Although Alabama license plates still carry the words “Heart of Dixie” and the state even today has three holidays linked to the Confederacy, organizers say they wanted to present a balanced view of history for the bicentennial. “The idea was that we want to celebrate the scope and range of Alabama history,” said Ed Bridges, who directed the Alabama Department of Archives and History for more than three decades and now chairs an advisory committee overseeing the bicentennial. As part of the program, more than 1,200 educators are getting new materials and supplemental training for state history lessons. Tennessee’s bicentennial included the opening of a Civil War heritage trail in 1996, and Louisiana’s 2012 bicentennial featured travelling exhibits and school educational programs. So far, Alabama is getting generally positive marks for its bicentennial, which is operating on about $10.5 million in government funding over three years and has raised another $3 million in private funds, Alabama Bicentennial Commission Director Jay Lamar said.

Source: thestar March 31, 2019 12:56 UTC