We made it out of Mississippi without incident.
Our Welcome Committee
How many of you out there have ever thought about a safari park in Alabama? well... it was just down the road from our RV park.
The wild animal park is called Alabama Safari Park, (https://www.alabamasafaripark.com.), a 350 acre drive-thru park and petting zoo.
Entering the drive-thru adventure is not for the faint-at-heart... there is an aggressive/voracious welcoming committee waiting at the gate.
Most of the animals roaming the plains could care less about vehicles passing through, although some were curious, and stopped by to check us out, most just kept their distance.
These guy remind me of a dog, named Max, we had some years ago, he was good with drinking water, anything more was crossing the line. I tried to be considerate to his desires, and bath him in the bathtub using warm water... we all spoil our kids at some point. Imagine carrying 80 pounds of dead weight up 13 stairs steps, and to the bathroom. If you have seen a dog straighten legs out to prevent getting through a door, he wrote the book. Anyway, back to our drive-thru.
The first fella to check us out was a Blackbuck, normally found in India.
Here are a couple of other curious residents.
The driving portion is approximately one and a half miles round trip, so I will show pictures.
This guy would be a Sable, from Africa
Here we have Water Buffalo (left, laying down), and Watusi.
Those long horns are not just for looks, they act like a car radiator, cooling their blood, and sending it back to the body. The Watusi was named after the Watusi tribe. Having been around thousands of years, the Watusi is known as the cattle of kings.
After the drive-thru we parked the truck, and headed to the petting zoo. In the zoo they had a variety of goats, pigs, budgies, kangaroos, lemurs, and giraffes.
Rosa Parks. In 1943 she joined the NAACP, recording cases of discrimination, unfair treatment, and acts of violence, working with E.D. Nixon. Through this job she met Virginia Durr, another civil rights activist. She was closely associated with the long series of meetings and petitions in relation to the bus situation. In 1953 Rosa organized Montgomery's NAACP youth council. In the spring of 1955, it was this council that Rosa had Claudette Colvin tell the events of her situation. The summer of 1955 would change Rosa's life, she spent ten days at the Highlander Folk School at an interracial conference on the integration of public schools. Later in the year this training would be put to the test, when she was arrested for violating the Montgomery segregation ordinance, which led to the bus boycott.
Rev. Ralph Abernathy. He was a co-founder, along side of Rev. King, of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Rev. Abernathy was the son of an Alabama farmer. Rev. King was a guest speaker at a church in Atlanta when Ralph met him. After getting his master's degree, he became pastor of a church in Montgomery in 1951. He came to prominence in 1955 when he and Rev. King formed Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA). SCLC was an organization that promoted civil rights through nonviolence. After Dr. King was assassinated in 1968, he became president, and held the position until 1977.
Rev. Solomon Seay Sr.. He came to Montgomery in 1948 as the pastor of the Mount Zion Church. He served on the negotiating committee for MIA, later becoming the third president of MIA. Rev. Seay was also an Executive Board member for SCLC.
Fred Gray. This gentleman's goal was to destroy segregation. His start as a lawyer was rocky in the beginning... he was banned from the University of Alabama's segregated law school, earning his law degree from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. In 1954 he returned to Alabama to accomplish his goal... to destroy segregation...and he did. He defended Rosa Parks, worked with Rev. Abernathy, and was Rev. King's attorney while Rev. King was in Montgomery. Over the next five decades he fought for equal voting rights, desegregation in schools and housing projects. In 2002 Mr. Gray was elected as president of the Alabama Bar Association, becoming the first black president.
Rev. Robert Graetz. Rev. Graetz grew up in segregated West Virginia, his attitude towards blacks was pretty much the same as other whites during the 1940s. While in college, he was researching a paper on discrimination against Jews in higher education, and he realized that blacks were being excluded from most of the U.S. colleges. This revelation changed his life completely. In 1955 he and his wife moved to Montgomery, and became the pastor of the African American Trinity Lutheran Church. At this point he and Rosa Parks, who lived across the street, became friends and were active members of MIA.
Edgar Daniel Nixon (E.D. Nixon). He held many positions in the fight for civil rights: head of the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP and the Alabama Conference of NAACP branches. He was president of the Progressive Democratic Association, working in concert with Jo Ann Robinson, president of the Women's Political Council, and Rufus Lewis of the Citizen's Coordinating Committee, presenting concerns of the black community to city council. Mr. Nixon was the gentleman that posted Rosa Parks' bond. The $100.00 bond required putting his house up as security.
