Good morning. It is Sunday, February the 21st. I'm Ali Velshi, joining you today from Birmingham, Alabama.

It's one of the birthplaces of the civil rights movement, and it's the latest stop for Velshi across America,

as we pay tribute to this historic city during Black History Month. It was here in the 1960s that black

protesters endured the force of water

cannons and felt the wrath of police attack dogs, all because they wanted equal rights under the law.

It was in this very city that Martin Luther King Jr. penned his famous letter from Birmingham

jail in 1963, imploring African Americans to stand up and take action rather than waiting for whites to change unjust laws, something white folks were never likely to do on their own.

Today, Birmingham has a distinct look. It's actually been dubbed one of the coolest cities in America, but it still retains many traces of its checkered past.

As Alabama's largest city, it's majority black, it's home to about

200,000 people, it's got a thriving business district. But these streets were once soaked with the

blood and tears of those who gave part of themselves in sacrifice for a better life for others.

Selfless acts that should never be forgotten, and that, my friends, is why we are here today.

We're going to zero in more on Birmingham's history over the next two hours, but first, I want to

take a look at some of the morning's top headlines.

While power has been restored for most Texas residents, many communities are still dealing with

water shortages and property damage caused by this week's devastating winter storm.

Now comes another nightmare situation brought about by the crisis, sky-high power bills.

The recent weather event has caused a huge spike in demand for energy usage.

And in Texas, which operates on wholesale power pricing, that demand means higher prices.

In some cases, up to 150 times the normal cost. One customer,

for example, received a bill for $10,000 for a three-bedroom house. This, of course, after sitting

in the dark for days. Plus, news this weekend from the insurrectionist former president, who hasn't

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