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Bethel Baptist Church: National Historic Landmark nomination

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Title	Bethel Baptist Church: National Historic Landmark nomination
Creator(s)	West, Carroll Van
Date	2003
Coverage	2000-2009
Property name	Bethel Baptist Church
Property type	Church
Community Name	Birmingham, Jefferson County, AL
Description	Supplementary information about the church provided as part of the nomination process for National Historic Landmark. The text documents the significance of the church and its pastor, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, to the Alabama Christian Movement for Civil Rights and the progression of civil rights activity in Birmingham.
Historical Notes	Bethel Baptist Church was central to the struggle for civil rights in Birmingham, in large part because of the role played by Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, who was pastor of Bethel from 1953 to 1961. Shuttlesworth founded the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) in 1956 and his church acted as the administrative headquarters for the organization. The church was also home to the Movement Choir, which played a leading role in development of the protest music that was essential to the wider Civil Rights movement. Because of its leading role in Alabama civil rights activities, Bethel Baptist suffered three bombings, including a Christmas night bombing of the parsonage in 1956, from which Shuttlesworth emerged unharmed . The church property, which is in the African American working-class neighborhood of Collegedale, was acquired in 1909 and the building was constructed in 1926 during the pastorate of Rev. Milton Sears. Many modifications have been done over time, including those made necessar
Collection Name	African American Churches
Subject-LCSH	African American Churches -- Tennessee Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights Shuttlesworth, Fred L., 1922-2011
Language	eng
Type	Text
Genre	History
Extent	electronic
Copyright status	Copyright of the creator. Reproduced with permission
Contributing Institution	Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University
Conditions for use	Credit Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University Reproduction permitted for non-profit educational and research purposes only
Digital Publisher	Digital Initiatives, James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University

Bethel Baptist Church: National Historic Landmark nomination

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Bethel Baptist Church: National Historic Landmark...

Bethel Baptist Church: National Historic Landmark...