Kelly Ingram Park

Today we visited the Kelly Ingram Park first and it was such an amazing experience. You could imagine everything, it was as if you were there living in that moment. The statue of the Police Dogs and the other statues such as Martin Luther King Jr., and the children getting pressed against the wall with the water hoses was very touching to see. At first I didn't think I would have participated but after visiting these places and seeing these statues I have changed my mind completely. What I saw really made me feel as if I was there during that time. There was a NO DOGS ALLOWED IN THE PARK sign which was very ironic to me. The side walk was called the Freedom Walk because the children walked around and through the park for their and our freedom. There were two words that I found that was important to know because it referred to the whole civil rights movement and they were RECONCILIATION and REVOLUTION.
Next we visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute where we were able to interact with the museum. We were able to touch the bars that Martin Luther King Jr. had touched when he was locked up. We were also able to read the Letter to Birmingham that was written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to young white preachers. I really loved this museum because it was very hands on, and it explained the significance of the 16th Street Baptist Church better than the church did itself. We visited the 16th Street Baptist Church were the four girls were killed by a bomb put in the bottom of the church. I didn't really like visiting this church because there was no memorial for the girls. Where the girls were found is now a kitchen. I felt like I was walking over a grave. They want to keep it like a church, I think because the sister of one of the girls that was killed still attends the church. If they wanted to keep it as a church I don't understand why they have a gift shop because normal churches don't have gift shops only memorials. I feel like their should be a memorial in memory of the four girls, Addie Mae Collins age 14, Carole Roberston age 11, Denise McNair age 11, and Cynthia Wesley age 14. Overall the tour was amazing, but I wouldn't visit the