counters andlibraries, kneelings at churches, and a
march on city Hall and board ofregistration drives at the County courthouse. Birmingham
municipal government obtained a court injunction againstthe protests April tenth, nineteen sixty three,
which was deliberately violated by campaigners.Their violations led to the arrest of
Martin the King on Good Friday,and his arrest spark national attention. Supporters
(04:13):
of Doctor King fit telegrams to theWhite House expressing their concerns. Although he
could be released at any time ifhe made bail, the campaign organizers chose
not to in order to call attentionto the conditions in Birmingham. After twenty
four hours, King was allowed tosee attorneys from the Southern crist Leadership Conference,
but when Correta did not hear fromher husband, she called President Kennedy
(04:35):
and he in turn called doctor King. Wild In confinement, he wrote notes
in the margins of a smuggled newspaperand a legal pad. This will later
be known as the Letter from theBirmingham Jail, and it responded to moderate
clergyman who accused him of agitating theresidents of Birmingham and not giving the mayor
a chance to make changes. Theletter became instrumental in the fight for civil
(04:59):
rights, but critics would suggest thatthe Letter from Birmingham Jail was preplanned,
as through all of his actions takenby King and his colleagues, the arrests
brought natural attention, including that ofcorporate officers of the stores in downtown Birmingham.
After the arrest, their profits woulddecline and pressure was put on the
Kennedy the administration to intervene. Kingwould be freed un bail April twentieth,
(05:23):
nineteen sixty three. Despite initial successof the campaign, by May of nineteen
sixty three, the campaign was falteringdue to fear of adults losing their employment
and facing incarceration. Seeing this,James Bebel, who is a veteran to
student protests, devised a controversial tacticto use children in the movement. Despite
(05:43):
the hesitation of King, Bebel arguedthat incarceration of children would not disrupt the
family's economy, and also that childrenwould bring about a dramatic change in the
movement that they've been yearning for.Drawing upon schools as a base of recruitment,
workshops were held to teach student isabout the philosophy of nonviolence and navy
limb to face their fears, mostnotably police dogs and jailed. On May
(06:06):
second, a pivotal movement happened inthe campaign with a seventh Great student by
the name of Gwendolyn Sanders led amassive walkout at Parker High School. The
protests was in response to the principle'sattempt to keep them confined within the school
premises. Children from different age groupjoined in and marched towards down town,
(06:26):
singing hymn such as we Shall Overcome. This act of defiance led to the
arrest over six hundred students and inniteda spark they would soon engulf the nation's
consciousness. Reactions to the initiative,especially the use of children, were decidedly
mixed. Notable personalities such as theMayor of Birmingham, Attorney General Robert Kennedy,
(06:46):
and even Malcolm X were critical ofthe decision. Malcolm X would reported
the stating that real men don't puttheir children on the firing line. However,
this did not deter the movement andthe children resilient and remained unbroken.
The following days saw considerable escalation offorce from the police under direction of Eugene
Bullconnor. High pressure hoses, policedogs and clubs were used to quell the
(07:11):
demonstrations, leading to a further influxof arrested protesters the field that makeshift jails.
These horrific scenes of brutality against thefistless children shook the world and began
to sway public opinion. By Maysixth, the protests were in full swing
and the distressing images were circulating themedia, intensifying international outrage and putting significant
(07:31):
pressure on the United States government.The unrestricted broadcast of the Bremingham campaign,
and of course, the Children's Crusade, drew an international attention to the civil
rights movement. People who used tobe indifferent or even support of other rich
divide were shaken by one that theysaw and wanted change. By May seven,
the situation was continuing to escalate.The Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, representing
(07:55):
local businesses, asked for the protestto stop. However, at the same
time, the last was encouraging peoplein a hundred cities across America to march
in support. That day, anotherthousand people would be arrested. Finally,
the Attorney General's Office landed in Birminghamto strike a deal with local business leaders
and black citizens. The business leaderswanted and into the protests, so on
(08:18):
May eighth, nineteen sixty three,the protests stopped and a compromise was reached.
There was a commitment to remove segregationfrom public places and to hire more
black people into retail positions. Inthe aftermath. Despite the turbulous and violence
of the struggle, the Birmingham campaignswas made pivotal moment in the civil rights
(08:39):
movement. By the middle of thesummer of nineteen sixty three, the city
desegregation laws had largely been reversed sawconsiderable advancement in racial parity within the city.
