Letter From Birmingham Jail: A Worldwide Celebration

1963: Year of Birmingham     In The Press     About the Celebration     Graphics     Register Your Location

Thank you to everyone who took part in this celebration honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Photographs and videos of locations participating in the worldwide event may be viewed on BPL's Pinterest board Letter From Birmingham Jail a Worldwide Celebration. Press and videos about the event may be viewed on the In The Press page.

Pinterest Board
 
On April 16th, 2013, the 50th anniversary of the day that Martin Luther King, Jr. began writing his Letter from Birmingham Jail, participants worldwide will read King's Letter in celebration. Participants will host public readings from the Letter at various locations around the globe: libraries, museums, schools, universities, churches, synagogues, temples, work places, public parks, bookstores, street corners, coffee shops and anywhere people want to participate. Register your participation and join in the celebration. This event is sponsored by the Birmingham Public Library.

"When the hour came we lived up to our promise." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

View Letter From Birmingham Jail in a larger map 
Letter From Birmingham Jail Participating Locations
The Letter

The text of Letter From Birmingham Jail is available online and at your local public library. Below are a few locations.

Stanford University's Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers Project (text in pdf format)

The King Center (Scanned copy of one of the original documents)

Your local public library


History of the Letter and Suggested Reading
Social Media

Twitter & Instagram:
Hashtag #letterfrombirminghamjail
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/147127472120893
Flickr Group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/letterfrombirminghamjail/

Facebook: Add your name to the event.

Flickr: Letter From Birmingham Jail Celebration Group Share photos and videos of your event on Flickr.


Africa

Apartheid Museum (Johannesburg, South Africa)

Cathedral of St. George the Martyr (Cape Town, South Africa)

District Six Museum (Cape Town, South Africa)

Human Rights Focus, Litigation Center- Cameroon
Central Africa (Yaound'e, Cameroon)

Steve Biko Foundation (Johannesburg, South Africa)

Antarctica

UAB In Antarctica (Palmer Station, Anvers Island)

Asia

Grassroots Human Rights Education And Development (Takuapa, Phang Nga, Thailand)

Kehillat Yozma (Modi'in, Israel)

Home of Thomas G. Oey, Ph.D. (Shaoxing, China)


Rosh HaAyin Schools (Rosh HaAyin, Israel)

Taipei Municipal Neihu District (Taipei, Taiwan)


Australia

Melbourne (Various Locations, Australia)


Europe

Amsterdam International Community School (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Hochmeisterplatz (Berlin, Germany)

Piazza La Lizza, next to statue honoring Giuseppe Garibaldi (Siena, Italy)

Queen's University (Belfast, Northern Ireland)

Reykjavik Municipal Archives in cooperation with the American Embassy in Iceland (Reykjavik, Iceland)
  
St. John Baptist Anglican Church (Coventry, England)

University of Central Lancashire Library (Preston, England)

Makkas Winery Offices Sia Lefkosia (Lefkosia, Cyprus)

Oceans

Sailboat of author Charles Dougherty in the Caribbean (French Saint-Martin)

South America

San Paulo (Brazil)





North America

Canada

Bobby Ramsay and Friends (Ottawa, Canada)

United States

Alabama



A Plus Afterschool & Tutoring (Birmingham, Alabama)
 
Advent Episcopal School (Birmingham, Alabama)

Alabama Waldorf School (Birmingham, Alabama)

The Altamont School (Birmingham, Alabama)

Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama)

Auburn University, Student Center Room 2222/223 (Auburn, Alabama)

Bessemer Public Library (Bessemer, Alabama)

Bevill State Community College Hamilton Campus Library (Hamilton, Alabama)

Bevill State Community College - Jasper Campus (Jasper, Alabama)

Bevill State Community College - Pickens County Educational Center (Carrollton, Alabama)

Bevill State Community College
Sumiton Campus Library (Sumiton, Alabama)

Birmingham City Council (Birmingham, Alabama)

Birmingham Public Library, Avondale Branch (Birmingham, Alabama)

Birmingham Public Library, Central Library (Birmingham, Alabama)

Birmingham Public Library, Central Youth Department (Birmingham, Alabama)

Birmingham Public Library, East Lake Branch (Birmingham, Alabama)

Birmingham Public Library, Eastwood Branch (Birmingham, Alabama)

Birmingham Public Library, Five Points West Branch (Birmingham, Alabama)

Birmingham Public Library, North Avondale Branch (Birmingham, Alabama)

Birmingham Public Library, North Birmingham Branch (Birmingham, Alabama)

