85-year-old James Pruitt shared his experience of thwarting a potential bombing at Temple Beth-El in 1958. As a young janitor, he discovered a bag containing 54 sticks of dynamite, an incident that underscores the tension in Birmingham during the Civil Rights movement. Recently encouraged to share his story as part of an oral history project, he reflected on the significance of documenting such narratives. However, funding cuts from a recent executive order threaten future preservation efforts, raising concerns over the loss of invaluable historical accounts.
"We're trying to document the extraordinary things ordinary people have done. What do you think happens when our elders don't have a chance to share those stories?"
"I didn’t think my story mattered until I was contacted by the synagogue and a local oral history project. Their interest reignited my memories of that terrible time."
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