New its establishment had decent get alunch counters, public spaces of its
parks and golf courses had became accessibleto both black and white citizens, and
Major Boutwell had established an interracial committeefor the city's future planning. These development
(09:03):
seemed to symbolize a beacon of Optimists. However, not all responses to the
campaign were positive. Criticism to regularKing and the Subsecutor Leadership Conference criticized Kings
prepat truly concluding the campaign and suddenlyfor ambiguous commitments and failing to secure tangible,
wide reaching change necessary in Birmingham.Post campaign analysis revealed that it was
(09:26):
a glaring lack of African American representationand key public roles such as law enforcement,
firefighters, and clerks. Furthermore,the Birmingham Bar Association denial of membership
of black attorneys underscored the non uniformityof advancement across sectors. Additionally, the
campaign was not without violence, primarilyexemplified by the events that infolded on May
(09:48):
eleventh, with an explosion that detonatedat the Gaston Motel, which was a
temporary resident for mart Luther King Junior. Concurrently, another explosion was set off
at the house of ad King,which was the King's brother. When police
arrived after scene, they faced severehostility from angry black folks, which sparked
a widespread riot involving thousands of enragedcitizens. Buildings weren't cenerated, and at
(10:13):
least one individual was stabbed during theriot. In the end, despite vehement
objections from Alabama Governor George Wallace,President Kenny Would would resolve the riot by
dispatching three thousand federal soldiers to Birmingham. Reputationally, the happenings in Birmingham further
elevated King's hero status and propelled themto the center of the civil rights movement.
Admiration, respect for King's serge andits bravery and persistence commitment to the
(10:37):
cause were thrown into sharp focus.Similarly, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference grew
and popularity and created a domino effectin the civil rights movement in other parts
all the Southern United States. Inessence, the Birmingham Campaign was the complex
weave of advancement, defiance, andevolution. Its reparations were felt nationwide,
(11:00):
influencing discourse in racial equality and directingthe course of the civil rights movement.
Despite the violence and the criticism thatwe're encountered during the campaign, figures like
Marl Luther King emerged even stronger,laying the groundwork for on going actions to
achieve racial equality. Thank you.This has been one of my black history
(11:22):
I mean, who's country boy?Your life stories like this? You could
five more stories like this at onemike history dot com. I'll select support
the channel we Do Something about MCcoffee. Patreon page in the description below
gives fire styles the Apple podcast andsupport the YouTube channel Pace
Early in nineteen sixty three, theSouthern Christian Leadership Confidence led a movement known
as the Birmingham Campaign to draw nationalattention to the struggle of local black leaders
to desegregate public facilities in Birmingham,Alabama, wildly considered to be one of
the most segregated cities in the UnitedStates. And if you like stories like
this, you could find more storieslike this and one my history dot com.
(00:22):
You'd like support the child he coulddo something. I buy me con
from my Patrion page in the descriptionbelow, give us five stars an Apple
podcasts, and support the YouTube channel. But without further ado, let's get
started the situation. In nineteen sixties, Birmingham was marked by start racial segregation
and intense racial violence. The raciallymotivated bombings were so widespread that one neighborhood
was called Dynamite Heal. These actionswere so frequent and went largely unaddressed by
(00:47):
authorities, creating an environment of hostilityand fear, and a missus chaos was
stringent Jim Crow laws. With apopulation of three hundred and fifty thousand,
sixty percent of them white and aboutforty percent black, inequalities premiated every aspect
of life. Laws prohibitive African Americansfrom holding jobs in the public sector,
limiting their employment to low skilled laborfor far lower wages than the white counterparts.
(01:11):
Additionally, faced segregation in all publicand commercial facilities, and imbalance was
so evident with voting rights, andonly ten percent of the black population was
registered to vote by nineteen sixty.This economic exploitation and social marginalization led to
systemic racial disparity, in further wideningthe chasm of societal differences in Alabama.
(01:34):
At the epicenter of the strict racialhierarchy was Eugene Bull Connor, who was
the Commissioner of Public Safety in Birmingham. Connor's rigid approach to maintaining the status
quote and even going so far asblaming black citizens for the bombings in the
cities. He was unwavering in hisrefusal to accept the segregation and led to
(01:55):
the formation of a group of moderatecitizens known as the Citizens for Progress.
