Birmingham, 1963

Birmingham, 1963        Carole Boston Weatherford         Wordsong 2007

This poem uses a fictional narrator to recount the events in Birmingham before and after the 16^th Street Baptist Church bombing.

Along with the poet’s voice, the accompanying photos give context and lend impact to the events depicted. The book as a whole is an excellent answer to the question of how do you use fiction to tell a nonfiction story.

The information on the photos used is given in the back of the book. Some photos have clear documentation about their content and context, while others do not.

It would be a very good exercise to have kids find the missing information for the photos that lack clear documentation. Students can check the digital archives of the Birmingham Public Library. Also, this may provide an opportunity to introduce the kids to reverse search engines.

The author’s note in the back provides historical background and context for the presentation, and it is the logical starting point for presenting this book to students