Gwendolyn Webb, Oral History
Title
Gwendolyn Webb, Oral History
Description
Minister Gwendolyn Cook Webb (b. February 15, 1949) (G) - a lifelong resident of Birmingham, Alabama, “Gwen” graduated from Western Olin High School in 1967 after participating with thousands of other children in the mass marches of 1963 Birmingham during the May demonstrations. Gwen was arrested during that period. In 1975, Gwen joined the Birmingham Police Department as officer and detective and married Billy Webb, a white internal affairs officer in 1979. They stayed married for 23 years until his passing. The joyous and controversial marriage was featured in a “People” magazine article and TV special. In 1980, the couple served as newly elected Mayor Richard Arrington’s personal security detail. Gwen was part of the inaugural class of Leadership Birmingham in 1984 and served on the Jefferson County Judicial Commission from 1984 to 1989.
In 2004, she became a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Birmingham Black Radio Museum and was featured in the Academy Award winning documentary, “Mighty Times - The Children March.” In 2005, she formed “God’s People United for a Better World: and came an ordained minister. She founded Foot Soldiers International in 2012 and received a Certificate in Advanced Biblical Studies from Samford University in 2021. She was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in 2019. She currently hosts groups of young people from around the world who want to learn about the incredible non-violent movement of the children of Birmingham when they marched for civil and human rights in 1963. She has one daughter, three grand children and three “triplet” great grands.
In 2004, she became a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Birmingham Black Radio Museum and was featured in the Academy Award winning documentary, “Mighty Times - The Children March.” In 2005, she formed “God’s People United for a Better World: and came an ordained minister. She founded Foot Soldiers International in 2012 and received a Certificate in Advanced Biblical Studies from Samford University in 2021. She was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in 2019. She currently hosts groups of young people from around the world who want to learn about the incredible non-violent movement of the children of Birmingham when they marched for civil and human rights in 1963. She has one daughter, three grand children and three “triplet” great grands.
Creator
Gwendolyn Webb
Lex Gillespie
Publisher
Birmingham Black Radio Museum
Date
December 9, 2022
Contributor
Bob Friedman
Magnolia Oliphant
Emily Bibb
Format
PNG
PDF
MP4
Language
English
Interviewer
Lex Gillespie
Interviewee
Gwendolyn Webb
Location
Kelly Ingram Park, Birmingham, Alabama
Transcription
audio snippet:
Dr. Bevel. He was my mentor, like Dr. King, Dr. King asked him he said, “well, what are we going to do? The only people that are willing to go now are the children, we can’t put the children out there.” And Bevel figured out a way. So what did he do? He came out to the schools. He couldn’t come on the school grounds, so he set up perimeters, away from the school grounds. On the street, and he asked different people “who are the leaders?” If you were a leader of the student government, he wanted you. If you were the leader of the football team, he wanted you. Well see, I just happened to be the leader of my cheerleaders. So being agile, and somewhat loud, he wanted me. And I was so excited about that.
The different leaders that he had were those of us that really knew how to lead. Even though the majority of the leaders were the girls. But guess what, the boys, all we had to do was get the girls. The guys they would come, and they did come. But we had to sign pledges. They would give us a pledge. And the pledge was telling us that this was a nonviolent movement. It was a spiritual movement.
And people ask me during my presentations today, well, “why do you call it D-Day?” I said D-Day was a day of deliverance. We were going to be delivered from this racism in Birmingham, Alabama
Dr. Bevel. He was my mentor, like Dr. King, Dr. King asked him he said, “well, what are we going to do? The only people that are willing to go now are the children, we can’t put the children out there.” And Bevel figured out a way. So what did he do? He came out to the schools. He couldn’t come on the school grounds, so he set up perimeters, away from the school grounds. On the street, and he asked different people “who are the leaders?” If you were a leader of the student government, he wanted you. If you were the leader of the football team, he wanted you. Well see, I just happened to be the leader of my cheerleaders. So being agile, and somewhat loud, he wanted me. And I was so excited about that.
The different leaders that he had were those of us that really knew how to lead. Even though the majority of the leaders were the girls. But guess what, the boys, all we had to do was get the girls. The guys they would come, and they did come. But we had to sign pledges. They would give us a pledge. And the pledge was telling us that this was a nonviolent movement. It was a spiritual movement.
And people ask me during my presentations today, well, “why do you call it D-Day?” I said D-Day was a day of deliverance. We were going to be delivered from this racism in Birmingham, Alabama
Duration
audio snippet: 2 minutes
full interview: 35 minutes
full interview: 35 minutes
Files
Collection
Citation
Gwendolyn Webb and Lex Gillespie, “Gwendolyn Webb, Oral History,” The Birmingham Black Radio Museum, accessed September 7, 2026, https://www.thebbrm.org/item/555.
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