POWERGRAMS

T he late Fred Shulesworth was pastor of Birmingham's Bethel Baptist Church when it was bombed Christmas Day in 1956. He was a pivotal figure in the fight against segregation, becoming one of the most important civil rights leaders during the 1950s and '60s. "We're determined to either kill segregation or be killed by it," Shulesworth said during a CBS documentary in 1961. Bethel Baptist has achieved worldwide recognition in the decades since Shulesworth led its congregation. The acclaim for the church has included: • Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage Award, 1996 • National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmark, 2005 • Civil Rights National Monument, a designation awarded by President Barack Obama, 2007. With the help of the Alabama Power Foundation, Thomas Wilder, the current pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, is restoring the parsonage where the Shulesworth family lived. The original parsonage was destroyed by dynamite le by white supremacists three years aer Shulesworth became pastor. Shulesworth and his family were home at the time of the Christmas bombing. They miraculously escaped death aer guards alerted to the lighted dynamite moved the explosives across the street. The explosion damaged the Bethel Baptist entrance, staircase and sanctuary. Aer the bombing, a new parsonage was built across the street, with a parking lot replacing the old home. In 1958, the parsonage was bombed again, damaging the windows and ceilings. Shulesworth's Birmingham church was headquarters of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights, of which he was president. The ACMHR under Shulesworth's direction played a key role in the 1961 Freedom Ride that led to the desegregation of public transportation and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. A year aer Shulesworth le to pastor an Ohio church, the Bethel parsonage was bombed a third time on Dec. 14, 1962. Bethel continued providing free meeting space, offices, rent and utilities to the ACMHR and hosted mass meeting for the next decade. "The parsonage is historic because that is where Fred Shulesworth lived aer his first house was bombed," Wilder said. "The Freedom Riders went to the parsonage aer they were aacked in Anniston." Wilder is appreciative of the foundation grant that is helping restore the parsonage. "This is history that needs to be told because it is an integral part of what happened in Alabama," Wilder said. "I am excited to see that the guers and eaves are completed at the parsonage," Wilder said. "There is more work needed on the interior and windows, but overall, I am pleased that we are geing closer to completely restoring the parsonage." Alabama Power is commied to supporting communities to improve quality of life for all Alabamians, said Myla Calhoun, president of the foundation. "The Alabama Power Foundation is proud to support the restoration efforts of the historic Bethel Baptist Church," said Calhoun. "With its strong connection to the civil rights movement, the church represents an important part of regional and national history. We believe it is very important to preserve and remember that history." To learn more about the Bethel Baptist Church restoration project, visit www.bethelcollegevill.org or email thomaslwiderjr@gmail.com. 12 The late Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth lived in parsonage that is being restored.

• Cover