Empowerment Week | 50 Years Forward

Empowerment Week in Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham continued its commemoration of Civil Rights Movement events with a jam-packed Empowerment Week from Sept. 11 to Sept. 15, 2013.

Empowerment Week was a part of the city’s 50 Years Forward campaign serving as a remembrance of several milestone events that occurred during the year 1963.

The week began on Wednesday, Sept. 11 with a day of service. More than 5,000 volunteers were expected to work with Hands on Birmingham throughout the city to help improve local parks, libraries and other public spaces.

Other Empowerment Week events included: The U.S. Conference of Mayors hosting a panel discussion at 16th Street Baptist Church on the Civil Rights Movement, a Diversity Fair with Bill Cosby and Spike Lee to continue discussions of the movement, a The Family Reunion Expo.

Trinity Broadcast Network’s “Hour of Power” broadcast live in Kelly Ingram Park where Walker Jones, Bo Taylor and Walter Body presented a check to Miles College on behalf of the Coca-Cola Foundation for First Generation Scholarships.

Sunday, September 15, a day of commemoration, marked the 50th anniversary of the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church  that killed four girls. The church hosted an afternoon service with dignitaries from across the country.

To view more events to come click here!

See more images below of the great volunteers and supporters coming together for our communities.