United States Civil Rights, 1947-1969

Over the years Birmingham Public librarians collected newspaper articles about the Civil Rights Movement and arranged them in scrapbooks. The articles were clipped from several newspapers including The Birmingham News, Birmingham Post-Herald, Montgomery Advertiser, and The Tuscaloosa News. Covering the years 1945-1969, these scrapbooks are now available online.

Volume 1 (1945-1957)
Topics covered: Georgia "White Supremacy" Bill; Truman Civil Rights proposals; Southern reaction to Truman proposals; Shuttlesworth leads fight in Birmingham, Alabama; MacArthur speech to Congress; Eisenhower State of the Union Address.

Volume 2 (1956-1957)
Topics covered: racial violence in Tennessee; Kentucky racial problems; W. Wilson White named assistant attorney general for civil rights; bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama ends; Texas defies integration plans; Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas vow to continue segregation; Senator Lyndon B. Johnson supports civil rights.

Volume 3 (1957-1959)
Topics covered: jury trials voted into rights bill; civil rights bill approved; Georgia defies federal integration policy; Little Rock, Arkansas asks halt to integration; W. Wilson White to head Civil Rights Commission; Virginia and Arkansas to defy integration.

Volume 4 (1959-1960)
Topics covered: Governor John Patterson of Alabama warns Congress on civil rights; Atlanta, Georgia ordered to form integration plan; racial violence in Little Rock, Arkansas; peaceful integration in North Carolina and Virginia; Civil Rights Commission asks for federal voting registrars; new voting discrimination probe to begin in Alabama.

Volume 5 (1960-1961)
Topics covered: sit-ins, demonstrations continue throughout the South; Supreme Court defeats injunctions against Civil Rights Commission; New Orleans, Louisiana defies integration; racial violence in Greenville, South Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida racial violence; Atlanta, Georgia sit-ins; racial violence in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Volume 6 (1961-1962)
Topics covered: Freedom Riders assailed by MacDonald Gallion; U.S. Marshals ordered into Alabama; Freedom Riders linked to Communist Cuba; Civil Rights Commission extended for two year period; ICC orders interstate bus, terminal integration.

Volume 7 (1962-1963)
Topics covered: "Reverse Freedom Riders"; Albany, Georgia racial violence; school desegregation continues throughout the South; Albany Prayer Vigil; federal judge orders University of Mississippi to admit James H. Meredith.

Volume 8 (1963-1964)
Topics covered: Civil Rights Bill of 1963; Chicago Freedom March; Baltimore, Maryland rally at Gwynn Oak; Jefferson County Board of Registrars suit filed by Justice Department; Washington March.

Volume 9 (1964)
Topics covered: Senator Lister Hill's speech; NAACP boycott of Jacksonville, Florida stores; mother of Massachusetts governor jailed in Florida; Nashville, Tennessee demonstration; civil rights bill text.

Volume 10 (1964-1966)
Topics covered: Justice Department files suits against Tennessee and Louisiana; civil rights murder case in Mississippi; Lester Maddox cafeteria goes out of business; President's Council on Equal Opportunity created; Birmingham, Alabama bombings.

Volume 11 (1966-1968)
Topics covered: creation of Adult Education Program; new civil rights proposal; threats of national violence; Atlanta, Georgia violence; Grenada, Mississippi violence.

Volume 12 (1968-1969)
Topics covered: arrival of Poor People's Mule Train in Washington, D.C.; Supreme Court upholds 1866 civil rights law; "Resurrection City" leaders are jailed; violence in Washington, D.C.

Birmingham City Council Scrapbooks Online

Sixteen scrapbooks created by the Birmingham City Council are now available online. The scrapbooks consist of newspaper articles about government related issues and cover the years November 1962 through December 1964.

v.1.1 November 1, 1962 - February 21, 1963
Topics covered: controversy between Commission or Mayor-Council form of city government; campaigns of candidates for Mayor and City Council positions.

v.1.2 February 21, 1963 - April 12, 1963
Topics covered: election controversy; campaigns of candidates; Boutwell-Connor run-off election for Mayor; platforms of mayoral candidates; election of Albert Boutwell; new era for Birmingham.

v.1.3 January 22, 1963 - April 13, 1963
Topics covered: bond issue; annexation proposals; Red Mountain Expressway; problems of transit system; "City of Fear" article, 2/25/63; "Bad Birmingham Image" article, 3/5/63; segregation-integration controversy; "Outside Agitators" article, 4/4/63.


v.1.4 April 13, 1963 - June 1, 1963
Topics covered: change in the form of city government; swearing-in of Mayor Albert Boutwell and City Council members; ouster of the City Commission and subsequent controversy.


