First+Hand+Accounts

Notes:

From Creating America: It’s one of the most segregated cities. African Americans in Birmingham wanted to integrate public facilities. The protesters knew that the city’s Public Safety Commissioner, Eugene “Bull” Connor, was likely to use violence to stop the protests and the sight of nonviolent protesters being attacked by segregationists was likely to increase the pressure of change. SCLC recruited children for the marches. The police used vicious dogs and fire-hoses with he power to rip clothing and send children skidding down the street. People across the nation were horrified to see this. Martin Luther King was arrested during this time and it was in the jail that he wrote the famous “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” After 38 days of confrontation the city promises to desegregate public facilities and begin an employment program for African Americans. George Wallace claims the deal was not legitimate and bombs King’s Hotel. Even though King had left the city a crowd gathered in protest and were beaten with rifles and clubs. 75 students were put in jail cells that were meant to hold 8. Pictures and media spread all over and it showed the violence used on the children.

Hope:
 * King met with the leaders of the SCLC & ACMHR to discuss what would be done next, it was then suggested by bevel that the children that he met up with would lead a march through the city.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Later that week children were told to meet at the local church on Thursday. They were also told to bring toothbrushes because they would need them in jail.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">on Thursday children skipped school to meet at the sixteenth street baptist church. some parents arrived and were angry at king for letting their children march.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The children held no hesitation when they starting marching, singing, and clapping.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The city’s white leaders knew of the march because they denied their legel permit to protest that day


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Children led the crusade because if their parents did, they'd be likely to be thrown in jail and this would hurt the family financially.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Resources: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Creating America <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Eyes on the Prize <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Civil Rights Movement: Marching in Birmingham