NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The National Park Service says the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals building in New Orleans and courthouses in Georgia and Alabama have been named national historic landmarks for their contributions to civil rights.
In Monday's announcement, officials said the courthouses were involved in several cases that were pivotal in the civil rights movement including the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Selma-to-Montgomery march, desegregation of public schools and more.
"In an era of significant resistance to racial equality, these monumental rulings defined civil rights laws, formed the basis of congressional civil rights legislation, and pioneered judicial reform," said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. "These decisions are relevant to the study of Civil War to Civil Rights as well as modern conversations regarding civil rights, diversity, and inclusiveness."
The 5th Circuit had jurisdiction over six Southern states in the 1950s and '60s — Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and three that were split off in 1980 — Georgia, Alabama and Florida.
The United States General Services Administration manages nearly five hundred historic federal buildings and courthouses, including the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals "Civil Rights" courthouses.
"We at GSA are honored to serve as stewards of some of America's most treasured resources," said GSA Public Buildings Service Commissioner Norman Dong. "The historic Fifth Circuit courthouses stand at the cornerstone of change that revolutionized our country. The National Historic Landmark designation provides a unique platform from which these buildings and their sacred stories will inspire the American people for generations to come."
The other two courthouses announced as national historic landmarks are the Elbert Parr Tuttle U.S. Court of Appeals Building in Atlanta and the Frank M. Johnson Jr. Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Montgomery, Alabama.
