Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute will expand its Legacy Youth Leadership Program for high school students to 20 historic sites in the Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium. The representatives of these sites, which are located in Montgomery, Birmingham, Selma, and elsewhere in the ìBlack Beltî region, have identified a pressing need to engage young people in preserving and promoting their civil rights history. From 2019-2021, the expanded program will involve at least 20 students from each of three communities, totaling 60 per year. The project team will improve the Program's curriculum by incorporating social media and training students in oral history techniques. This new curriculum will teach students about local civil rights history, African American culture, and leadership skills. Upon completion of the program, the students will serve as summer docents at specific sites.