Rufus Lewis. Mr. Lewis was one of the founder of MIA, and the person who recommended the first president, Rev. King. He was also responsible for organizing the carpool, which made 250 to 375 cars available daily during the boycott. Following the boycott, he became the president of the MIA Steering Committee, which registered voters as soon as they were eligible. He helped form the Alabama Democratic Conference, the state's largest and most effective grassroots political organization. Mr. Lewis was also part of the Alabama legislature.
Virginia Durr. Virginia developed her life-long interest in civil rights during her time in college. She was a founding member of the Southern Conference on Human Rights in 1938. She supported the Freedom Riders and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1950s and '60s. In 1955 she and her husband worked in concert with MIA, supporting Rosa Park's fight for justice.
Clifford Durr. The "behind the scene" guy. He was a native of Montgomery, received his law degree from Oxford, and worked in Washington D.C. and Denver before moving back to Montgomery in 1951, with his wife. In 1955 he opened a law practice that was not very successful in the white community. Here is where he becomes the man "behind the scene". After Rosa Parks was arrested, E.D. Nixon contacted him to bail out Rosa. Mr. Nixon did this because he didn't believe that they would let a "black" man bail her out. From that point on he and his wife worked closely with MIA.
From the petting zoo it is a short stroll past Lemur Island, to Giraffe Tower, where visitors can feed the giraffes.
After feeding the giraffes we walked back to the gift shop, bought everything there, walked to the truck, and headed all the way back home... approximately a half mile.
After feeding the giraffes we walked back to the gift shop, bought everything there, walked to the truck, and headed all the way back home... approximately a half mile.
COFFEE BREAK, NEXT LEG IS A LONG ONE.
One afternoon we did some museums in Montgomery. Montgomery was the starting point for civil rights. Our first stop was Rosa Parks Museum. The starting point of this museum was actually outside at the sidewalk, where Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was arrested.
The museum is located in two adjacent buildings. The journey began on the bus, called The Cleveland Ave. Time Machine.
Visitors climbs on the bus, and watch a video regarding the movement, to become known as the civil rights movement.
Heading up to the second floor, we will visit a timeline for civil rights. First we need to step back in time a few years after the Civil War, after Blacks were emancipated... but what did that really mean? 25 years later gives us a look, keeping in mind that emancipation did not equate to equal.
In 1890, Louisiana past a statute requiring companies to provide equal, but separate accommodations, for black and white passengers, by either boarding them in separate coaches, and if not, a partition separating them.
Enters Mr. Homer A. Plessy, a gentleman that was 1/8th black. Mr. Plessy was arrested for sitting in the "white-only" coach. Mr. Plessy argued that it was unconstitutional that individual states could impose different benefits or burdens on individual citizens, based on racial distinctions. In 1896 the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Needless to say, the U.S. Supreme court did not rule the requirement unconstitutional. However one judge, Judge Harlan, was not part of the decision, he argued that our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows or tolerated classes among its citizens.
Let's jump into the 20th century, circa 1954. The case of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka makes its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court did vote that it was unconstitutional to require "separate but equal" facilities in schools. They deemed it was detrimental to a child's learning, referring to black children. This decision did not apply to all aspects of life though... such as transportation and eating establishments.
How about 1955. In March of 1955 a young lady, Claudette Colvin, was arrested for violating the Montgomery bus segregation ordinance. Because of her age, she was tried in juvenile court. The charge they originally brought her up on, was refusal to give up her eat when ordered by the bus driver. The way the ordinance read... if another seat was available in the back, move. If no seat was available the ordinance didn't apply. At the time she was arrested, the bus was full, and nowhere for her to move to. The witnesses in the case, all stated that the bus was full, and she did nothing wrong. The prosecution met the defense by amending the complaint, alleging instead, violation of state statute from 1945, and assault and battery on a police officer. The judge declared Claudette a juvenile delinquent, and put her indefinite probation.
You may think that the case was over, but attorney Fred Gray (we'll learn more about him later) didn't think so. May, a few months after the conviction, he submitted an appeal in circuit court, where the prosecution decided to drop the segregation ordinance charges. Because of the prosecutions decision, Mr. Gray could not go forward in his attempt to address segregation issues.
A liberal "white" attorney, Clifford Durr, was willing to take on the segregation questions previously brought up, by suing the bus company. Her parents agreed to continue to pursue the action. Unfortunately, Miss Colvin got pregnant out of wedlock, so her parents withdrew the authorization because they didn't want the embarrassment of their daughter's condition to be seen in public.
