By William Thornton
Five historic sites in Alabama associated with the civil rights movement are being nominated to be added to the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The National Park Service is preparing nominations for the sites, which would join the list of cultural and natural sites of global importance, such as the Grand Canyon and the Taj Mahal.
There are currently 1,199 World Heritage Sites in 168 countries, including 25 in the United States.
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said the sites are “integral in helping us tell a full and complete story of American history.”
“A nomination of these sites to the World Heritage List would further recognize the pain, redemption and healing associated with these historical sites and honor the civil rights heroes who bravely sat, marched and fought to secure equality for all Americans,” Haaland said.
The Alabama sites are:
Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, Montgomery.
Bethel Baptist Church, Birmingham.
16th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham.
The Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma.
Greyhound Bus Terminal, Anniston.
Other sites around the U.S. include Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home in Jackson, Miss., and the Lincoln Memorial and Grounds in Washington, D.C.
The final decision on inclusion on the list will be made by the World Heritage Committee, composed of representatives from 21 nations elected from the members of the World Heritage Convention, and advised by the International Council on Monuments and Sites.
