Two Black Belt historic sites to be nominated for UNESCO World Heritage List

Two historic sites in the Black Belt are set to be nominated by the U.S. Department of the Interior for the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

An announcement from Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) said that Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery and Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma are nominated.

“As a daughter of Selma and Representative of Alabama’s Civil Rights District, I take very seriously my role as a protector of our rich Civil Rights legacy, which is why I have made it a top priority to secure federal funds and protections for Alabama’s historic civil rights sites” said Sewell. 

“I am thrilled that these five locations are moving through the process of becoming UNESCO World Heritage sites. Such a designation, if approved, would ensure that what happened here in Alabama will be a part of world history for generations to come.”

Others to be nominated in Alabama are Bethel Baptist Church in Birmingham, 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham and Greyhound Bus Terminal in Anniston.

If approved the sites will be among other national and international sites including in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, the Taj Mahal in India, and the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador. 

“The U.S. sites that mark the civil rights movement are integral in helping us tell a full and complete story of American history,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “We are honored to be entrusted with the responsibility of preserving these stories as part of our enduring effort to pursue a more perfect union."

"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.”