Old Ways and Dying Days: A Space is Opened Up in Birmingham

This 1901 headline in The Mongomery Advertiser places 

white supremacy at the core of Alabama's state constitution

In 1901. the state of Alabama adopted a new state constitution to establish white supremacy. It has been said that when white South Africa established its apartheid government, they used Alabama as a model.

Late Monday night, at the direction of Birmingham's Mayor Randall Woodfin, a symbol of Alabama's old apartheid government was dismantled. The Confederate Monument in Birmingham's Linn Park was dedicated in 1905. The city will be fined $25,000 by the State of Alabama. It will be money well spent.

The move comes at a time of nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Protests in cities across the country include young adults from every segment of society. Perhaps this is a sea change in terms of the people's cry for justice? It is not just the black community protesting a black man's death.  It is no longer only the oppressed who see the injustice, no longer only the oppressed plus a few liberal activists, but rather a larger segment of society. They are white, black. brown, Asian, and Hispanic and they are marching.

Now if we in Alabama can topple our 1901 State Constitution...

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