Nobody pressured her. Nobody dared her to do it. Her decision was hers to make.

On April 24, 1963, in a watershed moment in her life, Birmingham-Southern sophomore Martha “Marti” Turnipseed chose to join seven black students who were sitting in for justice at a segregated Woolworth’s food counter in downtown Birmingham.

Little did she know that Birmingham Police Commissioner Bull Conner had spying detectives everywhere. As soon as Marti returned to campus several hours later, she received an urgent summons to appear before college officials. The next day, the college’s acting president asked Marti to withdraw from school immediately.

It was a blow for the young woman, a third-generation BSC student who wrote that it was her dream to graduate from the same college as her father and grandfather, both Methodist ministers. But she knew that she had done the right thing—even if many on the Hilltop disagreed.

So where does our precious gated campus fit into this?  According to the 2012-2013 BSC Safety and Security Report, which releases statistics from the last three years, in 2011 there were three incidents of forcible sex offenses, one of aggravated assault, one of burglary, and one of motor vehicle theft.  In both 2009 and 2010 there was one forcible sex offense, and no aggravated assaults or thefts.  Birmingham-Southern was ranked as the fifth safest college in the nation by CollegeProwler.com trailing behind Athens State University (AL), Ava Maria University (FL), Bay Path College (MA), and Biola University (CA).

Our finale, our curtain call, our last performance at BSC is coming up on April 17 and 18 and this time we just want to have fun. From jazz to classical repertoire and everything in between, some great choreography will be performed; but much of what you will see is simply dance for the sake of dance. The performance will include 4 pieces, each with a distinctive style and feel. 

It was just 50 years ago when the city of Birmingham, Alabama was in the midst of strong racial tension. It is the city that is known nationwide for its brutality towards African-Americans. There is the sad event of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that killed four African-American girls from ages 11 to 14. The 16th Street Baptist Church is located three miles from BSC. I highly advise everyone at BSC to visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute to further your knowledge of the civil rights movement during this 50th year anniversary. Notorious leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X put forth the effort to bring a brighter future for blacks and create a world where whites and blacks could live together peacefully.