Alabama has provided the backdrop for some of the ugliest scenes during the civil rights era, notes The Guardian’s Gary Younge.
Alabama, a state marked by racial tensions since its declaration of sovereignty in 1861, witnessed pivotal moments in the civil rights movement. In December 1955, Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her bus seat sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Supreme Court’s 1956 ruling against segregated seating led to integrated buses. The 1961 Freedom Ride challenged segregation on interstate travel. Birmingham bombings in 1963 targeted civil rights leaders. Marches from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 culminated in the Voting Rights Act. Notably, in 2000, Selma elected its first black mayor, James Perkins. Bobby Frank Cherry’s 2002 conviction for the 1963 church bombing highlighted ongoing justice efforts.
Alabama’s segregation roots run deep, stemming from slavery, Jim Crow laws, and white supremacist beliefs. Socially, resistance to integration persisted, fueled by entrenched racism. Politically, leaders like Governor George Wallace staunchly opposed desegregation. White supremacist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan, enforced segregation through violence and intimidation.