The day after speaking at the Y’all Connect conference in Birmingham, Alabama, I took part in a tour of some of the amazing historical and cultural sights of Birmingham, courtesy of the conference and the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau. Among other things, the tour featured stops at the 16th Street Baptist Church and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Seeing where people fought for freedom and equality, and even lost their lives, was a moving and sobering experience.
2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the American Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, which lead up to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As a society, fortunately we’ve seen great progress made in the past several decades, but it’s obvious that much still remains to be done. That’s why important events such as last year’s Civil Rights and Hate Crimes Symposium are taking place where the evolution of civil rights, how to prosecute hate crimes, and the best methods for bullying prevention and response are grappled with and discussed.
Education is a huge part of bringing about necessary behavioral and legal changes. That’s why at CiviliNation, we take very seriously our role in helping bring about positive social change. We hope you’ll continue to support us in our efforts.
And we hope you’ll consider making a contribution to the creation of the Academy for Online Conflict Management. UPDATE: The Indigogo campaign is over, but the fundraising is far from over. You can give by clicking on the big button.
(Image of Andrea Weckerle taking a photo of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, courtesy of Ike Pigott.)