Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Celebrates 25 Years Of Education, Dialogue And History

By Anita DebroThe Birmingham Times

The dignified domed building on 16th Street North in downtown Birmingham looks as though it was always meant to be there. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) is flanked by historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church to the north and Kelly Ingram Park to the east. This year, the BCRI is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Former Birmingham Mayor Richard Arrington Jr. said establishing the institute was a priority when he was elected to office in 1979. He put together a 21-member task force that eventually led to the opening of the facility.

“It was very important to me that young people understand the history here,” said Arrington, Birmingham’s first African-American mayor, who is now a professor at Miles College. “It is easy to think that things have always been the way they are now, but what happened in Birmingham in the 1960s is not ancient history.”The BCRI, which opened in November 1992, recalls a time in Birmingham’s history that many initially wanted to forget. Some opposed the creation of the institute. Today, many recognize and laud the institute for confronting the city’s past, shining a light on international civil rights issues and honoring the foot soldiers who sacrificed to end segregation and help make Birmingham the city it is today.

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