Plans are underway for a reunion of the Civil Rights Movement’s ‘foot soldiers,’ the activists who in the 1960s perpetuated the movement from behind the scenes, never really gaining recognition for their involvement. The reunion is set for May 1-4, 2003, in Birmingham’s historic Kelly Ingram Park, located in the heart of the city’s Civil Rights District.
The park was a primary gathering place for many of the marches and protests that marked the movement, including those in which police used dogs and fire hoses to disperse the demonstrators. While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy and Fred Shuttlesworth are all well-known names associated with the battle for Civil Rights, hundreds, even thousands of foot soldiers worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the struggle for equal rights.
After 40 years, foot soldiers and their stories are still missing from many books and other chronicles written about the Civil Rights Movement. Many have died and their stories along with them.
Call the Civil Rights Activist Committee (205) 214-5740 or FAX (205) 324-4550.