Inside the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute on MLK Day 2024

By Sym Posey The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was on display Monday at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute during one of its busiest days of the year. Helping with the overflow of visitors during the annual celebration of MLK’s birthday, several volunteers part of BCRI’s Legacy Youth Leadership Program (LYLP) were on hand and spoke about being inspired by the Civil Rights icon. One of those was Nalin Reed, 17, a senior at Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA) in Birmingham who took on the role of MLK in the school’s play, “I Am the Dream”. “I’ve known about Dr. King since I was three years old,” said Reed. “My mother always made sure that I knew my history. I’ve been doing plays like this since I was that age … Dr. King showed me how to connect with people no matter where you are. It’s really all about love and operating in the name of love. I believe in our world we see a lot of trials and tribulations that we can solve with love. “ What Jordan Belser, 18, a senior at A.H. Parker High School in Birmingham and LYLP volunteer, found most inspiring about...