Tuscaloosa’s Bloody Tuesday Remembered

Most people have heard of Bloody Sunday, which took place in Selma, AL. According to History.com, 

On March 7, 1965 around 600 people crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in an attempt to begin the Selma to Montgomery march. State troopers violently attacked the peaceful demonstrators in an attempt to stop the march for voting rights.

 

Tuscaloosa's Bloody Tuesday took place almost a year before on June 9, 1964 and is credited with shaping the city's civil rights movement. The Tuscaloosa News reports,

Marchers sought to remove whites-only signs at restrooms and drinking fountains in the new Tuscaloosa County Courthouse. Marchers gathered at First African Baptist Church, with the intent to march to the courthouse. Instead, shortly after beginning to walk, the marchers were beaten and tear-gassed by law enforcement authorities.

 

Thirty-three men, women and children were hospitalized and 94 people were arrested. On June 25, a federal judge ordered Tuscaloosa County to remove the whites-only signs. 

Those interested in knowing more about the day that played a major role in catapulting the Civil Rights Movement may visit First African Baptist Church, where historic markers stand.

In previous years, Bloody Tuesday was commemorated on the Sunday before the event's anniversary. However this year, June 9 actually fell on a Tuesday. So, its significance is even more highlighted, especially amid the current climate in the United States.

In addition, Civil Rights Tuscaloosa invites Tuscaloosa residents and visitors to experience the Tuscaloosa Civil Rights History Trail, which focuses on various locations of the city with historical significance to the Civil Rights Movement.

View a map of the trail here.

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