Birmingham in Jefferson County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
St. Paul United Methodist Church
Destination
— Birmingham Civil Rights Heritage Trail —
Photographed By Mark Hilton, December 5, 2021
1. St. Paul United Methodist Church Marker
St. Paul United Methodist Church was the site of the first mass meeting held on Dec. 26, 1956, following the ACMHR's (Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights) first major direct action campaign to integrate Birmingham's buses. It was the departure point for the April 7, 1963, Palm Sunday march to City Hall led by Reverends N. H. Smith, A. D. King (brother of Martin Luther King, Jr.), and John T. Porter. St. Paul UMC was one of several churches that served as training centers for "Project C” leaders, who taught Birmingham youth the Movement's principles of nonviolence and civil disobedience.
"Let the record show we ain't going to be turned around."
Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy
Civil Rights Leader and co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
Lesson C4: Why do you think African-American churches in Birmingham, especially the ones downtown, became strategic meeting places during the Birmingham Movement in 1963?
Erected by the Birmingham Civil Rights Heritage Trail. (Marker Number C4.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Churches & Religion
this page online
Location. 33° 30.972′ N, 86° 48.935′ W. Marker is in Birmingham, Alabama, in Jefferson County. Marker is on 6th Avenue North west of 16th Street North, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1500 6th Ave N, Birmingham AL 35203, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and Parsonage (within shouting distance of this marker); Sixteenth Street Baptist Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Sixth Avenue Zion Hill Baptist Church (about 400 feet away); Jim Crow on the Books (about 400 feet away); Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (about 400 feet away); Don't Tread on Me (about 400 feet away); Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Birmingham.
Regarding St. Paul United Methodist Church. The Civil Rights Activist Committee “Home of the Foot Soldiers“ is the Information Center for the Birmingham Civil Rights Heritage Trail.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, December 5, 2021
2. St. Paul United Methodist Church Marker
Photographed By Mark Hilton, December 5, 2021
3. St. Paul United Methodist Church & Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 8, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 10, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 183 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 10, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
