
Heart of Dixie? Alabama presenting diversity in bicentennial
In 1961, Alabama marked the 100th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War with white women dressed in hoop skirts parading through a coliseum and a re-enactment of the inauguration of the Confederate president at the state Capitol. The state’s 2019 bicentennial celebration is very different, with a frank discussion of the horrors of slavery sharing space on a schedule with a Civil War re-enactment promoted by a Confederate heritage group and scores of other events, many focused on civil rights. The departure from years past is intentional, officials who helped plan the program say. Although Alabama license plates still carry the words “Heart of Dixie”