Despite Connor's resistance, with the backingof the Chamber of Commerce and other white
professionals, they led the defeat ofConnor in the nineteen sixty two mayoral race,
leading to the election of Albert boutWealth. However, refusing to admit
defeat Connor and its colleagues, AthleticCommission rejected bout Wealth authority and argued that
(02:19):
they termed did not expire until nineteensixty five. Temporarily, Birmingham was the
home of two city government to bothseeking to a conduct business and fostering a
politically charged climate that will be significantin the Birmingham campaign. This turbulent environment
was the backage for the Birmingham Campaign, aimed at dismantling segregation through non violent
(02:42):
protests. The campaign was originally NADEProject C for Confrontation, partnering with the
Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights ledby Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth. Together they aimed
to challenge the segregation laws and beggingon the power of nonviolent resistance to shift
attention to the rapid racial dispirity.The Birmingham campaign was modeled after the Montgomery
(03:02):
bus boycott and it was heavily reliedon economic pressure against businesses. These other
Christian leadership conference believed that this wouldbe more impactful than pressuring politicians. The
boycott was also boastered because it wasset right before Easter in nineteen sixty three.
Pastors motivated their congregations by asking themto refuse to patronize segregation supporting businesses
(03:23):
in Montgomery's downtown district. Ensuing confrontationsled to some stories removing their discriminatory science.
However, such progress was met withthreats of business licenses being revoked by
city officials. Doctor King, alongwith other officials, led lectures on non
violence, gathered local volunteers for protests. The Collective Assembly was involved in mass
(03:46):
meetings, sittis at lunch counters andlibraries, kneelings at churches, and a
march on city Hall and board ofregistration drives at the County courthouse. Birmingham
municipal government obtained a court injunction againstthe protests April tenth, nineteen sixty three,
which was deliberately violated by campaigners.Their violations led to the arrest of
Martin the King on Good Friday,and his arrest spark national attention. Supporters
(04:13):
of Doctor King fit telegrams to theWhite House expressing their concerns. Although he
could be released at any time ifhe made bail, the campaign organizers chose
not to in order to call attentionto the conditions in Birmingham. After twenty
four hours, King was allowed tosee attorneys from the Southern crist Leadership Conference,
but when Correta did not hear fromher husband, she called President Kennedy
(04:35):
and he in turn called doctor King. Wild In confinement, he wrote notes
in the margins of a smuggled newspaperand a legal pad. This will later
be known as the Letter from theBirmingham Jail, and it responded to moderate
clergyman who accused him of agitating theresidents of Birmingham and not giving the mayor
a chance to make changes. Theletter became instrumental in the fight for civil
(04:59):
rights, but critics would suggest thatthe Letter from Birmingham Jail was preplanned,
as through all of his actions takenby King and his colleagues, the arrests
brought natural attention, including that ofcorporate officers of the stores in downtown Birmingham.
After the arrest, their profits woulddecline and pressure was put on the
Kennedy the administration to intervene. Kingwould be freed un bail April twentieth,
(05:23):
nineteen sixty three. Despite initial successof the campaign, by May of nineteen
sixty three, the campaign was falteringdue to fear of adults losing their employment
and facing incarceration. Seeing this,James Bebel, who is a veteran to
student protests, devised a controversial tacticto use children in the movement. Despite
(05:43):
the hesitation of King, Bebel arguedthat incarceration of children would not disrupt the
family's economy, and also that childrenwould bring about a dramatic change in the
movement that they've been yearning for.Drawing upon schools as a base of recruitment,
workshops were held to teach student isabout the philosophy of nonviolence and navy
limb to face their fears, mostnotably police dogs and jailed. On May
(06:06):
second, a pivotal movement happened inthe campaign with a seventh Great student by
the name of Gwendolyn Sanders led amassive walkout at Parker High School. The
protests was in response to the principle'sattempt to keep them confined within the school
premises. Children from different age groupjoined in and marched towards down town,
(06:26):
singing hymn such as we Shall Overcome. This act of defiance led to the
arrest over six hundred students and inniteda spark they would soon engulf the nation's
consciousness. Reactions to the initiative,especially the use of children, were decidedly
mixed. Notable personalities such as theMayor of Birmingham, Attorney General Robert Kennedy,
(06:46):
and even Malcolm X were critical ofthe decision. Malcolm X would reported
the stating that real men don't puttheir children on the firing line. However,
this did not deter the movement andthe children resilient and remained unbroken.
