Birmingham’s children against segregation
W-072
On 2 May 1963, school buses in Birmingham carried arrested pupils to jail. More than a thousand Black schoolchildren had taken to the streets to demand an end to racial segregation. Police detained hundreds that day. The following morning, more young people gathered at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.
Birmingham’s rules divided everyday life by race, in restaurants, transport, parks and other public places. Black residents sought access to shared lunch counters and fitting rooms, and jobs as salespeople and clerks in downtown stores. Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth led the local movement. That spring, Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference joined him.
The campaign began on 3 April with a boycott of stores, sit-ins and mass meetings. On 12 April, King was arrested for defying a court injunction against demonstrations. In jail he wrote his response to white clergymen who considered the protests untimely. By the end of the month, the movement was short of volunteers and bail money. Organizer James Bevel proposed recruiting schoolchildren and trained them in nonviolent protest. The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church became their gathering place before they went into the city.
On 3 May, public safety commissioner Eugene “Bull” Connor deployed police with dogs and firefighters with high-pressure hoses against the crowds. The water knocked people off their feet. Demonstrations continued over the following days; Shuttlesworth was himself struck by a jet of water and hospitalized. Photographs and television reports travelled far beyond Alabama.
One of those attacked by the dogs was high school student Walter Gadsden. Associated Press photographer Bill Hudson photographed him on 3 May. A newspaper caption called the teenager a marcher. In his own statement, Gadsden said he had been watching demonstrators leave the church and was not taking part in the march. According to his statement, an officer grabbed and held him while setting a dog on him; Gadsden was then jailed and charged with parading without a permit. His signed account survives in the state archive.
While arrests continued, the boycott kept pressure on local businesses. Justice Department official Burke Marshall helped mediate talks between movement leaders and white business representatives. On 10 May, an agreement was announced at the Gaston Motel: remove segregation signs, desegregate lunch counters, expand employment opportunities for Black residents and release arrested protesters on bond. A biracial committee would monitor its implementation.
On 11 May, bombs damaged the Gaston Motel and the home of Martin Luther King’s brother, Alfred Daniel King. Unrest followed. President John F. Kennedy ordered military units to bases near Birmingham and announced preparations to place the Alabama National Guard under federal command if needed.
For the schoolchildren, the struggle continued in classrooms and court. On 20 May, the city’s school authorities announced the expulsion of 1,081 high school students and the suspension of younger demonstrators. Attorney Constance Baker Motley sought their reinstatement. After a district court refused relief, she appealed to circuit judge Elbert Tuttle. On 22 May, he ordered that the pupils be returned to their classrooms by the following morning.
On 15 September, Ku Klux Klan members bombed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, from which the young marchers had set out that spring. Four girls were killed: Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley.
On 2 July 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. It prohibited racial discrimination in the public accommodations covered by the law and in employment. The Birmingham demonstrations and the violence inflicted on their participants were among the events that increased pressure for its passage.
Photographs and documents
1. Walter Gadsden and a police dog
Sources and provenance for frame 1
Bill Hudson, Associated Press. High Museum of Art, accession 2007.100. © Bill Hudson / Associated Press. The date, 3 May 1963, is supported by Gadsden’s own statement and the Kennedy Library resource.
The museum record describes Gadsden as a protester. In the archive’s reproduction of his signed statement, he says that he was not a demonstrator. The narrative preserves this distinction; the officer’s intention is not inferred from a pose in the photograph. Sources differ on Gadsden’s age, which is not given here.
The public museum JPEG, 2255 × 1500 px, is preserved unchanged. No open licence is stated; public-domain claims in other catalogues are not transferred to this museum copy.
High Museum of Art · 2007.100File on WITNESS · 2255 × 15002. King at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church
Sources and provenance for frame 2
Bob Adelman, the photographer’s gallery “Birmingham, May 1963”, frame Birm_004-20. The month comes from the gallery title; the individual caption dates the photograph to 1963. The exact day is not established. © Bob Adelman Estate, all rights reserved; no open licence is stated.
