bcri.org
A historic marker in the state of Alabama named after Bishop Calvin Wallace Woods Sr., one of Birmingham’s greatest civil rights activists, was deliberately damaged by an unknown perpetrator sometime last week. Any attack on our common rooms is considered an affront. With support from Alabama Power, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) has committed to working with the Alabama Historical Commission Preservation Office to replace and reattach the marker.
Clinton Woods, Birmingham City Councilor representing District 1 and grandson of Bishop Woods said: [Interim President] DeJuana Thompson from the BCRI. She has shown tremendous leadership and played a significant role in helping my family through a difficult time. From the moment she became aware of the problem, she and her team have worked to ensure that the Alabama state historic marker is replaced as soon as possible. “
A civil rights activist, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church and long-time president of the Birmingham Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Bishop Woods distinguished himself as a leading figure during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s when he joined Alabama. co-founded the Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) in 1956 with his brother, Rev. Abraham L. Woods, Jr. and Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth. Bishop Woods marched in 1963 with Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and frequently overcame violent racism in the 1960s.
The BCRI’s mission is to promote a full understanding of the importance of the civil rights movement in Birmingham. This mission extends to our work to preserve the heritage of civil rights both tangibly and spiritually. Given recent events, we recommend increasing security and surveillance to protect historical markings throughout the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument.
Although there are several suspicions as to the cause and the perpetrator of the destruction, we will not answer for such willful damage. The injustice of security for these sacred signs and artifacts is pejorative and a security solution is required to heal our community. We welcome a conversation with local elected officials, corporate and nonprofit partners from Birmingham and the community at large to discuss an equitable solution to maintain the safety and security of our civil rights district and larger communities.
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