v.1.5 April 13, 1963 - July 4, 1963
Topics covered: racial issues; transit strike ends; opposition to amendments to Council (Dominick Bill); reopening of municipal golf courses; budget problems.

v.1.6 July 5, 1963 - August 6, 1963
Topics covered: annexation proposals; budget; public schools desegregation controversy; formation of Community Affairs Committee; repeal of city segreationg ordinances, 7/23/63; "breach of peace law" adopted, 7/24/63; problems with transit system.

v.1.7 August 6, 1963 - September 23, 1963
Topics covered: budget problems; Dominick Bill; transit system problems; Loveman's "bombing"; threats on the life of Mayor Boutwell; Arthur D. Shores' home bombed, 8/21/63; annexation; school desegregation problems; bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, 8/16/63; Royall-Blaik fact-finding team.

v.1.8 September 23, 1963 - November 16, 1963
Topics covered: representatives from Birmingham meet with President Kennedy; Royall-Blaik fact-finding team; black policemen controversy; transit system sale; overview of racial situation in Birmingham, 10/13/63; city seeking new sources of revenue.

v.2.1 November 17, 1963 - January 17, 1964
Topics covered: High school stadium issue; local reaction to assassination of President Kennedy; drive to return to city commission form of government; expressway problems; sales tax issue.

v.2.2 January 18, 1964 - March 4, 1964
Topics covered: tax plans; Legion Field; expressway problems; black policemen survey.

v.2.3 March 4, 1964 - April 28, 1964
Topics covered: airport expansion; "Birmingham Tomorrow" project; opening of community centers; "Sell Birmingham" program; city schools need improvements; April rainfall brings sewage problems.

v.2.4 April 28, 1964 - June 9, 1964
Topics covered: merger proposal; demand for the hiring of black policemen; visit by Governor George Wallace; Legion Field expansion; new postal facility; "Church Bombers in City", 5/30/64; budget requests.

v.2.5 June 9, 1964 - July 14, 1964
Topics covered: plan for a mayoral assistant; budget hearings; merger controversy; Legion Field expansion controversy; postal facility funding; new civil rights law in effect; proposed 20th Street mall.

v.2.6 July 14, 1964 - September 11, 1964
Topics covered: merger controversy; school integration plan; record budget sent to City Council; industrial site survey submitted; black protest of school integration plan.

v.2.7 September 11, 1964 - November 18, 1964
Topics covered: Connor vs New York Times trial; "Thrill Hill"; merger controversy in Homewood; sinkholes in Inglenook; cable television.

v.2.8 November 18, 1964 - December 20, 1964
Topics covered: merger controversy; fight to return to city commission government fails; plans for new civic center; medical center expansion.

Parker High School

Over 70 newspaper articles about Dr. Arthur Harold Parker and Parker High School have been added to the Digital Collections.

Central High School 1923 Annual

The 1922-1923 Mirror published by Central High School (Phillips High) is online.

1933-1934 Civil Works Administration Book Available

The 371 page manuscript titled Report on Civil Works Administration of Alabama, Jefferson County Division, Nov. 19, 1933 - Mar. 31, 1934 is now available online. It documents the work of the CWA in Jefferson County and includes photographs, maps, and charts. Below is a list of the projects covered.

Alabama Boys' Industrial School
Alabama Girls Training School
Aviation Advisor
Aviation Marking
Birmingham District
Birmingham Homesteads
Bessemer
Birmingham Rifle Range
Brighton
Brookside
Cardiff
County Resurvey
County Roads
County Schools
County School Grounds
Disposal Plants
Fairfield
First Aid Stations
Geodetic & Coast Survey
Historic Building Survey
Homewood
Irondale
Jefferson County
Leeds
Lipscomb
Malaria Control
Miscellaneous Women's Projects
Rifle Range
Sanitary Survey
Sealing Coal Mines
Sewage Plants
State Archives
Tarrant City
Technical Laboratory
Tuberculosis Sanitorium
Warrior

Newspaper Articles Added

Newspaper articles covering baseball, Birmingham Barons, Birmingham Black Barons, Rickwood Field, Phillips High School, Highland Avenue, and Shiloh Baptist Church have been added to the Digital Collection.

The New Deal in Jefferson County, Alabama

If you have viewed Birmingham from atop Vulcan, cheered for the Hueytown Golden Gophers at the Gilmore-Vines stadium, or admired East Lake library's mural, then you have experienced one of the legacies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal.

If you have a New Deal story or memory to share, or a comment to make, add it in the comments below.

