The Alabama Power Service Organization planned two service projects on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to commemorate the 1963 civil rights events in Birmingham that changed the face of the city, and the world, in the ongoing struggle for equality and human rights. The federal holiday celebrates the life and legacy of the great civil rights leader, but also encourages all to volunteer during what has become a national day of service.
“It was an honor to have our APSO and various Alabama Power employees serve on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, especially at a church and historical district where Dr. King himself had a personal connection and influence,” said Andrew Rhodes, associate director of the Alabama Power Service Organization.
“We are lucky to have partners, such as the 16th Street Baptist Church and Urban Impact, that help not only preserve history, but also take an active role in shaping the future. I cannot thank our volunteers and partners enough for helping us complete such a fulfilling day of service,” he said.
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including cleaning out and re-mulching planter beds in Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park. (contributed)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including cleaning out and re-mulching planter beds in Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park. (contributed)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including cleaning out and re-mulching planter beds in Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park. (contributed)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including cleaning out and re-mulching planter beds in Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park. (contributed)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including cleaning out and re-mulching planter beds in Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park. (contributed)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including cleaning out and re-mulching planter beds in Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park. (contributed)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including cleaning out and re-mulching planter beds in Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park. (contributed)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including cleaning out and re-mulching planter beds in Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park. (contributed)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including cleaning out and re-mulching planter beds in Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park. (contributed)
Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park honors the Birmingham native who was one of the lead singers of The Temptations. (contributed)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including cleaning out and re-mulching planter beds in Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park. (contributed)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including cleaning out and re-mulching planter beds in Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park. (contributed)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including cleaning out and re-mulching planter beds in Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park. (contributed)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including cleaning out and re-mulching planter beds in Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park. (contributed)
Urban Impact Birmingham, a nonprofit community-based economic development organization, has been dedicated to ensuring the sections of Birmingham’s Civil Rights District remain visible, viable and vibrant. One of those sections is the Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park on Fourth Avenue, which honors Birmingham native and Temptations singer Eddie Kendrick. Volunteers worked together to clean out planter beds and re-mulch the memorial garden for a new, livelier look.
Just a couple of blocks away, volunteers dedicated their time at 16th Street Baptist Church, organizing three rooms for Rev. Arthur Price Jr. after the church recently underwent a renovation of its parsonage. The historic church was the first Black Baptist church in Birmingham and served as headquarters for the civil rights mass meetings and rallies in the early 1960s.
On Sunday, Sept. 15, 1963, the church became known around the world after a bomb exploded in the back stairwell, killing four young girls attending Sunday School and injuring more than 20 members of the congregation. The tragedy resulted in an outpouring of grief from around the nation, inciting the national agenda for civil rights and helping to ensure the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including reorganizing three rooms in the historic 16th Street Baptist Church. (contributed)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including reorganizing three rooms in the historic 16th Street Baptist Church. (contributed)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including reorganizing three rooms in the historic 16th Street Baptist Church. (contributed)
The sanctuary in Birmingham’s historic 16th Street Baptist Church. (contributed)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including reorganizing three rooms in the historic 16th Street Baptist Church. (contributed)
Members of the Alabama Power Service Organization completed two projects in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including reorganizing three rooms in the historic 16th Street Baptist Church. (contributed)
To learn more about the 60th anniversary of the civil rights movement in Birmingham, follow the Alabama News Center series “Bending Toward Justice.” Click here for the first installment and here for the second.
