The "Barber of Birmingham" Documentary

As a child growing up in Birmingham, Al, I often heard people talk about this group of people called the "Foot Soldiers". These were the people who weren't as well known as Dr. King but did just as much if not more for the advancement of the movement. One of those people was Mr. James Armstrong. In 1957, Mr. Armstrong sued the city of Birmingham to allow his sons to attend an all white elementary school. At the time, his boys were 11 and 9 years old. I may be off on the age but it's not about the age. It's about a man so dedicated to the cause that he would put his sons in harm's way so that you and I could get an education. That incident is what really kicked off the movement here in Birmingham.
Mr. Armstrong was known as "The Barber" because whenever Dr. King or anyone else (black or white) came to town, they would go see Mr. Armstrong to get a haircut. There were several other wonderful barbers in the city, but Mr. Armstrong was the man! My granddaddy, who literally lived down the street from Mr. Armstrong's shop would sometimes take me and my brother by there on a Saturday morning, not to get a haircut, but to listen to the men talk. I think I was about 10 years old but I always knew, that once we went into Mr. Armstrong's shop, we were expected to sit up straight, say "yes sir/no sir" and keep our mouths CLOSED! I may have gotten popped in the mouth once or twice for talking (imagine that), but back then, you HAD to obey. You had to be respectful! You couldn't walk into a barber shop smelling like weed or with your pants sagging. You couldn't use profanity or be disrespectful with your language. You HAD to respect your elders! Even the discussions in Mr. Armstrong's shop were different. He had this sign that read, "If you don't vote, don't talk politics in here."
Mr. Armstrong passed away in 2009 which means he was able to witness the election of Barack Obama. Can you imagine what was going through his mind as he watched a black man take the oath of office for President of The United States? Well, fortunately, you don't have to imagine. The "Barber of Birmingham" follows Mr. Armstrong as the events unfold. I just came back from the premiere and it was amazing! If you get the opportunity to see this documentary that was given five stars by the Sundance Film Festival, please check it out. You owe it to yourself and your children to do so.
 barberofbirmingham.com