Kelly Ingram Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Kelly Ingram Park
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Kelly Ingram Park
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| Location | 5th Ave. N and 16th St., Birmingham, Alabama |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1871 |
| NRHP reference No. | 84000636 |
| Added to NRHP | May 24, 1984 |
Kelly Ingram Park is a special park in Birmingham, Alabama. It's about 4 acres (1.6 ha) big and is found in the heart of the Birmingham Civil Rights District. This park, right next to the 16th Street Baptist Church, was a very important place during the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Many large protests happened here, helping to change history.
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Kelly Ingram Park: A Place of Change
Kelly Ingram Park, once called West Park, became a symbol of the fight for equal rights. In 1963, a brave group of students, many of them children and teenagers, gathered here to protest unfair laws. They wanted an end to segregation, which meant keeping Black and white people separate.
The Children's Crusade
In May 1963, Reverend James Bevel helped organize these student protests. The city's Public Safety Commissioner, Eugene "Bull" Connor, ordered police and firefighters to stop the young demonstrators. They used mass arrests, police dogs, and powerful firehoses against the children.
Pictures and videos of these events were shown all over the world. People everywhere were shocked and upset by what they saw. This public outcry helped bring attention to the struggle for racial equality in America. The protests in Birmingham pushed city leaders to agree to end public segregation. These events also played a big part in making sure the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was written and passed into law. This law made segregation illegal across the country.
Honoring History and Heroes
The park was named in 1932 after Osmond Kelly Ingram. He was a local firefighter and the first sailor from the United States Navy to die in World War I.
In 1992, the park was completely updated and renamed "A Place of Revolution and Reconciliation." This happened at the same time the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute opened. The Institute is a museum and research center right next to the park. It helps visitors learn more about the Civil Rights Movement.
Art and Memorials in the Park
Kelly Ingram Park has many sculptures that tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement.
- There is a central fountain and statues of important leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth.
- Other artworks by James Drake show the fear and sadness of the 1963 protests.
- A stone sculpture by Raymond Kaskey shows three ministers, John Thomas Porter, Nelson H. Smith, and A. D. King, kneeling in prayer.
The Four Spirits Sculpture
The Four Spirits sculpture was put in Kelly Ingram Park in September 2013. It honors the 50th anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. This bombing happened on September 15, 1963, and killed four young girls.
The sculpture was made by Elizabeth MacQueen, an artist from Birmingham. It shows the four girls getting ready for church just before the explosion.
- The youngest girl, Carol Denise McNair, is shown letting six doves fly into the air.
- Another girl, Addie Mae Collins, is kneeling and helping McNair with her dress.
- Cynthia Wesley is sitting with a book in her lap.
- Carole Robertson is standing and smiling, inviting the others to church.
At the bottom of the sculpture, you can read the name of the sermon the girls were going to hear: "A Love that Forgives." There are also pictures and short stories about the four girls who died. It also mentions Sarah Collins, who was badly hurt, and two teenage boys who were shot later that day.
Other Important Monuments
Other monuments in the park honor people like Pauline Fletcher, Carrie A. Tuggle, Ruth Jackson, Arthur Shores, and Julius Ellsberry. There are also memorials for the "foot soldiers" and other "unsung heroes" who helped in the Civil Rights Movement. These were ordinary people who did extraordinary things.
Visiting Kelly Ingram Park
The park often hosts family festivals and cultural events throughout the year. The Civil Rights Institute offers audio tours of the park. These tours share memories from people who were directly involved in the events that happened there. You can also arrange guided tours through Urban Impact, Inc.
