more scenes from our tour of downtown Montgomery... click on the pic to enlarge
From the website History.com:
In December 1955, Alabama was at the center of the American Civil Rights Movement after Rosa Parks, a black seamstress refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger. This act became the catalyst for the yearlong Montgomery Bus Boycott, during which African Americans in the city refused to ride public buses. The boycott is regarded as the first large-scale demonstration challenging segregation in the U.S.
One of the organizers of the boycott, a young pastor named Martin Luther King Jr, emerged from the action as a national civil rights leader while also solidifying his commitment to nonviolent resistance. In December 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered Montgomery to integrate its bus system.
Following the boycott, tension between blacks and whites continued, resulting in numerous demonstrations and acts of violence throughout Alabama. On September 15, 1963, members of the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group, set off a bomb in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, killing four young girls. The bombing sparked outrage across America and generated support for the civil rights cause, helping to bring about passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed segregation in schools, public places and places of employment.
According to the smartest person I know, wiki:
Born in Mount Olive, Alabama, Hank Williams moved to Georgiana, where he met Rufus Payne, a black street performer who gave him guitar lessons in exchange for meals. Payne had a major influence on Williams's later musical style. After moving to Montgomery, Williams began his career in 1937 when WSFA radio station producers hired him to perform and host a 15-minute program. He formed as backup the Drifting Cowboys band, which was managed by his mother, and dropped out of school to devote all of his time to his career.
Hanks Williams hit songs include:
- Hey, Good Lookin
- Honkytonk Blues
- Your Cheatin' Heart
- I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
During his last years Williams's consumption of alcohol, morphine and other painkillers severely compromised his professional and personal life. He divorced his wife and was dismissed by the Grand Ole Opry due to frequent drunkenness. Williams died suddenly in 1953 at the age of 29. Despite his short life, Williams has had a major influence on country music. The songs he wrote and recorded have been covered by numerous artists, many of whom have also had hits with the tunes, in a range of pop, gospel, blues and rock styles.
During our RV travels, My Fella and I have discovered the best day to tour the downtown core of most cities seems to be on Sunday, late morning/early afternoon. We explored downtown Montgomery for several hours last Sunday and, once again, had the empty streets to ourselves.
It is very good that they are proud to share their history. Looks like a very interesting city.
Posted by: Don | January 21, 2012 at 10:42 AM
Mr P - My Fella and I could not get over how clean it was in downtown Montgomery. No garbage, no graffiti... the city was spotless compared to Kelowna, Vernon or Penticton.
We drove thru a few residential areas with the huge antebellum homes - and we drove thru a lot of mobile home parks too. (There are TONS of mobile home parks in Alabama. Tons.)
Posted by: kelsi | January 22, 2012 at 07:19 AM
You two make fine young tourists - thanks for the photos and report.
Posted by: John Calypso | January 23, 2012 at 05:04 AM
Educational reads and really nice photos too. Have not visited this city but it's one to plan for in the future.
Posted by: Rene' | January 23, 2012 at 09:58 AM
Senor C - yeah, we've done a lot of touring over the past 3 months in Alabama. And we've learned a lot too (how peanuts and cotton grow, about the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the history of the Civil Rights Movement, etc)... I'm sure all this is old news to most folks, but it was new to me and My Fella.
'Learning' has become one of my favourite things about RV-ing.
Who woulda thunk it?
Posted by: kelsi | January 24, 2012 at 06:17 AM
Rene - have you and your bride decided on a wireless option yet, or are you gonna wait til next winter to get something?
And tell AC (from Alabama) that we think his home state is very cool!
Posted by: kelsi | January 24, 2012 at 06:22 AM
Hope everything is ok with you after the terrible tornados Alabama just had.
Posted by: Don | January 24, 2012 at 03:09 PM
That's sweet, Mr P - yes, we're fine. Those recent tornadoes touched down about an hour north of our RV park.
We're almost getting used to the tornado watches and warnings that spring up every couple weeks in different Alabama counties.
You know My Fella works at a golf course so he's always been into monitoring the weather and watching online radar - and being here in tornado country we've both become much more conscious of what's happening in the sky.
Before coming to Alabama, neither of us had any idea that this area saw so many winter tornadoes. Holy Moly.
p.s. How did Mrs. P's roast turn out?
Posted by: kelsi | January 24, 2012 at 05:22 PM