Alabama

Deep Dixie

• Population- 4,557,000
• Capital- Montgomery
• Largest cities– Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile
• Time zone- Central
• Date of Admission to the Union- December 14, 1819
• Slogan- “The Heart of Dixie”
• State website URL- www.alabama.gov

Alabama lies in the southern tier of the United States in the area often referred to as the Deep South. The state played a crucial role in the Civil War. While South Carolina is renowned for taking the lead in secession, Montgomery, Alabama was where Jefferson Davis set up shop and declared the city the Confederate capital.

In the 20 th century Alabama is best known historically as a key Civil Rights battleground. This is where Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King first served as a church figure and began his passive fight—civil disobedience—against racial prejudice and hate. It’s where Rosa Parks in late 1955 broke the bounds of public racial discrimination and adamantly, but quietly, refused to move from the white section of the bus to the back, or the black section. Immediate repercussions included the historically significant year long bus boycott in Montgomery in 1956.

Ever wonder where all the confiscated personal possessions and luggage end up that are never claimed from airports? Next time you’re traveling through Scottsboro, Alabama take a side trip to the Unclaimed Baggage Center, a shopper’s paradise for all kinds of stuff. Who would have thought people would carry such an array of items on a plane.

Alabama is not at a loss for sports teams. Montgomery, Birmingham, Mobile all have their own baseball leagues. Huntsville is home to the Alabama Renegades, one of the nation’s first Women’s Professional Football League clubs.

Looking for top-notch colleges? Alabama is home to reputable Auburn University, Stillman College, and Tuskegee University, alma mater of Rosa Parks’. Other notable state residents include country artist Hank Williams and silky smooth crooner, Nat King Cole. Believe it or not, Montgomery is a thriving theatrical center. The Alabama Shakespeare Festival is one of the world’s leading theatrical events and has now become a permanent troupe with a world class theatrical venue all its own.