I wrote my letter in supoort of restoring funding for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. I urge you to write yours.
—
Dear Governor Ivey,
Grace and peace to you.
It is my understanding that your proposed new budget does not include any funding for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. I am writing to urge you to reconsider.
The news that it has been completely cut comes on the heels of national efforts to suppress conversations about race and the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement. These conversations are essential to understanding who we are and how far we’ve come. The timing of this could not be more sobering.
As a white man who grew up in the south, I do not find the truth of our past to be threatening. I find it challenging and empowering. We need to keep the truth alive.
The stories that line the walls of the Birmingham
Civil Rights Institute are not abstract. They are Alabama history. They are American history, not a whitewashed version but real history.
I am deeply concerned about what removing this funding represents. It appears to be part of a larger extremist effort to undo decades of bipartisan investment in telling Alabama’s story in full—not just the parts that are comfortable, but also the hard truths of segregation, resistance, and the propensity to overcome.
I believe in protecting civil rights history. I believe the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute matters. I believe truth matters. If we don’t know our history, we’re doomed to repeat it, as they say. But just as importantly, if we don’t know our history, we rob ourselves of the opportunity for gratitude.
Please restore funding for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
Sincerely,
Rev. Dr. Steve West
Senior Pastor, Jacksonville First United Methodist Church
Jacksonville, Alabama
