The Children of Birmingham

Kids on the Hill

Rebecca Yenawine

Animation
Short Fim

More About The Children of Birmingham from Kids on the Hill

The Children of Birmingham is an animation that describes the powerful role young people had in changing the laws of segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. The story and artwork was created through Kids on the Hill’s summer program. Participants were young people ages 10-14. They made the story and images based on a book called Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch and through studying historic photographs. Participants come from an inner city neighborhood in Baltimore City. Through Kids on the Hill programming they learned drawing and painting skills as well as stories from the civil rights movement. This story (The Children of Birmingham) is one of three stories that they worked on. Young people made all the artwork in the animation. Animating the artwork was done by older teens and Kids on the Hill staff. Young people who made this project continue to participate in the Kids on the Hill after school program and to make art that makes a difference.

The Children of Birmingham is a winner of the See Change Make Change contest held by YMDI.org, the first comprehensive Web portal for youth media distribution.

Find more films on Civil Rights from MediaRights.

FILMMAKER BIO

Kids on the Hill, Producer

In 1994 Rebecca Yenawine bought a home in Reservoir Hill. In her efforts to become an active participant in her new neighborhood she began to invite the young people she saw on the streets into her living room. Eager for attention and something to do, children and teens dropped in to play the piano, share some food, try their hand at painting and drawing and for the warm conversation. They felt encouraged. They made a habit of returning. In 1999 Kids on the Hill was formed as a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing an outlet for young people to share their creative talents. After eight years, Kids on the Hill continues to touch the lives of young people by allowing them to realize their unique abilities and by offering them the tools to express these talents and showcase them in their communities. The program creatively engages young people in artistic and educational experiences that enable them to explore their potential while confronting and diminishing barriers of race, class, gender and age. They make a variety of arts projects that have a social change message. Projects include boarding vacant buildings with kids’ artwork, a teen created video about drugs in the community, and photography by young mothers shown on the side of city buses. http://www.kidsonthehill.org.