Events at the Library

Individuals of all ages to learn about the events surrounding the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, targeted in retaliation as a site where civil rights leaders were organizing an African-American voter registration campaign. William "Sonny" Bates will perform a stage production of this monumental event based on the poem, "Ballad of Birmingham," by Dudley Randall. Following the production, four speakers will discuss their experiences of that fateful day in 1963 and what it meant to them when they were first able to vote, including Dr. Derek B. King, Sr., the nephew of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Also, a representative from the Marion County Election Board will be on hand to assist individuals with voter registrations and present a mock voting exhibit to educate young ones on how to vote. Freetown Village will then perform a vignette entitled, "Rally Around," that will provide a historical look at voting inequality. This program is sponsored by the Library's African-American History Committee.