July 1955 rolled around, and segregation was still alive and well, an expansion of the "Brown vs. Board of Education was tested again, in South Carolina, this time regarding public transportation. A young "black" lady, Sarah Mae Flemming boarded a bus, and sat down in a seat vacated by a "white" passenger. The bus driver ordered her to move to the back of the bus, as she was trying to leave through the front door, the driver elbowed her in the stomach.
July 1955 rolled around, and segregation was still alive and well, an expansion of the "Brown vs. Board of Education was tested again, in South Carolina, this time regarding public transportation. A young "black" lady, Sarah Mae Flemming boarded a bus, and sat down in a seat vacated by a "white" passenger. The bus driver ordered her to move to the back of the bus, as she was trying to leave through the front door, the driver elbowed her in the stomach.
Sarah Mae sued the bus company, claiming her civil rights were violated. The federal court ruled that the "Brown vs. Board of Education" applied only to education of "black" children, not transportation.
The federal appeals court did reverse the decision, saying the Brown decision did apply to transportation. The bus company took their appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the court dismissed the appeal without answering the question as to whether segregation on public transportation was unconstitutional, or not.
This is only a little of the battle for equality. December 1, 1955 lives in infamy... 
Mrs. Rosa Parks was arrested at approximately 5:30 am for refusing to give up her seat. She was taken to the police station for booking. While at the station Rosa asked for a drink from the drinking fountain, and she was told that the fountain was for "whites only". After completing all the paperwork, and paying bond, E.D Nixon and Clifford Durr took her home.
TAKE A STRETCH BREAK
The forces came together and planned for a boycott of the bus system, driven by the Women's Political Council, clergy, and volunteers. Here was the response from the then president of the Women's Political Council, Jo Ann Robinson: "I went to work. I made some notes on the back of an envelope: 'the Women's Political Council will not wait for Mrs. Parks' consent to call for a boycott of city buses. On Friday, December 2, 1955, the women of Montgomery will call for a boycott to take place Monday, December 5.'"
A lot starts to happen here. At this point (5 Dec.) the MIA is created...Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), with the first elected president being Martin Luther King Jr.. The MIA was responsible for setting up the carpool network during the bus boycott. The city tried to get an injunction against the carpool, claiming it was an infringement on the bus companies monopoly providing transportation in Montgomery. You see, there were as many as 300 volunteer vehicles used to shuttle folks to their appointed places, and not a dime was charged for fare.
A quick timeline here:
6 Dec: the bus company lawyers go to the press and tell the world that they are only following the laws, they did not write the laws.
7 Dec: Reverend Robert Hughes offers to mediate a meeting between the MIA, the city, and bus company.
8 Dec: all interested parties are present, including the press. MIA has several demands:
- More courtesy from drivers.
- First come/first served seating, whites from the front and blacks from the back, with no surrendering a seat once taken, and no one having to stand if there are empty seats.
- The hiring of black drivers for predominately black neighborhoods.
What the MIA was stressing was justice and better treatment rather than changing the segregation laws.
10 Dec: Montgomery City Lines discontinues bus service to the neighborhoods that are protesting.
13 Dec: volunteer carpool begins.
17 Dec: a meeting is held, all concerned parties are present. The "courtesy" proposal is unanimously accepted.
19 Dec: represented parties meet again to discuss the other demands, but cannot reach an agreement. MIA begins discussions to pursue their grievances through the courts.
22 Dec: the bus company stops service for the holiday season, laying off 39 driver, most of which find work as police officers.
With the holidays over, the mayor and a few "white" groups went into negotiations with "black" representatives. On January 21, 1956, the mayor went to the press and announced that they had reached an agreement with the black leaders. The press contacted Dr. King to verify the story, and were informed that the people the city had spoke with were not authorized to conduct any negotiations.
Seeing that MIA would not be intimidated, the city took up a new "get tough" policy on 25 January, and the police began to harass the MIA carpool drivers.
Things get a little/lot hairier, especially for the King family, because on the night of January 30, 1956, their house is bombed, fortunately no one was injured. Mr. King had valuable wisdom to pass to the crowd that was formed in front of their house: "not to get weapons, be peaceful, and remember if I am stopped, the movement will not be stopped."
Come February, Fred Gray and Charles Langford file a federal court suit against the city, bus company, and several drivers, questioning the constitutionality of the Montgomery segregation ordinance.
