Located on the southwest edge of Birmingham , Alabama and begun in the late 1980s and built over the course of thirty years , Minter 's '' African Village in America '' is part sculpture garden , part history museum , and part memorial . The '' African Village in America '' is an ever-evolving art environment , populated by sculptures made from scrap and found materials from footwear , lawn decorations , toys , old sporting equipment , to baking utensils , and more . Although Minter 's sculpture have a variety of themes and influences , from one commemorating the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting to one dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Katrina , Minter 's overriding message is to provide a recognition for the eleven million Africans shipped in bondage to America , and to their descendants who helped to build and defend America . The sculptures in the '' African Village in America '' tell the stories of African-Americans over the centuries , from the griots and warriors of West Africa to the deadly 1963 bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church
16th Street Baptist Church
16th Street Baptist Church bombing
Joe Minter