Interstate construction during the Civil Rights Movement in Montgomery, Alabama facts for kids

In 1961, two major highways, Interstate 65 (I-65) and I-85, were built in Montgomery, Alabama. These highways were constructed right next to the downtown area. This happened during a time when many cities were building large roads, often through African American neighborhoods. This was even happening during the civil rights movement, a time when people were fighting for equal rights.

In Montgomery, about 75% of the people who had to leave their homes for the highways were African American. Some people said building the highways through poorer areas would help improve the city. However, others believed it was a way to break up African American neighborhoods. They felt it forced residents to move further away from the city center. Critics also argued that these projects made racial segregation stronger again.

How the Highways Were Placed

Impact on Communities

Before I-85 was built, there were communities called Centennial Hill, Bel Air, and The Bottoms. The houses in these areas were considered to be of low value. Homeowners were offered about $3,300 for their homes, which many felt was too little.

Eight days after a meeting, George W. Curry, a black minister, led a group of property owners. He gathered 1,150 signatures for a petition. This petition was sent to local, state, and federal highway officials. It showed how many people were against so many homes being destroyed. The petition also suggested a different route for the highway. This alternate route would affect fewer homes and cost $30,000 less to build.

Curry also claimed that the highway project was a way to force important African American leaders out of their homes. He said it would also close two well-known African American churches in the area. There were 164 houses in "fair" to "good" condition that belonged to middle-class African American families. These residents included doctors, teachers, coaches, and lawyers.

The homes and churches of Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy were also going to be affected. Ralph Abernathy sent a telegram to President John F. Kennedy. He wrote that if the route was approved, it would "destroy one of the best negro neighborhoods in the south." He also warned it would create dangerous conditions near a local African American college, a high school, and an elementary school. Abernathy felt destroying the neighborhood would help those who wanted to keep segregation.

The highway placement also made it hard for students to get to their college classes safely and on time. Other African American communities were also destroyed when I-65 was built. Even today, these interstates separate the west side of the community. This makes it harder for minority communities to build closer to the city center.

Daniel Niel, who directs the Rosa Parks Museum, noted that tourists visiting Montgomery no longer have all the shops and restaurants that used to be in the highway's path. As of 2021, the area Neil mentioned still lacks traditional supermarkets or large stores.

Some important places were abandoned because of the highway construction. These included the original Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church in Montgomery, Alabama and the Montgomery Improvement Association's founding location. A resident named Croskery used to have houses across the street from his porch. Now, he only faces the interstate. Streets like Glass Street, Chilton Street, and Minto Street, with their wooden shotgun houses, were all destroyed for the interstate.

In many U.S. cities at the time, interstate construction was planned to go through the cheapest land. Some plans for these highways had existed since 1939. These plans were based on where the most people traveled. However, construction didn't start until "white flight" happened. This is when many white residents moved out of the city. After this, much of the land in the highway's path was owned by African American residents or businesses. These communities had little say in the political planning of the routes. This made it easier for the plans to go forward.

There were protests between Ann Street and where the two interstates met. However, the Bus Boycott and Freedom Rides of the Civil Rights Movement were happening at the same time. These protests only caused a small delay. Rex M. Whitton, the Federal Highway Administrator, told Samual Englehardt to "Let the dust settle for about six months and then proceed with construction."

Stories from Affected Citizens

After the highways were finished, C. B. Croskery, a minister who lived on Stone Street since 1955, shared his experience. He said, "They sent out a letter saying they wanted to pave the highway. Next thing I knew, they were out there digging up a whole line of houses on the other side of the street."

Skip Jackson, who lived on Carlisle Street, remembered watching the construction start when he was in second grade. "I can remember the day they brought the big earthmovers out there," he said. "We knew it was coming. When the people who owned their homes started to move, we knew that was coming. Just like any neighborhood that's poor, you don't argue. All it did for us was kill our neighborhood."

C. R. Williams said he "was unaware of the state's planned route through his neighborhood." He had been told a year earlier that the interstate would run north of Oak Park instead.

Original Highway Plans

The first plans for the interstate showed it going through the downtown business district. It would have exits to several local factories and businesses.

I-65 was planned to run north to south through the city. It would start in Mobile, Alabama at Interstate 10. Then it would travel northeast through Evergreen and Greenville to Montgomery. From Montgomery, it would continue to Birmingham, Cullman, and Decatur, and then into Tennessee. This north-south route was planned to cross the southern bypass near the city's sewage plant. It would also cross Fairview Avenue and run next to Holt Street. It would then meet I-85 near Holt and Day Streets. After crossing Bell Street, the route would cross the railroad and the Alabama River. It would also have an interchange with the North Montgomery Belt route. This section alone was expected to cost around $17 million.

I-85 was planned to start where it met I-65. From there, it would continue east through Auburn, Opelika, and Lanett, then to Atlanta and other eastern places. Starting at the Day and Holt Street intersection with I-65, it would run mostly next to Donaldson Street. It would cross Virginia Avenue and follow a line almost parallel to and just south of U.S. Highway 80.

What Newspapers Said

Karl Portera, writing for The Montgomery Advertiser, said that building these two interstates could make Montgomery a "major metropolitan center of south-central Alabama."

Sam Engelhardt stated that the highways would "not only serve the communities traffic needs, but is a very important factor in shaping future municipal and economic growth in urban areas."

Construction had already begun in rural Alabama for both routes. Some finished sections were already being used by drivers, even though they weren't fully connected. The completed interstates were expected to carry 50,000 or more vehicles daily by 1975. They would bring these vehicles directly through the center of the downtown business district. They would also provide access to several local industrial and business sites.