Examiner Neighborhood Inaugural Ball for Birmingham

January 20, 4:58 PMProgressive Politics ExaminerKaren Harper

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Examiners from major cities across the country participated in Neighborhood Balls on Inauguration Day. Below is one Examiner's experience:

I spent the morning at Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States.  The event was hosted by the City of Birmingham and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. More than anything else, I was struck by the sense of unity in the crowd. 

Boutwell Auditorium seats 6,000 people.  There were so many people at the celebration that the overflow crowd had to be taken into the Exhibition Hall next door.  I was on the floor of the auditorium, part of a standing room only crowd of people, many of whom were clutching American flags. 

Today's program was titled, "Where History Meets Hope." 

Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford spoke.
 

Being that Birmingham has such strong Civil Rights heritage, it is only right for us to recognize this historic Presidential Inauguration.  For many years this country has been crippled by racism and inequality.  This presidential election has shown that America is ready to make the next step towards unity amongst all citizens.  Barack Obama symbolizes hope, change, and equality for the United States of America.  We gather here today to witness history and to welcome the next leader of the free world, President Barack Obama.

Today's inauguration ceremony honored two Civil Rights leaders, the Reverend Fred L Shuttlesworth and Reverend Dr. Abraham Lincoln Woods, Jr.  Dr. Woods passed away in 2008.  I felt honored to be in the same room with Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, a leader and a hero who risked his life during the Civil Rights movement.

There were several programs that preceded the swearing in of the new Vice-President and President including speeches by local school children. 

When the huge television screen lit up and then Senator Joe Biden walked out, the crowd in Boutwell cheered and waved flags.  When the camera focused on Michelle Obama, there was more cheering and when Barack Obama finally came out, the entire crowd rose to their feet as one and cheered loudly.  When Justice Roberts began the swearing in of President-elect Barack Obama, the atmosphere in Boutwell was electric with excitement.  The crowd was engaged, participants in a historic event.

In a matter of moments, it was announced that we had a new President, Barack Obama.  The cheer that rose from the crowd was unabashedly joyful.  People turned to perfect strangers, black, white, young and old, and hugged to share their happiness in the moment.  The exuberance was infectious.

During Obama's speech, the crowd reacted vocally, spontaneously voicing "yes" and "amen" when President Obama made a particularly evocative point.  But the passage that received the most approval from Birmingham was this one:

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.  It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours.  It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

The crowd at Boutwell was loud but respectful.  It felt like the era of hope had truly come at last.  In a crowd of over 6,000 people, the unity of hope was palpable.  It was a heady feeling.

Why the Birmingham celebration of the Inauguration at Boutwell Auditorium is important:

The auditorium was built in 1924 and was originally named "Municipal Auditorium."  It was renamed in honor of Birmingham Mayor, Albert Boutwell. 

Boutwell Auditorium has a long history.  A toast was made there to Charles Lindbergh during his visit to Birmingham in 1927.
In 1938, the Southern Conference for Human Welfare met at Boutwell.  When Birmingham City Commissioner Eugene "Bull" Connor ordered participants to segregate themselves, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt pulled her seat into the center aisle to protest.  Hugo Black attended the conference as well.

In 1956, singer Nat King Cole was assaulted by three white men during a segregated performance even though he had been introduced by Mayor Jimmy Morgan and was cheered by both whites and blacks.  Fats Domino, Little Richard, Bill Haley and the Comets, the Platters, Bo Diddley and the Drifters all performed at Boutwell in the 1950s.

In 1997, when the local ABC television station refused to air an episode of "Ellen" in which the title character 'came out' of the closet, "Birmingham Pride Alabama" organized a screening of the episode at Boutwell.

Boutwell was renamed in honor of Albert Boutwell, elected Mayor of Birmingham in 1963.  His election came at a pivotal time in the Civil Rights movement and in Birmingham history.  The election of Boutwell as Mayor and a city council replaced the former three-member City Commission in a plot to remove Commissioner of Public Safety, Eugene "Bull" Connor.  Bull Connor was notorious for the violence he used to thwart desegregation and Civil Rights.

When Connor was defeated by Boutwell during the election for Mayor, the city breathed a collective sigh of relief.  Moderates felt that Boutwell would signal a change from the violent aggression Connor had ruled with against the Civil Rights movement.  The day after the election, civil rights leaders lead by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., began "Project Confrontation" a peaceful protest against the police tactics of Connor.  A letter written by 8 white religious leaders in the Birmingham newspaper called for unity, criticizing protests organized in Birmingham by "outsiders".  Many moderates felt that the election of Boutwell (ousting Connor) should have ended any demonstrations by Civil Rights leaders.  King went ahead with the demonstration and was arrested the day after the election.  While in the Birmingham jail, Dr. King wrote his famous 11 page Letter from the Birmingham jail.

Some of the most violent and vicious battles for Civil Rights took place in Birmingham.  Four little girls were killed during the bombing of a church in Birmingham.  Civil Rights protesters were beaten, dragged through the streets, and arrested for having the courage to stand up to their oppressors.

Today, Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth was back in Birmingham, inside Boutwell, celebrating the inauguration of America's first African American President.  I'll admit, it was a thrill to be in the same building with the man.  To celebrate with a united crowd of over 6,000 in a city that was once thought of as America's most segregated city, was a unique and memorable experience.  Today, history did indeed meet with hope.

Special Report: Inauguration Day 2009

• Official Inaugural Events
• Neighborhood Inaugural Ball project
• Examiner.com Inauguration Roundup
• Examiner Coverage: Inauguration Day 2009
• The Obama Administration at a glance