Commemorating Bloody Tuesday’s Legacy in Tuscaloosa
On June 9, 1964, 61 years ago, more than 500 Black men, women, and children, guided by Rev. T. Y. Rogers, Jr., the First African Baptist Church’s Pastor, set out to march to the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse.
According to the press release, “They were protesting the new courthouse’s policy of forcing Blacks to use water fountains and restrooms separate from whites and years of segregation. Police Chief William Marable forbid the demonstration, but Rev. Rogers refused to back down.”
“Police and Klansmen brutalized over 500 Black people huddled inside First African Baptist Church. They called it Bloody Tuesday,” said Time. “It remains the largest assault and invasion of a Black church by law enforcement during the civil rights movement.”
Event Information
The Bloody Tuesday Organization will commemorate the anniversary featuring the theme of “Celebrating a Turning Point: Where Do We Go From Here” on Sunday, June 8. This will take place at the historic First African Baptist Church located at 2621 Stillman Boulevard, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35401.
The program begins at 3 p.m. and will feature music, accompanied by a choir of more than 35 harmonious voices, performing freedom songs that resonate with the spirit of the historic T.Y. Rogers Memorial Choir.
Guest Speakers
Rev. David E. Gay, Jr., Pastor of Beulah Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa
Dr. John Giggie, author of the book Bloody Tuesday: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Tuscaloosa, is a Professor of the Department of History at The University of Alabama.
Rev. Dr. Vernon Swift, Pastor of Elizabeth Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa.
Organizers stated that the program is an “educational experience for all attendees, young and old, about the significance of this piece of history.”
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