Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/01/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Interestingly, though, I spent two days in Birmingham last summer, one of which was spent shooting a black, diabetic lab worker at UA Birmingham Medical Center - which was, not surprisingly, a hotbed of what passed for liberalism there in the early 60s. Anyway, I spent some time at Kelly Ingram Park, and went over to the 16th Street Baptist Church - The park is now a Movement Memorial, with some VERY striking sculptures - Fire hoses, cop with snarling dog on leash with dog grabbing protester's sweater - as in the PP winning photo. And a really wild one of three open-jawed dogs, appearing to leap out of slabs of metal, which you walk between as you follow the path through the park. Really disturbing. As was even being on the steps of the church. BTW- as to change. The black woman who was my subject - who only moved to Birmingham from Springfield, MA, about 10 years ago, said that the bottom line is that if you're black in Birmingham, very little has really changed. Yes, there are black elected officials, cops, etc. Yes, the place appears totally desegregated. And of course all of that represents enormous, positive, change. But attitudes, she said, are really little different from what they were in 1963. She said that growing up in a very racially and ethnically mixed area of Springfield, MA, she was virtually unaware of race. But in Birmingham, virtually everything there is viewed through a window of race. Of course then I went with her to photograph her doing her water aerobics glass at in the pool at the health club - where she was splashing around with all the white ladies. B. D. BTW - For anyone interested in this sort of thing, I have just finished reading, and cannot recommend highly enough, "Carry Me Home," by Carrie McWhorter, the story of Birmingham and its place in the Civil Rights movement. Absolutely astounding book. - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Don Dory Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 9:47 AM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: Re: [Leica] The real america B.D., This part of the world has seen way too much change the last 35 years or so. Almost nothing that was, still is on this corridor. The end of segregation brought tremendous development especially around the larger cities such that about all that remains are bronze plaques on a few bridges. That doesn't mean that if you visit Atlanta you shouldn't spend a day or so around Sweat Auburn where the King sites are. A better feel for the south of the sixties can be found in the Mississippi Delta or in middle Alabama west of Phenix City to Montgomery with a stop at Tuskegee almost a requirement. Economic growth has been much slower in this broad area so the feel of the old south lingers on. Don Dory dorysrus@mindspring.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html