The Rick Smith Show

August 24 The 2nd Amazing day in Birmingham

Day 2 in Birmingham Alabama as the People's Tour winds to a close.  On Today's program we heard more amazing stories from the 1963 Children Marchers who changed the nation.  We also heard from a former Shelby County Alabama Commissioner and discussed the Voting Rights Act that is currently under attack.  

Fate Morris Shares His Heartbreaking Story on Losing His Sister Cynthia Morris in the Bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church

Fate Morris is the brother of Cynthia Morris, who lost her life in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church.   

Gwendolyn Webb Was a Student Marcher and One of the First African American Police Officers in Birmingham

Gwendolyn Webb was a student marcher in 1963 and one of the first African American police officers in Birmingham's history

Dr. Earl Cunningham Was a Litigant on the Shelby 6 Supreme Court Case and He Talks About Voting Rights

Dr. Earl Cunningham was a former County Commissioner in Shelby, Alabama and he was a litigant on the Shelby Supreme Court Case.  Dr. Cunningham dives into what it was like voting pre Voting Rights Act

Ervin Philemon Hill Talks About His Chance Encounter with Dr. King Months Before the 1963 Children's Crusade

Ervin Philemon Hill was a teenager when he had a chance encounter with Martin Luther King months before the 1963 Children's Crusade

Gloria Washington Lewis Randall Was a Student Marcher & She Shares the Stories About Being Left Behind by City Buses

Gloria Washington Lewis Randal was a student marcher in 1963 and she shares stories about paying for bus fare and then being left behind when going to the back of the bus & more. 

Eddgra Fallin Was One First Students to Integrate Decatur, Alabama Public Schools & She Shares the Challenges She Faced

Eddgra Fallin is from Decatur, Alabama, which is in the northern part of the state, and she was one of the first black students to integrate the city's schools.  Eddgra shares the challenges she faced from other students after she arrived at the local high school.  

Gloss Larry Edgerson Pettaway Tells Us About His Family Members Murdered by the Ku Klux Klan & the Tale Behind His Name

Gloss Larry Edgerson Pettaway was a student marcher and tells the tale behind his peculiar name and about family members murdered by the Ku Klux Klan

Jacqueline Taylor Knew from a Young Age that Segregation was Wrong & Walked Out of School Because of It

Jacqueline Taylor was a student who walked out of class in 1963 because she knew that segregation was wrong from a young age. 

Myrna Carter Jackson Faced a $500 Fine & 120 Days in Jail for Participating in the 1963 Children's Crusade

Myrna Carter Jackson was a school student who walked out of school in 1963, and she talked about her 120 prison sentence for participating in the Children's Crusade  

#OurFutureFriday: Isaiah Poole Talks About His Experiences & How Economic Justice is Part of the Civil Rights Movement

Isaiah Poole is the Online Editor at Campaign For America's Future and he joins the Peoples Tour to talk about his experiences and how economic justice is part of the civil rights movement.    

Dr. Charles Whatley Describes Growing Up in Birmingham & What It Was Like Being in the Military in the 1960's

Dr. Charles Whatley grew up in Birmingham in the 1950's and he shares his experiences of being in the military during the 1960's

Dr. Earl Cunningham Was a Shelby, AL County Commissioner who Fought for Voting Rights at the Supreme Court

Dr. Earl Cunningham is from Shelby, Alabama and he was part of the Shelby 6 who fought to keep Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act in tact at the US Supreme Court.

Alabama State Representative Mary Moore Explains What it Was Like Growing Up Black in Alabama & Has Harsh Words for the Modern GOP

Mary Moore is a State Representative from Birmingham who was part of the 1963 Children's Crusade and instead of talking about her involvement in the march, she talks about what it was like growing up black in Alabama. 

Marion Orange Easley Explains How Her Brother James Orange Became Martin Luther King's Right Hand Man

Marion Orange Easley is a Birmingham resident and the sister of James Orange, who was Martin Luther King's right hand man.  She explains how James Orange got involved in the civil rights movement, his involvement in the famous Children's Crusade and rose up the ranks of the movement

Mayor William Bell Talks About Economic Equality and the City's Efforts to Raise the Wage

William Bell is the Mayor of Birmingham and he talks about economic equality, the city's effort to raise the wage and how he came up through the civil rights movement

Richard Franklin, AFT Local 2115 President, Talks About the History of John Herbert Philips School and School Integration

Richard Franklin is the AFT Birmingham Local 2115 President and he explains the history of the white John Herbert Philips School, school desegregation and the education challenges we're still fighting today.

Janice Wesley Kelsey was in the First Group of Students Arrested in the 1963 Birmingham Children's March

Janice Wesley Kelsey was part of the Birmingham Children's Crusade.  She was in the first group of students who marched out of the 16th Street Baptist Church in May 1963, and she shares her story about the march and getting arrested. 

Ahmad Ward Sheds Light on Some of the Birmingham Civil Rights Icons That Were Left Out of the History Books

Ahmad Ward is the Head of Education at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.  Ahmad sheds light on some of the city's civil rights icons that are left out of the history books & talks about the tour he gave the show through the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

Horace Huntley Talks About Birmingham's History of Using Convict Labor That Pitted Black Miners Against White Miners

Horace Huntley is a Professor of History at the University of Alabama and he came on the Peoples Tour to talk about Birmingham's history of using convict mine workers that pitted black miners against white miners.