Birmingham Public Library, Powderly Branch (Birmingham, Alabama)

Birmingham Public Library, Smithfield Branch (Birmingham, Alabama)

Birmingham Public Library, Southside Branch (Birmingham, Alabama)

Birmingham Public Library, Titusville Branch (Birmingham, Alabama)

Birmingham Public Library, West End Branch (Birmingham, Alabama)

Birmingham Public Library, Woodlawn Branch (Birmingham, Alabama)

Birmingham-Southern College, Norton Student Center (Birmingham, Alabama)

Cherokee Bend School (Birmingham, Alabama)

City of Birmingham Mayor's Office Division of Youth Services (Birmingham, Alabama)

Civil Rights Memorial Center at Southern Poverty Law Center (Montgomery, Alabama)

Community Support Corporation (Birmingham, Alabama)

Crestwood Park (Birmingham, Alabama)

Desert Island Supply Co. (Birmingham, Alabama)

Emmet O'Neal Library Young Adult Department (Mountain Brook, Alabama)

First Presbyterian Church (Birmingham, Alabama)

Gadsden Public Library, Lena Martin Room (Gadsden, Alabama)

Gadsden State Community College, Wallace Drive Campus (Gadsden, Alabama)

Gardendale High School (Gardendale, Alabama)

Glenco Middle School (Glenco, Alabama)

Goodsell United Methodist Church (Lanett, Alabama)

Grace House Ministries (Birmingham, Alabama)

Hemphill Elementary School (Birmingham, Alabama)

Highlands United Methodist Church (Birmingham, Alabama)

Huffman Academy (Birmingham, Alabama)

Huffman High School (Birmingham, Alabama) 

History Museum of Mobile (Mobile, Alabama)

Indian Springs School (Indian Springs, Alabama)

John Herbert Phillips Academy (Birmingham, Alabama)

Lawson State Community College (Birmingham, Alabama)

The Literacy Council (Birmingham, Alabama)

Lyric Theatre (Birmingham, Alabama)

Minor Elementary School (Birmingham, Alabama)

Marshall County Court House Steps (Guntersville, Alabama)

Miles College (Birmingham, Alabama)

North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church (Birmingham, Alabama)

N. E. Miles Jewish Day School (Birmingham, Alabama)

Oak Hill Cemetery (Birmingham, Alabama)

Oakwood University. Gymnasium/Auditorium, where Dr. King spoke in 1962 (Huntsville, Alabama)

Parker High School (Birmingham, Alabama)

Phillips Academy (Birmingham, Alabama)

Pilgrim Church (Birmingham, Alabama)

Putnam Middle School (Birmingham, Alabama)

Ramsay High School Library Media Center (Birmingham, Alabama)

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Birmingham Jail (Birmingham, Alabama)

Samford University Brock School of Business SBN Source Meeting With Birmingham Mayor William Bell at the Birmingham Central Library (Birmingham, Alabama)


Samford University, English Language Learner Institute  (Homewood, Alabama)

Sardis High School (Sardis, Alabama)

Shades Cahaba Elementary School (Homewood, Alabama)

Sixth Avenue Baptist Church (Birmingham, Alabama)

Snead State Community College (Boaz, Alabama)

Spring Hill College (Mobile, Alabama)

Sumiton Library (Sumiton, Alabama)

Trenholm State Technical College (Montgomery, Alabama)

Tri-County (AL) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated (Birmingham, Alabama)

Troy University -- Dothan (Dothan, Alabama)

Troy University Rosa Parks Museum (Montgomery, Alabama)

Tuscaloosa Public Library Main Branch and Waever Bolden Branch (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

University of Alabama School of Law (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

University of Alabama, School of Library and Information Studies (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

University of Alabama at Birmingham, Lister Hill Library (Birmingham, Alabama)

University of Alabama at Birmingham, Sterne Library (Birmingham, Alabama)

University of Mobile (Mobile, Alabama)

University of West Alabama (Livingston, Alabama)

Virginia College (Birmingham, Alabama)

Arizona

Quincie Douglas Library, (Tucson, Arizona)

Arkansas

Arkansas State Capitol, House of Representatives (Little Rock, Arkansas)

The City of Fayetteville, City Council Chamber (Fayetteville, Arkansas)

Clinton House Museum (Fayetteville, Arkansas)

Clinton Presidential Center (Little Rock, Arkansas)

Fayetteville Public Library (Fayetteville, Arkansas)

