Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church nominated for World Heritage List

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Montgomery’s Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church has been authorized by the federal government to be nominated for a possible place on the World Heritage List.

The World Heritage List is an international program that identified places around the world of natural and cultural significance that show cultural, historical or scientific significance.

“We are excited about the nomination,” said the Rev. Allen J. Sims of Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. “Since the early 1980s when we launched our tourism program, the first in Montgomery dedicated to the commemoration of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Civil Rights Movement, international visitors have come to our historic site, and surely, gaining the World Heritage designation will allow us to continue to share our story as a beacon of justice.”

The church is one of several sites in the United States that have been nominated for its role in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

Four other Alabama sites have also been nominated for the list:

• Bethel Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama
• 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama
• Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama
• Greyhound Bus Terminal in Anniston, Alabama

Not reading this story on the WSFA News App? Get news alerts FASTER and FREE in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store!

Copyright 2024 WSFA. All rights reserved.