Birmingham in Jefferson County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth Bethel Baptist Church

Photographed By Anita Curry Nyambo, December 10, 2011

1. Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth Bethel Baptist Church Marker

Inscription.

Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth Bethel Baptist Church. . Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth's tenure as pastor of Bethel Baptist Church (1953-1961) was marked by demonstrations, bombings and passionate sermons critical of segregation laws. His activism earned him a house bombing, frequent beatings, arrests, and threats to his family. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called Shuttlesworth “one of the nation's most courageous freedom fighters.” Shuttlesworth organized lunch counter sit-ins and encouraged Blacks to apply for civil service jobs. The church built in 1926 was bombed three times: Dec. 25, 1956; June 29, 1958; and Dec. 14, 1962. When a dynamite blast blew the roof off his parsonage, he emerged and told a policeman, “Tell your Klan brothers that if God could save me through this, they'll have to come up with something better, so the fight's on.” Although he left Birmingham in 1961 to pastor a church in Cincinnati, he returned often to help organize civil rights demonstrations, most notably in 1963., (Reverse side): , In May of 1963, Shuttlesworth invited King and others to lead adults and children on nonviolent marches from Kelly Ingram Park to City Hall. They wanted city leaders to integrate water fountains and restrooms. The force of high-pressure fire hoses pointed at marchers under orders of Police Commander Eugene (Bull) Conner injured Shuttlesworth and others. King was arrested and wrote his famous “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” essay. National media coverage and the bombing deaths of four Sunday School girls in September at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church horrified the nation. Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the following year. The church, parsonage and guardhouse across the street were jointly granted National Historic Landmark status in 2005. The Bethel congregation completed a new sanctuary a block away in 2006. The historic complex was nominated as a UNESCO World heritage Site in 2007. Following his retirement from the ministry in 2008, Rev. Shuttlesworth returned to Birmingham. In his honor, the local airport was renamed the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International airport.

Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth's tenure as pastor of Bethel Baptist Church (1953-1961) was marked by demonstrations, bombings and passionate sermons critical of segregation laws. His activism earned him a house bombing, frequent beatings, arrests, and threats to his family. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called Shuttlesworth “one of the nation's most courageous freedom fighters.” Shuttlesworth organized lunch counter sit-ins and encouraged Blacks to apply for civil service jobs. The church built in 1926 was bombed three times: Dec. 25, 1956; June 29, 1958; and Dec. 14, 1962. When a dynamite blast blew the roof off his parsonage, he emerged and told a policeman, “Tell your Klan brothers that if God could save me through this, they'll have to come up with something better, so the fight's on.” Although he left Birmingham in 1961 to pastor a church in Cincinnati, he returned often to help organize civil rights demonstrations, most notably in 1963.

(Reverse side):
In May of 1963, Shuttlesworth invited King and others to lead adults and children on nonviolent marches from Kelly Ingram Park to City Hall. They wanted city leaders to integrate water fountains and restrooms. The force of high-pressure fire hoses pointed at marchers under orders of Police Commander Eugene (Bull) Conner injured Shuttlesworth and others. King was arrested

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and wrote his famous “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” essay. National media coverage and the bombing deaths of four Sunday School girls in September at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church horrified the nation. Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the following year. The church, parsonage and guardhouse across the street were jointly granted National Historic Landmark status in 2005. The Bethel congregation completed a new sanctuary a block away in 2006. The historic complex was nominated as a UNESCO World heritage Site in 2007. Following his retirement from the ministry in 2008, Rev. Shuttlesworth returned to Birmingham. In his honor, the local airport was renamed the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International airport.

Erected 2009.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Churches & Religion • Civil Rights. In addition, it is included in the National Historic Landmarks series list. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1963.

Location. 33° 33.116′ N, 86° 48.05′ W. Marker is in Birmingham, Alabama, in Jefferson County. Marker is at the intersection of 29th Avenue North and 33rd Street North, on the right when traveling east on 29th Avenue North. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3300 29th Avenue North, Birmingham AL 35207, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8

Photographed By Anita Curry Nyambo, December 10, 2011

2. Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth Bethel Baptist Church Marker

Reverse side

other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Bethel's Pastor Leads the Leaders (here, next to this marker); A New Organization is Born (here, next to this marker); It Began at Bethel (a few steps from this marker); A New Strategy: All-Out Attack (within shouting distance of this marker); The Working Class & Mass Meetings (within shouting distance of this marker); ACMHR & the Second Revolution (within shouting distance of this marker); Leaving Town, But Not the Battle (within shouting distance of this marker); ACMHR & the Student Activists (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Birmingham.

Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth Bethel Baptist Church and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Anita Curry Nyambo, December 10, 2011

3. Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth Bethel Baptist Church and Marker

Photographed By Anita Curry Nyambo, January 15, 2012

4. Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth Bethel Baptist Church and Marker

Cornerstone of Bethel Baptist Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Anita Curry Nyambo, December 10, 2011

5. Cornerstone of Bethel Baptist Church

East face of the Bethel Baptist Church cornerstone image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Dodson M. Curry, January 15, 2012

6. East face of the Bethel Baptist Church cornerstone

Parsonage Bethel Baptist Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Anita Curry Nyambo, December 10, 2011

7. Parsonage Bethel Baptist Church

Near the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth Bethel Baptist Church Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 11, 2011, by Dodson M. Curry of Birmingham, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,611 times since then and 81 times this year. Last updated on May 29, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on December 11, 2011, by Dodson M. Curry of Birmingham, Alabama. 6. submitted on January 16, 2012, by Dodson M. Curry of Birmingham, Alabama. 7. submitted on December 11, 2011, by Dodson M. Curry of Birmingham, Alabama. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.