For more information about the New Deal in Jefferson County, go to http://www.bplonline.org/resources/exhibits/new_deal/

Shiloh Baptist Church Stampede 1902

Now available online:

Trumpet blast: an interview with witnesses and the National Baptist Convention after more that one hundred persons had died in a stampede caused by a false alarm of fire during an evening session of the National Baptist Convention in Shiloh Baptist Church, southeast corner Nineteenth Street and Avenue G, Birmingham, Ala., September 19, 1902

Community Foundation Celebrates 50 Years

The Archives Department of the Birmingham Public Library was honored to take part in the celebration of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham's 50th anniversary. Photos provided by the Archives were included in a fast-paced and uplifting video created by filmmaker Mark Hendren for the celebration. Check out the Foundation's blog to read more about the event and the video.

Birmingham Education 1921-1931

Report of Progress, Birmingham Public Schools: September 1, 1921 to August 31, 1931, a book published by the Birmingham Board of Education in 1931, is now available online. Coverage includes the administration, class instruction, school property, statistics, a school census, and finance.

One of the most interesting features of this publication is the numerous photographs of the school buildings, classrooms and students. Take a peek inside.

1911 Birmingham High School Yearbook

Recently added to the Birmingham Public Library's Digital Collections database is Birmingham High School's 1911 yearbook, The Mirror.

Woodward family newspaper articles added

Newspaper articles about the Woodward family, one of Birmingham's most prominent families, have been added to the BPL Digital Collections database. The Woodwards founded the Woodward Iron Company and were involved in several other companies and philanthropic endeavors. The best known of the Woodward family members, Rick Woodward, was the owner of the Birmingham Barons from 1909 to 1936 and Rickwood Field was named in his honor.

Photographs added

Photographs of Birmingham's airport and Bruno's grocery store have been added.

Jones Valley High School Yearbooks

Thanks to the kind generosity of Mr. Bob Roper who donated scanned images of 40 Jones Valley High School yearbooks, we have been able to index and make these yearbooks available as part of BPL's Digital Collections database.

Enjoy!

Photos of local churches online

Several Jefferson County Board of Equalization photographs of local churches are now available available online in Birmingham Public Library's Digital Collection.

Happy Halloween from the Birmingham Jaycees

In 1977 Mayor David Vann received a spooky surprise when characters from the Birmingham Jaycees haunted house showed up at his weekly press conference.

Woodlawn newspaper articles added

Thirty-four newspaper articles about the Woodlawn community were recently added to the BPL Digital Collections database.

Birmingham newspapers 1874-1887 available online

Birmingham's oldest microfilmed newspapers, The Birmingham Iron Age (1874-1884) and The Weekly Iron Age (1884-1887) are now available online in Birmingham Public Library's Digital Collection.

The Birmingham Iron Age began publication on February 12, 1874 when the city of Birmingham, Alabama was only 26 months old. The original publishers were Duval, Roberts and Persinger but during the early years ownership changed many times. On May 1, 1884 the name of the weekly newspaper was changed to The Weekly Iron Age.

The digital images in this collection were scanned from microfilm copies owned by the Birmingham Public Library.

Green Springs Neighborhood

Newspaper articles about the Green Springs neighborhood have been added to the online digital collection.

Birmingham Magazine February 1916

The Birmingham Magazine published by the Chamber of Commerce for February 1916 is now available online.

Table of Contents
Regulation of Birmingham Rates Through the Use of the Warrior River by J. T. Slatter p. 9
Benefits of Electricity to Birmingham Manufacturers by W. E. Mitchell p. 14
Birmingham's Office by T P. Hay, Jr. p. 15
Uniform Cost Methods by Charles Neville by p. 17
Birmingham The City of Lights by Frank Hammond p. 19
Editorial Comment p. 20
Business Men's League Notes by Sam H. Fowlkes p. 22
Woman Suffrage by Mrs. Oscar R. Hundley p. 23
The Phenomenal Growth of Birmingham by Robert N. Waldrop p. 25
Jefferson County—Its Road Problems by George H. Clark p. 27
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce p. 29
National Highways by Alma Rittenberry p. 31
The Birmingham Ad Club by H. D. Cullen p. 33
A Rich Mine by Emily Van Dorn Miller p. 35
Agricultural Notes p. 37
Without Malice But Without Compromise by the Editor and Publisher and the Journalist p. 41
Get Together, Stay Together; Then Advertise by E. B. Beason p. 45
Old Negro Songs of the South by Alma Rittenberry p. 47
What, the Press and Our Friends Think of Us p. 49
Palmistry by The DeBrooks p. 51
Interesting Statistics on the Country's Motor Car Industry by Alfred Reeves p. 52
Who's Who in Business Birmingham p. 53
Business Men, Firms and Corporations of Birmingham p. 57
Proceedings of the City Commission p. 65
Information p. 2