The public 1139 × 765 px JPEG is preserved unchanged, including the rights holder’s embedded credit. No cropping, retouching or colorization was performed for WITNESS.
Bob Adelman Estate · Birm_004-20File on WITNESS · 1139 × 7653. Meeting in the church basement
Sources and provenance for frame 3
Bob Adelman, the photographer’s gallery “Birmingham, May 1963”, frame Birm_004-33A. The month comes from the gallery title; the individual caption dates the photograph to 1963. The exact day is not established. © Bob Adelman Estate, all rights reserved; no open licence is stated.
The public 1140 × 760 px JPEG is preserved unchanged, including the rights holder’s embedded credit. No cropping, retouching or colorization was performed for WITNESS.
Bob Adelman Estate · Birm_004-33AFile on WITNESS · 1140 × 7604. Arrests on 2 May
Sources and provenance for frame 4
Alabama Media Group Collection, Birmingham News; BN0070103_01. The archive does not identify the photographer. Date in the archival record: 1963-05-02. © Alabama Department of Archives and History; donated by Alabama Media Group. No open licence is stated.
The public 720 × 570 px JPEG reproduction is preserved unchanged. The archival TIFF was not obtained; image quality is limited by the available online copy.
Alabama Archives · BN0070103_01File on WITNESS · 720 × 5705. At the bus
Sources and provenance for frame 5
Bob Adelman, the photographer’s gallery “Birmingham, May 1963”, frame Birm_007-16. The month comes from the gallery title; the individual caption dates the photograph to 1963. The exact day is not established. © Bob Adelman Estate, all rights reserved; no open licence is stated.
The public 1140 × 754 px JPEG is preserved unchanged, including the rights holder’s embedded credit. No cropping, retouching or colorization was performed for WITNESS.
Bob Adelman Estate · Birm_007-16File on WITNESS · 1140 × 7546. In detention
Sources and provenance for frame 6
Bob Adelman, the photographer’s gallery “Birmingham, May 1963”, frame Birm_003-13. The month comes from the gallery title; the individual caption dates the photograph to 1963. The exact day is not established. © Bob Adelman Estate, all rights reserved; no open licence is stated.
The public 1140 × 750 px JPEG is preserved unchanged, including the rights holder’s embedded credit. No cropping, retouching or colorization was performed for WITNESS.
Bob Adelman Estate · Birm_003-13File on WITNESS · 1140 × 7507. An officer takes the signs
Sources and provenance for frame 7
Alabama Media Group Collection, Birmingham News; BN0004113_02. Photograph by Ed Jones. Date in the archival record: 1963-05-03. © Alabama Department of Archives and History; donated by Alabama Media Group. No open licence is stated.
The public 720 × 470 px JPEG reproduction is preserved unchanged. The archival TIFF was not obtained; image quality is limited by the available online copy.
Alabama Archives · BN0004113_02File on WITNESS · 720 × 4708. Fire hoses turned on demonstrators
Sources and provenance for frame 8
Alabama Media Group Collection, Birmingham News; BN0004113_05. Photograph by Ed Jones. Date in the archival record: 1963-05-03. © Alabama Department of Archives and History; donated by Alabama Media Group. No open licence is stated.
The public 720 × 477 px JPEG reproduction is preserved unchanged. The archival TIFF was not obtained; image quality is limited by the available online copy.
Alabama Archives · BN0004113_05File on WITNESS · 720 × 4779. Under the water jet
Sources and provenance for frame 9
Charles Moore. High Museum of Art, accession 1995.68. Date in the museum record: 3 May 1963. The people and any relationship between them are unidentified; adjacent images do not establish a sequence within a single incident. The record states no open licence.
The public museum JPEG, 2195 × 1500 px, is preserved unchanged. No cropping, retouching or colorization was performed for WITNESS.
High Museum of Art · 1995.68File on WITNESS · 2195 × 150010. Against the wall
Sources and provenance for frame 10
Charles Moore. High Museum of Art, accession 1999.154.3. Date in the museum record: 1963, without an exact day. The people and any relationship between them are unidentified; adjacent images do not establish a sequence within a single incident. The record states no open licence.