"White" folk didn't waste time voicing their outrage, questioning the legality of the bus protest, mustering 10,000 people at Garrett Coliseum. This gathering was sponsored by Mississippi White Citizens Council and Alabama White Citizens Council.
13 February, the Men of Montgomery (MOM) met with Dr. King and several other black representatives, and Jo Ann Robinson, to discuss MOM's proposal to end the protest. There was one major flaw in the proposal... it did not include integration on the buses. A week later the MOM proposal was rejected.
The day after the rejection, the grand jury came back with a decision regarding the bus protest... it was deemed illegal. Imagine that. Anyway, eighty-nine black leaders and carpool drivers were indicted. The police wasted no time arresting folks the next day. All eighty-nine people were fingerprinted, mug shots taken, given case numbers, and released on $300.00 bond.
The judicial system works fast when it wants to, because a month later, in March of '56, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was convicted and fined $1,000.00. The judge ordered a continuance on the other eighty-eight cases until a decision came back on Dr. King's appeal.
Remember that anti-segregation lawsuit filed by MIA? well, in May 1956, a panel of three federal judges began hearing the case. June was a glorious day for the civil rights movement, the vote was 2-1 in favor of the plaintiffs. The panel determined that Montgomery's segregated seating law violated the 14th Amendment. It wasn't over yet... the city took there appeal to the Supreme Court.
It was a long time coming, but in December 1956, segregation was no longer allowed on Montgomery's public transportation.
Pictured are: Dr. Martin Luther King, Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Rev. Glen Smiley, and Inez Baskin. Of course Rosa Parks was one of the first riders too.
I promised a rundown on some of the major players, and after the break I will give you the opportunity to meet them.
Rev. Solomon Seay Sr.. He came to Montgomery in 1948 as the pastor of the Mount Zion Church. He served on the negotiating committee for MIA, later becoming the third president of MIA. Rev. Seay was also an Executive Board member for SCLC.
For me I found this museum fascinating because when I was in school in California, they didn't go deep into civil rights, I guess because California isn't in the south. However I was exposed to a supposed civil rights violation of a black man. The Watts riots occurred in 1965. The black gentleman was pulled over by a white CHP, for suspicion of DUI. The community claimed there was a use of excessive force, though there was indication of resisting arrest. How was I exposed to it you ask. I lived about four miles from Watts at the time, and could see the smoke rising from the fires.
Anyway, I'll stop reminiscing. There is another entire building to see, but I will tell you that this museum is a must see. Troy University did an excellent job creating the exhibits. To get the rest of the story, go to: https://www.troy.edu/student-life-resources/arts-culture/rosa-parks-museum. Here's your pin:
I think we took a break for lunch before we headed over to the Hank Williams Museum. This will be short because the museum doesn't allow photos, and I highly recommend you visit their website: https://www.thehankwilliamsmuseum.net. The museum contains his blue Cadillac, some of his costumes, furniture, and many stories about his friends and family. Just because you made it this far in this post, I award you your pin for the Hank Williams Museum.
If you are wondering about this pin, let me explain... the state of Alabama named 60 miles of I-65 in honor of Hank Williams.
Before we leave downtown Montgomery, we will talk a bit about its past history.
By 1860 Montgomery had become a prominent community in the slave trade. Back in 1833 the Alabama legislature passed a ban on black folks residing as free, and the only way they could reside in Alabama was as a slave. Between 1848 and 1860, the Montgomery probate office issued 164 licenses for slave trading, with most of the trader's offices being located on Commerce and Market streets. Enslaved people were marched in chains from the waterfront and train station, and either sold at auction, or housed in warehouses, until they could be sold. One of those warehouses is now the Hank Williams Museum. The end of the Civil War stopped the slave trade, and housing people like animals.
Montgomery wasn't all fun and games. One morning I took the truck up for routine maintenance... ha ha. I received a call from the Ford dealer informing me that they found a few items that needed attention, and I said, go for it. The work was not going to be completed by close of the business day, so I was issued a loner vehicle. Next day rolled around... and went, and we still had a loner vehicle for the weekend. Let there be a twist... the loner vehicle we had, was sold, so I had to bring it back to the dealer. I was offered another vehicle, and I told the salesman to make it one that wouldn't sell quickly, so he gave me a hybrid sub-compact. Because of the delay, we needed to extend our stay a few days.
From Montgomery we headed to the northern portion of Alabama.
No comments:
Post a Comment