Birmingham 1963
For years, Birmingham, Ala., was considered “the South’s
toughest city,” home to a large black population and a dominant
class of whites that met in frequent, open hostility. Birmingham in
1963 had become the cause célèbre of the black civil
rights movement as nonviolent demonstrators led by Rev. Martin Luther
King Jr. repeatedly faced jail, dogs and high-velocity hoses in their
tireless quest to topple segregation. This picture of people being
pummeled by a liquid battering ram rallied support for the plight
of the blacks.