Just
250 miles from north to south, ALABAMA ranges
from the fast-flowing rivers, waterfalls and
lakes of the Appalachian foothills to
the subtropical bayous and white beaches of
the Gulf Coast. Most of its industry
is concentrated in the north, around
rejuvenated Birmingham, and Huntsville,
first home of the nation's space program.
The sun-scorched farmlands of middle Alabama
envelop sober Montgomery, the state
capital. Away from the French-influenced
coastal strip around attractive Mobile,
fundamentalist Protestant attitudes have
traditionally backed a succession of
right-wing demagogues, such as George
Wallace, the four-time state governor
who received ten million votes in the 1968
presidential election.
Times
have moved on since the epic civil rights
struggles in Montgomery, Birmingham and Selma.
Monuments and civic literature celebrate the
achievements of the campaigners, and even
Wallace renounced his racist views, courting
– and winning – black votes in his
successful campaign for governor in 1982.
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