Stayed On Freedom

In this episode, we visit Brown Chapel AME Church, a historic cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement, as it reopens its sanctuary after being closed since the COVID-19 pandemic. Once a central gathering place for organizers during the Selma voting rights campaigns, the church now stands in a new chapter — one of restoration and renewal. We explore the progress made in rebuilding the sanctuary, r...

The Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium “Stayed On Freedom” podcast engages foot soldiers, leaders, scholars and ‘extraordinary ordinary’ people who are “stayed on freedom.” We remember to remember how the history and continuing legacy of the Black freedom movement and our Civil Rights Heritage Sites have transformed communities and changed the world! The views and opin...

This episode tells the powerful story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the year-long protest that began in Montgomery, Alabama after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated city bus in December 1955. What started as a one-day boycott organized by local activists quickly grew into a sustained movement, with thousands of Black residents walking, carpooling, and organiz...

In this episode, we sit down with Mick Petts, son of Welsh stained-glass artist John Petts, to explore the story and significance of the Wales Window at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. The conversation takes us through how the 1963 bombing of the church, which killed four young girls, spurred a global response — particularly from Wales — and how John Petts designed the window as both a t...

This episode of Stayed On Freedom recounts the tragic stampede at Greater Shiloh Baptist Church in Birmingham in 1902, when a mass meeting turned deadly. It explores how the gathering, meant to be a moment of collective power and unity, descended into chaos, leading to panic and loss of life. The episode reflects on both the power of mass meetings in shaping movements and the peril they carried, e...

History lives in the voices of those who lived it. In 1958, a young janitor named James Pruitt helped prevent what could have been a deadly bombing at Birmingham’s Temple Beth-El. His story—once untold—is now being preserved thanks to an oral history initiative led by our very own Executive Director, Lukata Mjumbe. This powerful interview, conducted as part of the Alabama African American Civil Ri...

Made possible with the support of the 1772 Foundation. The Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium “Stayed On Freedom” podcast engages foot soldiers, leaders, scholars and ‘extraordinary ordinary’ people who are “stayed on freedom.” We remember to remember how the history and continuing legacy of the Black freedom movement and our Civil Rights Heritage Sites have transforme...

In this episode of the Stayed on Freedom podcast, we explore Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s powerful "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." Written in 1963, this letter is both a moral defense of civil disobedience and a passionate response to critics of the Civil Rights Movement. We unpack its historical context, its timeless relevance, and the lessons it offers for today’s struggles for justice. Speaker...

🎙️ “The Bloody Tuesday Before Bloody Sunday” – Premiering Friday, March 14th on the Stayed On Freedom podcast! Before Bloody Sunday in Selma, there was Bloody Tuesday in Tuscaloosa. On June 9, 1964, courageous foot soldiers marched for justice—only to face brutal resistance. In this episode, we hear directly from those who were there, sharing their firsthand experiences of a pivotal yet often over...

Today (2/21/25) marks the 60th anniversary of Malcolm X’s assassination, we honor his legacy with a powerful conversation featuring his daughter, Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz. In a special episode of our Stayed on Freedom podcast, “Remembering Selma, the ‘Field Negro,’ and the Legacy of Malcolm X,” we reflect on his impact, his teachings, and the fight for justice that continues today. Made possible with t...

Join us for this episode as we take a trip down memory lane to Greensboro, AL and The Safe House Museum. We also took a trp to Atlanta, GA to have a conversation with Educator and Author Dr. Akinyele Umoja about the Black freedom movement. The Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium “Stayed On Freedom” podcast engages foot soldiers, leaders, scholars and ‘extraordinary ordi...

Join us as we sit and chat with LaTosha Brown. She is the Co-Founder of the Black Voters Matter Movement, which has been noted for its work on the 2017 U.S. Senate special election in Alabama and its influence during the 2020–21 Georgia state elections.--The Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium “Stayed On Freedom” podcast engages foot soldiers, leaders, scholars and ‘ext...

Join us as we visit Gadsden Alabama's largest African American cemetery. Established in 1826 as "The Colored Cemetery," this site is the first and largest African-American cemetery in Gadsden. Contact Grace Heritage Community Development at GraceHeritageFoundation@yahoo.comFollow Grace Heritage Community Development on Facebook!https://www.facebook.com/share/k4aw8hEwzyNEQXrs/?mibextid=LQQJ4d--The...

We revisit Mississippi for a part 3 of Mississippi Freedom Summer 1964 conversation with Dr. Roy DeBerry. Sixty years ago on August 4, 1964 the bodies of three murdered, Freedom Summer Civil Rights workers registering people to vote were found in a shallow grave in Mississippi. In this episode of the “Stayed on Freedom” podcast, the Consortium goes to Mississippi to learn from Dr. Roy DeBerry, who...

By popular demand, we revisit Mississippi for a part 2 of Mississippi Freedom Summer 1964. Sixty years ago on August 4, 1964 the bodies of three murdered, Freedom Summer Civil Rights workers registering people to vote were found in a shallow grave in Mississippi. In this episode of the “Stayed on Freedom” podcast, the Consortium goes to Mississippi to learn from Dr. Roy DeBerry, who was teenager d...

Sixty years ago on August 4, 1964 the bodies of three murdered, Freedom Summer Civil Rights workers registering people to vote were found in a shallow grave in Mississippi. In this episode of the “Stayed on Freedom” podcast, the Consortium goes to Mississippi to learn from Dr. Roy DeBerry, who was teenager during Freedom Summer 1964. Join us for “Thank God for Mississippi!’: Revisiting Freedom Sum...

Join us as we uncover the powerful and heartbreaking story of Bloody Tuesday in Tuscaloosa, AL on June 9, 1964. We get the opportinuty of hearing the first hand experiences of some of the foot soldiers who marched for justice on that day. The Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium “Stayed On Freedom” podcast engages foot soldiers, leaders, scholars and ‘extraordinary ordin...

Episode 003: Join us as we sit with the Executive Director of Greater Birmingham Ministries and long time member of St. Paul United Methodist Church, Scott Douglas. We discuss St. Paul's involvement in the Birmingham Children's Crusade of 1963 and the impact it had on the Civil Rights Movement. The Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium “Stayed On Freedom” podcast engages...

Episode 002: This Black History Month "Each One, Teach One" episode features a courageous conversation with 16 year-old Aaren "Black AquaMayne" Rudolph who captured the imagination of the people during Montgomery Riverfront Brawl in August 2023. We explore the authentic history of the Montgomery Riverfront, Slavery and the legacy of courageous young people in the Black freedom movement. Interested...

Episode 001: Scholar and activist Dr. Cornel West visits 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL ---“ground zero of the Black Freedom Movement” on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2024. We discuss the “ordinary extraordinary” legacy of Dr. King and the continuing struggles of the freedom movement today. The Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium “Stayed On Freedom” podcast...