Every journey begins with a first step.
Echoing the sentiment of The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, our tour begins through the multimedia galleries and exhibitions that trace the impassioned sojourn of resolute individuals who, during the 1950's and 1960's, challenged bigotry and racial hatred in the struggle for equal rights, with Birmingham, Alabama a city critical in the movement. We're more than a place where people come to view a piece of art. All exhibitions are interactive, and after an introductory film giving a brief overview of the Institute and the history of Birmingham from 1871 through the 1920's, the tour moves to the Permanent Exhibits, which are housed in several era specific galleries. Permanent Exhibitions White and Colored drinking fountains, and a display of Birmingham's historic Carver Theatre in Barriers Gallery , give a sense of the constant messages of inequality endured by African Americans during the post-war era. Also here is a replica of a church that contains actual pews from Birmingham's Sixteenth Baptist Church, the site of freedom demonstrations, and of the unforgettable racist bombing in 1963, which killed four little girls.