1 year ago
29
The extreme heat was not enough to keep people from attending Freedom Fest 2023.The Birmingham event drew hundreds to Kelly Ingram Park on Saturday for a special concert. The festival was designed to commemorate 60 years since the 1963 Birmingham campaign for civil and human rights. "It's just to see family come together and different cultures come together and celebrate freedom," Birmingham foot soldier Claressie Berry-Hardy says. It's not just people from Birmingham who took part in the festival. Even people from neighboring states attended. "So, I had to be here for this day," Houma, Louisiana resident Aronda Smith says. "Being on the campaign trail as the only black in my whole town, I needed this. Spiritually, it's something that I needed to be here in this place at this time."Earlier in the day on Saturday, empowerment sessions helped celebrate triumphs of the city's civil rights history while remaining committed to a united future. "I created the Mayor's Office of Social Justice and Racial Equity back in 2018 after about 100 days in office because I believe the fight for, the platform for social justice is on a continuum," Mayor Randall Woodfin explains.A future where equality is front and center on all levels. "One of the things that we need to do is to be smart about owning real estate and make sure our real estate appreciates," Bob Dickerson with Birmingham Business Resource Center says. "So, owning appreciating real estate. Now, we don't have all the control of the market forces. So, we can't make our house worth more. We can not let it go down. We can improve it."
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
The extreme heat was not enough to keep people from attending Freedom Fest 2023.
The Birmingham event drew hundreds to Kelly Ingram Park on Saturday for a special concert. The festival was designed to commemorate 60 years since the 1963 Birmingham campaign for civil and human rights.
"It's just to see family come together and different cultures come together and celebrate freedom," Birmingham foot soldier Claressie Berry-Hardy says.
It's not just people from Birmingham who took part in the festival. Even people from neighboring states attended.
"So, I had to be here for this day," Houma, Louisiana resident Aronda Smith says. "Being on the campaign trail as the only black in my whole town, I needed this. Spiritually, it's something that I needed to be here in this place at this time."
Earlier in the day on Saturday, empowerment sessions helped celebrate triumphs of the city's civil rights history while remaining committed to a united future.
"I created the Mayor's Office of Social Justice and Racial Equity back in 2018 after about 100 days in office because I believe the fight for, the platform for social justice is on a continuum," Mayor Randall Woodfin explains.
A future where equality is front and center on all levels.
"One of the things that we need to do is to be smart about owning real estate and make sure our real estate appreciates," Bob Dickerson with Birmingham Business Resource Center says. "So, owning appreciating real estate. Now, we don't have all the control of the market forces. So, we can't make our house worth more. We can not let it go down. We can improve it."
English (US)