Fayetteville High School,  Video Studio. Broadcast on the Education Channel and live streamed to all Fayetteville schools on www.fayar.net (Fayetteville, Arkansas)

Hendrix College, Student Life and Technology Center, Burrow area (Conway, Arkansas)

Little Rock Central High School (Little Rock, Arkansas)

Northwest Arkansas Workers' Justice Center (Fayetteville, Arkansas)

Northwest Arkansas Labor Council (AFL-CIO), Local Union Meetings (Fayetteville, Arkansas)

St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Fayetteville, Arkansas)

University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service (Little Rock, Arkansas)


California

Claremont Colleges (Claremont, California)

Coachella Library (Coachella, California)

Culver City High School (Culver City, California)

Dr. Martin Luther King Library, Jr. San Jose State University and San Jose Public Library Joint Reading (San Jose, California)

E.P. Foster Library (Ventura, California)

Groundwork Coffee House (Los Angeles, California)

Los Angeles City College, Student Union Building (Los Angeles, California)

Malcolm X Library (San Diego, California)

Modesto Junior College Quad, Modesto Junior College Civic Engagement Project (Modesto, California)

Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library (Monterey Park, California)

Occidental College (Los Angeles, California)

Redwood High School (Visalia, California)

St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church (San Francisco, California)

San Jose Public Library, Rose Garden Branch (San Jose, California)

San Jose State University Student Union (San Jose, California)

Santa Maria Public Library, Shepard Hall (Santa Maria, California)

Sonoma State University (Rohnert Park, California)

Southridge Middle School, (Fontana, California)

Valencia Park (San Diego, California)

The Webb Schools (Claremont, California)

Colorado

Arapahoe Community College (Denver, Colorado)

Florida

Blanche Ely High School (Pompano Beach, Florida)

Greater Miami Service Corps (Miami, Florida)

Meek Library (Miami, Florida)

Miami Dade College, Carrie P. Meek Entrepreneurial Education Center (Miami, Florida)

Saint Stephen's Episcopal School (Bradenton, Florida)

University of Florida, Library West (Gainesville, Florida)

University of South Florida, School of Information (Tampa, Florida)

Georgia

Athens Regional Library (Athens, Georgia)

Atlanta Metropolitan State College (Atlanta, Georgia)

Clayton State University (Morrow, Georgia)

Columbus State University (Columbus, Georgia)

Georgia Gwinnett College. Dr. Berger's US History Class (Lawrenceville, Georgia)

Emory University, Balcony of Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library (MARBL) (Atlanta, Georgia)

Georgia Perimeter College -- Decatur Campus Quadrangle (Decatur, Georgia)

Georgia Perimeter College -- Dunwoody Campus (Dunwoody, Georgia)

Kennesaw State University (Kennesaw, Georgia)

West End Branch Library a part of the Atlanta Fulton Public Library System (Atlanta, Georgia)

West Forsyth High School (Cumming, Georgia)


Illinois

American Library Association Headquarters (Chicago, Illinois)

CTA Train (Schaumburg, Illinois)

Elmhurst College, Campus Chapel (Elmhurst, Illinois)

Mascoutah Community High School (Mascoutah, Illinois)

Indiana

Sacred Heart School (Jefferson, Indiana)

Iowa

Hawkeye Community College (Waterloo, Iowa)

University of Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa)

Kentucky

Somerset Community College Learning Commons (Somerset, Kentucky)

University of Louisville, Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research (Louisville, Kentucky)

Louisiana

Bossier Parish Community College (Bossier City, Louisiana)

Caddo Career & Technology Center (Shreveport, Louisiana)

Dillard University Library (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Eden Park Library (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

Magale Library of Centenary College (Shreveport, Louisiana)

Terrebonne Parish Library, Main Library (Houma, Louisiana)

Xavier University of Louisiana, Library (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Maine

Peace Action Maine, The Meg Perry Center (Portland, Maine)

St. Margaret's Episcopal Church (Belfast, Maine)

Maryland

University of Maryland, Writing Center (College Park, Maryland)

Massachusetts

Charlie's Coffee House, Assumption College (Worcester, Massachusetts)

Cotuit Library (Cotuit, Massachusetts)

Harvard University, Kirkland Junior Common Room (Cambridge, Massachusetts)

Harvard University, Lowell House Junior Common Room (Cambridge, Massachusetts)

Harvard University, W.E.B. Du Bois Institute (Cambridge, Massachusetts)

Michigan

Albion District Library (Albion, Michigan)

Cadillac Wexford Public Library (Cadillac, Michigan)

