In 1960, J.B. Lippincott and Company published a startling new book that quickly achieved best seller status. It was written by Harper Lee of Monroeville, Alabama, and fifty years later, her novel To Kill A Mockingbird remains one of the most beloved books of all time. With its dramatic and memorable rendering of race relations in a small Alabama town, Mockingbird won the 1961 Putlitzer Prize and translated into a 1962 movie that won Gregory Peck his only Oscar for an unforgettable portrayal of lawyer Atticus Finch. Horton Foote also received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay.

The Monroe County Heritage Museums and the Alabama Humanities Foundation will commemorate this remarkable anniversary with a series of events that reflect upon the book's significance to Alabama, the South and the nation. Beginning on April 9, 2010, the Alabama Humanities Foundation sponsors a statewide program entitled To Kill A Mockingbird -- Awakening America's Conscience. Reflections on To Kill A Mockingbird (TKAM) will begin on April 9 at 4:30 p.m. at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute with a free panel discussion and an art exhibit inspired by the book.