The seniors started off their day with a tour of the state capitol led by their instructor. Students toured the former Supreme Court chamber and former House and Senate chambers that used to operate in the Alabama State Capitol, as well as the executive offices, including the governor’s office which still operates in the capitol.
Students also learned about the historic significance of the capitol in the founding of the Confederate States of America, as well as the conclusion of the Selma to Montgomery March at the capitol in which Martin Luther King Jr. gave the speech “How Long, Not Long.” Students also admired the architecture of the capitol, in particular the cantilever double spiral staircase built by a former slave Horace King who would go on to become one of the first African-American Alabama legislators.
The seniors then made their way down Dexter Avenue, stopping to view Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, a landmark church in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, as well as the former Alabama Supreme Court building now encased in glass. The next stop was at the Alabama Judicial Building. Thank you to our awesome tour guide Mrs. Dee who led the students through the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals and the Alabama Supreme Court, as well as the oldest law library in the state. Students also admired the neoclassical architecture which pays homage to democratic traditions in ancient Greece and Rome and the marble at the center of the building which came from the quarry located close to Coosa County. The seniors enjoyed lunch at the oldest restaurant in Montgomery, Chris’ Hotdogs, which opened in 1917 and has served presidents such as FDR, civil rights icons such as Rosa Parks and artistic talents such as Hank Williams.
After lunch, the seniors made their way back up Dexter Avenue to the State House. The students also had a wonderful guide at the State House. Students got to visit a committee room, as well as both the Senate Gallery and House Gallery. Students completed a memory book, including sketches of their visit, to help them remember this special trip culminating their senior government course in high school.
