By Mark Kelly
Alabama NewsCenter
Birmingham and Alabama were focal points of America’s civil rights movement. Commemorating the roles the city and state played is the focus of the latest in a series of new additions serving travelers at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM).
Officially opened with a ceremony on Aug. 24, the Civil Rights Trail Market features items celebrating the people and places that helped to advance social justice in the 1950s and 1960s. The store offerings highlight the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, which encompasses more than 135 locations across 15 states, including sites in eight Alabama cities. It features the official U.S. Civil Rights Trail book, branded merchandise and a mural that walks travelers through the national and local movements.
“Often, you get a first impression of a city based on what you see at the airport,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said at the ceremony, noting that the airport is named for the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, a leader of the civil rights movement in Birmingham. “It’s great to see us proudly recognize our rich civil rights history as a way to educate visitors to our city.”
Birmingham is home to many civil rights landmarks. Those include such key sites as 16th Street Baptist Church, Bethel Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
Located on Concourse C of the BHM terminal, the Civil Rights Trail Market is part of an ongoing renovation and improvement program that spotlights local history and culture and enhances the travel experience for airport visitors. Several existing stores have been rebranded, and new food offerings and retail shops have been added. The Civil Rights Trail Market is one of six retail stores at BHM operated by Hudson, a travel experience company that manages stores in more than 1,000 North American airports.
“It’s a new day at BHM,” said Darlene Wilson, chair of the Birmingham Airport Authority. “Our team is working hard every day to make this terminal a reflection of the community we love and to give customers more of what they want when they travel.”
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport is Alabama’s largest commercial airport, serving more than 3 million passengers annually. For more information, visit flybirmingham.com.
