July 29, 1934

The Brother Bryan Statue – sculpted by Georges Bridges – was dedicated on July 29, 1934, in Birmingham. Bryan was a well-loved pastor of Third Presbyterian Church and an outspoken supporter of civil rights and racial reconciliation, but was known for his persistent effort in aiding the poor and homeless. He was known for addressing everyone as brother or sister, thus earning the title of Brother Bryan. While posing for the statue, Bridges tells the story of Bryan becoming restless and kneeling. Bryan then told the artist, “Sweet boy, let’s pray!” The statue was moved to Vulcan Park in 1966, but in 1983 in response to widely circulated petitions, was returned to historic Five Points South and placed at the corner of 20th Street South and Magnolia Avenue.

Read more at Bhamwiki.

Photograph of the Brother Bryan statue, published in The Birmingham News on Sept. 23, 1934, republished in Birmingham Historical Society (2010) Digging Out of the Great Depression: Federal Programs at Work in and around Birmingham. (Birmingham News, Bhamwiki)

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.