18
Arts
&
Culture
Bethel Baptist Church To Be Restored
as Civil Rights Memorial
The Historic Bethel Baptist Church Restoration Fund –
in its commitment to preserve the legacy of Bethel
Baptist Church and its former pastor, the late Rev. Fred L.
Shulesworth – is seeking to rebuild the church that was
bombed in 1956. In addition to rebuilding the Collegeville
church, the project includes refurbishing the pastor's
study, parsonage and a memorial garden. A leader of the
civil rights movement, Shulesworth and his family
lived at the parsonage for four years, making Bethel
Baptist Church a nexus for organization, leadership and
nonviolent protest in the fight against segregation.
A grant from the Alabama Power Foundation will
help preserve this important location and honor
Shulesworth with the creation of a tourist destination
in Birmingham's Civil Rights District. Once work is
complete, the Restoration Fund plans to offer regular
visiting hours and educational tours of the site in
partnership with the Alabama Department of Tourism
and the Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Year Bethel Baptist Church was named a
National Historic Landmark
2005