Fremont Area District Library (Lansing, Michigan)

Hackley Public Library (Muskegon, Michigan)

Henry Ford Centennial Library (Dearborn, Michigan)

Hubbard Branch of the Detroit Public Library (Detroit, Michigan)

Marygrove Library, Beyond Words Gallery (Detroit, Michigan)

Newaygo County People for Peace, Fremont Area District Library, Community Room (Lansing, Michigan)

Minnesota

University of Minnesota Law School, Human Rights Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Mississippi

Columbus-Lowndes Public Library, Chebie G. Bateman Building (Columbus, Mississippi)

Mississippi State University, Barnes and Noble Cafe (Mississippi State, Mississippi)

Rust College (Holly Springs, Mississippi)

University of Mississippi (University, Mississippi)

Nevada

Christ Episcopal Church (Las Vegas, Nevada)

New Jersey

Saint Peter's University (Jersey City, New Jersey)

New Mexico

Western New Mexico University (Silver City, New Mexico)

New York

A.B. Davis Middle School (Mount Vernon, New York)

Adirondack Correctional Facility General Library (Ray Brook, New York)

Albert Tuitt Campus Library Campus Library (Bronx, New York)

Canisius College Library (Buffalo, New York)

Columbia University/Barnard College (New York, New York)

Frank E. Merriweather, Jr. Branch Library (Buffalo, New York)

Grant Street Neighborhood Center (Buffalo, New York)

Macon Library (Brooklyn, New York)

Red Creek High School (Red Creek, New York)

Saranac Lake Free Library (Saranac Lake, New York)

Talking Leaves...Books (Buffalo, New York)

University of Rochester (Rochester, New York)

North Carolina

Elon University (Elon, North Carolina)

Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library (Kinston, North Carolina)

Methodist University (Fayetteville, North Carolina)

Rockingham Community College- Rockingham Early College High School (Wentworth, North Carolina)

Salem Academy (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)

University of North Carolina Wilmington, Watson College of Education Atrium (Wilmington, North Carolina)

Ohio

Broad Street United Methodist Church (Columbus, Ohio)

Kenyon College (Gambier, Ohio)

Mahoning County Court House Rotunda (Youngstown, Ohio)

Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio)

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City University (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)

University of Central Oklahoma (Edmond, Oklahoma)

University of Oklahoma, The Boorstin Room of the Bizzell Library (Norman, Oklahoma)

Pennsylvania

Workplace of Employee C.T. Felton in Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Puerto Rico

Taller de Creatividad Ortiz Feliciano (Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico)

 
Rhode Island

Temple Beth -EL (Providence, Rhode Island)

University of Rhode Island, Center for Nonviolence & Peace Studies, Main Quad (Providence, Rhode Island)

South Carolina

College of Charleston (Charleston, South Carolina

South Dakota

Boxelder Job Corps (Nemo, South Dakota)

Dakota Club Library (Eagle Butte, South Dakota)

Dakota State University (Madison, South Dakota)

Mark Twain Elementary School (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)

McGovern Library, Dakota Wesleyan University (Mitchell, South Dakota)

Tennessee

Fayetteville-Lincoln County Public Library (Fayetteville, Tennessee)

Holloway High School, U.S. History Class (Murfreesboro, Tennessee)

Motlow State Community College, Clayton-Glass Library (Lynchburg, Tennessee)

University School of Nashville, Hassenfeld Library (Nashville, Tennessee)

Wesley Foundation, MTSU (Murfreesboro, Tennessee)

White County Public Library (Sparta, Tennessee)

Texas

Arlington Texas Classroom (Arlington, Texas)

Elsa England Elementary School (Austin, Texas)

Houston Community College (Houston, Texas)

Utah

Brigham Young University, Multicultural Student Services Center (Provo, Utah)

Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah)

Vermont

Bixby Memorial Free Library (Vergennes, Vermont)

Middlebury College, (Middlebury, Vermont)

Virginia

Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)

St. Margaret's School, (Tappahannock, Virginia)

Washington

B. Knighton Home (Federal Way, Washington)

Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) of Washington (Yakima, Washington)

St. Mark's Cathedral (Seattle, Washington)

Washington, D.C.

Busboys and Poets (Washington, D.C.)

Maret School Lower School Library and Classes (Washington, D.C.)

Newseum (Washington, D.C.)

The U.S. Capitol. Floor of the U.S House of Representatives with Rep. Terri A. Sewell(Washington, D.C.)
Page Last Modified: 12/18/2020 12:10 PM