Bill introduced to protect Civil Rights landmarks

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Two members of Alabama’s congressional delegation are working to protect Civil Rights landmarks.

This comes after the Trump Administration put the Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station on a list of properties for sale.

Congresswoman Terri Sewell and Congressman Shomari Figures introduced the Civil Rights Landmarks Protection Act in the U.S. House Wednesday.

The act prohibits the sale of all federally owned landmarks listed on the national register of historic places.

“We passed this with a specific focus on civil rights landmarks given the fact that we just had to fight a battle with the Trump administration,” said Rep. Figures.

Senator Katie Britt also spoke about the listing in a statement: “I have been in communication with the administration and this has been resolved. The Montgomery bus station and Freedom Rides Museum will not be on GSA’s non-core list.”

Congressman Figures believes the decision to sell the landmark should never have been up for debate.

“Some of these monuments have a painful story to tell, but it’s still a story that’s very worthwhile and very critical, instrumental to what ultimately came out of the Civil Rights Movement,” said Figures.

The Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium is using this opportunity to teach those stories through a new virtual reality experience through an app called 20 World Changing Sites.

“You have the opportunity to actually go and visit these sites from your phone or from your computer. It’s not a substitute from actually coming to Birmingham and Selma and Montgomery because that’s essential but we see it as a virtual appetizer,” said Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium Executive Director Rev. Lukata Mjumbe.

The experience, titled “Three Cities: One Movement” shares information about Alabama historic places throughout the Civil Rights Movement.

“In this moment there’s an opportunity for us to use technology, there’s an opportunity to reach people in ways that we haven’t reached them before,” said Rev. Mjumbe.

The virtual experience app is available to download for free for Iphone and Android.