The public museum JPEG, 2148 × 1500 px, is preserved unchanged. No cropping, retouching or colorization was performed for WITNESS.
High Museum of Art · 1999.154.3File on WITNESS · 2148 × 150011. Holding on to one another
Sources and provenance for frame 11
Bob Adelman, the photographer’s gallery “Birmingham, May 1963”, frame Birm_019-23. The month comes from the gallery title; the individual caption dates the photograph to 1963. The exact day is not established. © Bob Adelman Estate, all rights reserved; no open licence is stated.
The public 1140 × 763 px JPEG is preserved unchanged, including the rights holder’s embedded credit. No cropping, retouching or colorization was performed for WITNESS.
Bob Adelman Estate · Birm_019-23File on WITNESS · 1140 × 76312. Through the water spray
Sources and provenance for frame 12
Charles Moore. High Museum of Art, accession 2007.247. Date in the museum record: 1963, without an exact day. The people and any relationship between them are unidentified; adjacent images do not establish a sequence within a single incident. The record states no open licence.
The public museum JPEG, 1871 × 1500 px, is preserved unchanged. No cropping, retouching or colorization was performed for WITNESS.
High Museum of Art · 2007.247File on WITNESS · 1871 × 150013. Facing an officer
Sources and provenance for frame 13
Charles Moore. High Museum of Art, accession 2007.248. Date in the museum record: 1963, without an exact day. The people and any relationship between them are unidentified; adjacent images do not establish a sequence within a single incident. The record states no open licence.
The public museum JPEG, 1500 × 2171 px, is preserved unchanged. No cropping, retouching or colorization was performed for WITNESS.
High Museum of Art · 2007.248File on WITNESS · 1500 × 217114. Gadsden after the attack
Sources and provenance for frame 14
Alabama Media Group Collection, Birmingham News; BN0004123_04. The archive does not identify the photographer. Date in the archival record: 1963-05. © Alabama Department of Archives and History; donated by Alabama Media Group. No open licence is stated.
The public 720 × 474 px JPEG reproduction is preserved unchanged. The archival TIFF was not obtained; image quality is limited by the available online copy.
The archival record identifies Gadsden but does not give an exact day for this exposure. Bill Hudson’s authorship of another photograph of the attack is not transferred to this image.
Alabama Archives · BN0004123_04File on WITNESS · 720 × 47415. Attack in a parking lot
Sources and provenance for frame 15
Alabama Media Group Collection, Birmingham News; BN0004123_06. The archive does not identify the photographer. Date in the archival record: 1963-05. © Alabama Department of Archives and History; donated by Alabama Media Group. No open licence is stated.
The public 720 × 472 px JPEG reproduction is preserved unchanged. The archival TIFF was not obtained; image quality is limited by the available online copy.
Alabama Archives · BN0004123_06File on WITNESS · 720 × 47216. Arrest on 7 May
Sources and provenance for frame 16
Alabama Media Group Collection, Birmingham News; BN0070104_01. The archive does not identify the photographer. Date in the archival record: 1963-05-07. © Alabama Department of Archives and History; donated by Alabama Media Group. No open licence is stated.
The public 568 × 720 px JPEG reproduction is preserved unchanged. The archival TIFF was not obtained; image quality is limited by the available online copy.
Alabama Archives · BN0070104_01File on WITNESS · 568 × 72017. On the sidewalk
Sources and provenance for frame 17
Alabama Media Group Collection, Birmingham News; BN0004116_04. Photograph by Norman Dean. Date in the archival record: 1963-05-08. © Alabama Department of Archives and History; donated by Alabama Media Group. No open licence is stated.
The public 720 × 481 px JPEG reproduction is preserved unchanged. The archival TIFF was not obtained; image quality is limited by the available online copy.
