The Famous Women of Alabama

There are many famous women who hailed fromin Birmingham, Alabama to Courtney and Richard
Alabama. The likes of Helen Keller, Rosa Parks andLewis Cox.
Courtney Cox bring pride to this wonderful SouthernCourtney Cox, or CeCe as her friends would call her,
state.was raised within Mountain Brook Birmingham,
Alabama is not only popular for its scenic attractionsAlabama to a rich suburb. This is where she studied
and landscapes. It is also home to a lot of famousand became a tennis player, swimmer and
women who not only excelled in their chosen fields butcheerleader.
made significant changes in the world. Let us get toUpon graduation, she pursued interior design and
know some of them.architecture at Mount Vernon College for Women.
Helen KellerHowever, she dropped-out when Ford Modeling
Helen Keller was a famous American lecturer, authorAgency convinced her to go to New York for a
and activist. She was noted as the first deaf-blindmodeling career. In the midst of her modeling career,
person to ever graduate from College. She was bornshe also had acting lessons, working hard to improve
in Ivy Green Tuscumbia, Alabama to Kate Adamsher accent as well.
Keller. Her father was formerly the ConfederateRosa Parks
Army's officer, Captain Arthur Keller.Rosa Parks is world renowned as an Afro-American
Though Helen was born in Alabama, the Keller Familycivil rights activist. She was regarded as "The Mother
originated from Germany.of the Modern Day Civil Rights Movement."
Helen Keller was born neither deaf nor blind. She couldShe was born in Tuskegee, Alabama to a Leona
hear and see clearly until she contracted a disease atEdwards and James McCauley, a teacher and
age 19. The doctors referred to it as "an acutecarpenter respectively. Her family had
congestion of the stomach and the brain." Nowadays,Cherokee-Creek, Scots-Irish and African-American
it will be more known as meningitis or scarlet fever.blood.
Helen's disease supposedly brings retardation andIn her growing up years, discrimination was very
blindness. Although it did not last long, it left Helen blindrampant. There was the so-called Jim Crow Laws
and deaf. She survived through this phase through signthat segregated the blacks and the whites in virtually all
language.aspects of daily living including public rides. Instead of
It was Annie Sullivan, her teacher, who inspired her toproviding separate vehicles for the blacks and the
communicate and become world renowned. Sullivanwhites, train and bus companies just enforced strict
taught her to talk using a method called Tadoma.seating arrangements. School buses were not
Tadoma is touching the throat and lips of a person toavailable to the black students. While the whites
understand what is being said. It also involves fingerconveniently rode school buses, blacks were forced to
spelling the letter onto a child's palm. Later on, Helenwalk to school.
learned the Braille method. She used it for readingIn Montgomery Alabama in December 1955, Rosa
English, French, Greek, German and Latin languages.Parks disobeyed a bus driver named James Blake
As an author, Helen Keller was outspoken andwho was supposedly ordering her to make room and
well-traveled, particularly opposing the threats of war.give up her seat for a white passenger. Although there
She became world renowned through her dramatichave been other cases of civil disobedience, it was
depiction of the film and play "The Miracle Worker."Rosa Park's action that sparked and triggered the
She campaigned and took a stand for the worker'sMontgomery Bus Boycott.
rights, socialism, women's suffrage and various otherHer act of defiance brought about the Modern Civil
progressive causes.Rights Movement, having her as their international icon
Courteney Coxof resistance to racial segregation. Later on, she
Courtney Cox is a famous American film producer,collaborated and organized with other civil rights
actress and model. She starred in popular films likeleaders, such as the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. She
Sitcom Friends, Scream Film Series and Dirt amongeven helped launch his national prominence to the Civil
others.Rights Movement.
She belonged to a rich Southern family. She was born