General Management Plan

Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument » General Management Plan » Document List

The National Park Service (NPS) is requesting input on the General Management Plan (GMP) at the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument (national monument) located in Birmingham, Alabama. As a new park unit, the national monument has the need to develop a comprehensive GMP, which is a broad document that identifies long-term goals for the park and guides management of the visitor experience, park facilities, and operations at the park.

In 2017, Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument was created by presidential proclamation to commemorate, preserve, and interpret the struggle for human and civil rights that played out in Birmingham in the 1950s and 1960s. Several prominent historic structures and landscapes that were pivotal to the events of 1963 sit within the national monument boundary and will be vital to the success and continued relevance of the monument, including the 16th Street Baptist Church, St. Paul United Methodist Church, Kelly Ingram Park, the Colored Masonic Temple, and the A.G. Gaston Motel. The NPS also seeks to work in partnership with other important civil rights sites in Birmingham as part of future operations, such as Bethel Baptist Church and other sites associated with the larger civil rights historic district. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is also an important cultural and educational research center and NPS partner site within the boundary of the national monument that reaches approximately 150,000 visitors each year through a variety of programs and services.

Of the sites within the monument, only the A.G. Gaston Motel is directly managed by the NPS. The NPS owns one half of the motel complex and manages it in partnership with the City of Birmingham, which owns the other half. Partnering with the City of Birmingham, local churches, universities, and other organizations to commemorate and preserve the history of Birmingham's role in the national struggle for civil rights is essential to the park. Preservation and interpretation of the A.G. Gaston Motel and related sites in Birmingham are dependent on these partnerships. Please help inform management of this outstanding resource by participating in the planning process, attending the virtual public meeting, and submitting your input on this website.

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