The following days saw considerable escalation offorce from the police under direction of Eugene
Bullconnor. High pressure hoses, policedogs and clubs were used to quell the
(07:11):
demonstrations, leading to a further influxof arrested protesters the field that makeshift jails.
These horrific scenes of brutality against thefistless children shook the world and began
to sway public opinion. By Maysixth, the protests were in full swing
and the distressing images were circulating themedia, intensifying international outrage and putting significant
(07:31):
pressure on the United States government.The unrestricted broadcast of the Bremingham campaign,
and of course, the Children's Crusade, drew an international attention to the civil
rights movement. People who used tobe indifferent or even support of other rich
divide were shaken by one that theysaw and wanted change. By May seven,
the situation was continuing to escalate.The Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, representing
(07:55):
local businesses, asked for the protestto stop. However, at the same
time, the last was encouraging peoplein a hundred cities across America to march
in support. That day, anotherthousand people would be arrested. Finally,
the Attorney General's Office landed in Birminghamto strike a deal with local business leaders
and black citizens. The business leaderswanted and into the protests, so on
(08:18):
May eighth, nineteen sixty three,the protests stopped and a compromise was reached.
There was a commitment to remove segregationfrom public places and to hire more
black people into retail positions. Inthe aftermath. Despite the turbulous and violence
of the struggle, the Birmingham campaignswas made pivotal moment in the civil rights
(08:39):
movement. By the middle of thesummer of nineteen sixty three, the city
desegregation laws had largely been reversed sawconsiderable advancement in racial parity within the city.
New its establishment had decent get alunch counters, public spaces of its
parks and golf courses had became accessibleto both black and white citizens, and
Major Boutwell had established an interracial committeefor the city's future planning. These development
(09:03):
seemed to symbolize a beacon of Optimists. However, not all responses to the
campaign were positive. Criticism to regularKing and the Subsecutor Leadership Conference criticized Kings
prepat truly concluding the campaign and suddenlyfor ambiguous commitments and failing to secure tangible,
wide reaching change necessary in Birmingham.Post campaign analysis revealed that it was
(09:26):
a glaring lack of African American representationand key public roles such as law enforcement,
firefighters, and clerks. Furthermore,the Birmingham Bar Association denial of membership
of black attorneys underscored the non uniformityof advancement across sectors. Additionally, the
campaign was not without violence, primarilyexemplified by the events that infolded on May
(09:48):
eleventh, with an explosion that detonatedat the Gaston Motel, which was a
temporary resident for mart Luther King Junior. Concurrently, another explosion was set off
at the house of ad King,which was the King's brother. When police
arrived after scene, they faced severehostility from angry black folks, which sparked
a widespread riot involving thousands of enragedcitizens. Buildings weren't cenerated, and at
(10:13):
least one individual was stabbed during theriot. In the end, despite vehement
objections from Alabama Governor George Wallace,President Kenny Would would resolve the riot by
dispatching three thousand federal soldiers to Birmingham. Reputationally, the happenings in Birmingham further
elevated King's hero status and propelled themto the center of the civil rights movement.
Admiration, respect for King's serge andits bravery and persistence commitment to the
(10:37):
cause were thrown into sharp focus.Similarly, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference grew
and popularity and created a domino effectin the civil rights movement in other parts
all the Southern United States. Inessence, the Birmingham Campaign was the complex
weave of advancement, defiance, andevolution. Its reparations were felt nationwide,
(11:00):
influencing discourse in racial equality and directingthe course of the civil rights movement.
Despite the violence and the criticism thatwe're encountered during the campaign, figures like
Marl Luther King emerged even stronger,laying the groundwork for on going actions to
achieve racial equality. Thank you.This has been one of my black history
(11:22):
I mean, who's country boy?Your life stories like this? You could
five more stories like this at onemike history dot com. I'll select support
the channel we Do Something about MCcoffee. Patreon page in the description below
gives fire styles the Apple podcast andsupport the YouTube channel Pace
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