OK, everyone knows the song, and it is even on the license plate. Alabama is only a 2 hour drive from Atlanta, so I took a day trip to my 35th state. Speaking of which, apparently speed limits are just an annoying suggestion in the South. NASCAR makes everyone a speed demon down there. This trip completes my tour of the old South with a trip to Birmingham and Talladega.
Birmingham, AL has a challenging history. It was founded after the Civil War, yet was the most segregated city. I visited the Civil Rights Institute in downtown which was a moving experience on the plight of blacks in the South. Slavery is our original sin, and even after the war and constitutional amendments, discrimination still abounds.
It is difficult to visit the South without commenting on racism. The region has such a strong history, it is impossible to escape. The Civil War did great damage to the South - economically, socially, and psychologically. The aftermath of the war created many of the problems still faced today and should serve as a warning for future conflicts on how to rebuild while avoiding the massive problems. It is a complicated problem with even more complicated solutions, but we owe it to ourselves to keep trying.
On the way back to Atlanta, I stopped at the Talladega Superspeedway. This massive racetrack has the highest banks with a 33 degree pitch and a hall of fame museum. I caught the last tour of the day and had the bus to myself. It was interesting to see and worth a stop even when 200 MPH cars are not flying by!
Enjoy the rest of the pics below:
No comments:
Post a Comment