Alabama Archives · BN0004116_04File on WITNESS · 720 × 48118. Mattie Howard’s arrest
Sources and provenance for frame 18
Alabama Media Group Collection, Birmingham News; BN0004116_12. Photograph by Norman Dean. Date in the archival record: 1963-05-08. © Alabama Department of Archives and History; donated by Alabama Media Group. No open licence is stated.
The public 720 × 486 px JPEG reproduction is preserved unchanged. The archival TIFF was not obtained; image quality is limited by the available online copy.
Alabama Archives · BN0004116_12File on WITNESS · 720 × 48619. Connor and Billingsley
Sources and provenance for frame 19
Alabama Media Group Collection, Birmingham News; BN0004116_02. Photograph by Norman Dean. Date in the archival record: 1963-05-08. © Alabama Department of Archives and History; donated by Alabama Media Group. No open licence is stated.
The public 720 × 469 px JPEG reproduction is preserved unchanged. The archival TIFF was not obtained; image quality is limited by the available online copy.
Alabama Archives · BN0004116_02File on WITNESS · 720 × 46920. Young marchers meet the press
Sources and provenance for frame 20
Alabama Media Group Collection, Birmingham News; BN0004116_20. Photograph by Norman Dean. Date in the archival record: 1963-05-08. © Alabama Department of Archives and History; donated by Alabama Media Group. No open licence is stated.
The public 720 × 468 px JPEG reproduction is preserved unchanged. The archival TIFF was not obtained; image quality is limited by the available online copy.
Alabama Archives · BN0004116_20File on WITNESS · 720 × 46821. The 10 May press conference
Sources and provenance for frame 21
Alabama Media Group Collection, Birmingham News; BN0004126_02. Photograph by Tom Self. Date in the archival record: 1963-05-10. © Alabama Department of Archives and History; donated by Alabama Media Group. No open licence is stated.
The public 712 × 720 px JPEG reproduction is preserved unchanged. The archival TIFF was not obtained; image quality is limited by the available online copy.
Alabama Archives · BN0004126_02File on WITNESS · 712 × 72022. The window after the bombing
Sources and provenance for frame 22
Alabama Media Group Collection, Birmingham News; BN0004211_01. Photograph by Tom Self. Date in the archival record: 1963-09-15. © Alabama Department of Archives and History; donated by Alabama Media Group. No open licence is stated.
The public 700 × 720 px JPEG reproduction is preserved unchanged. The archival TIFF was not obtained; image quality is limited by the available online copy.
Alabama Archives · BN0004211_01File on WITNESS · 700 × 72023. A police dog pulls at a trouser leg
Sources and provenance for frame 23
A black-and-white reproduction of Charles Moore’s photograph. The same exposure is held by the International Center of Photography, accession 153.1991, whose catalogue dates it to 3 May 1963. The man is not identified here.
The 1627 × 1080 file was published as the second image in u/Based_Lawnmower’s Reddit gallery on 5 January 2021, alongside the colourisation. The file comes from that post; the museum reproduction was used for verification. Its framing differs from the museum reproduction; WITNESS preserved the downloaded file without cropping or retouching. The smaller WebP preview is separate. Historical photograph: © Charles Moore; no free licence is claimed.
Post with the black-and-white reproduction and colourisationBlack-and-white source fileICP: photographer and dateReddit / verified against International Center of PhotographyFile on WITNESS · 1627 × 108024. Modern restoration: colourisation
Sources and provenance for frame 24
A previously published modern treatment posted to Reddit by u/Based_Lawnmower on 5 January 2021. In a second post that day, the contributor described it as their own colourisation. The software and method are not established. The colours were added in this modern version; ICP dates Charles Moore’s historical photograph to Birmingham on 3 May 1963.
The published 778 × 579 JPEG and the colouriser’s watermark are preserved. The colour version is more tightly cropped than the preceding black-and-white reproduction; WITNESS did not change its framing or enlarge the file. Downloaded bytes are unchanged; the WebP preview is separate. Historical photograph: © Charles Moore; no free licence for the treatment is stated.
Contributor’s post: “Colorized by me”Published colourised fileICP: historical photographu/Based_Lawnmower / RedditFile on WITNESS · 778 × 579