PHOTOS & VIDEOS - What you missed on 8/28 and 8/29 in Birmingham

Programming Note: More tonight on TheBlaze​ TV.

  • 5pm ET - Highlights from the weekend in Birmingham
  • 8pm ET - Glenn's full speech from Restoring Unity
  • WATCH

    When the long-awaited week of Restoring Unity arrived, downtown Birmingham caught fire with an excitement unlike anything the city had ever seen. Thousands gathered from far and near, united with a clear understanding of their purpose - to stand together, regardless of racial or religious differences, firm in the belief that All Lives Matter.

    Before the scheduled events began, impromptu gatherings began to form where people assembled to share in the excitement. Watch.

    On Friday afternoon, volunteers met at Guiding Light Church for training and to build signs in preparation for the march the following day.

    IMG_2332 Volunteers build signs for the Restoring Unity march at Guiding Light Church in Birmingham, AL, August 28, 2015 (Photo by Ted Tuttle)

    IMG_2335 Volunteers build signs for the Restoring Unity march at Guiding Light Church in Birmingham, AL, August 28, 2015 (Photo by Ted Tuttle)

    IMG_2334 Volunteers build signs for the Restoring Unity march at Guiding Light Church in Birmingham, AL, August 28, 2015 (Photo by Ted Tuttle)

    IMG_2338 Volunteers build signs for the Restoring Unity march at Guiding Light Church in Birmingham, AL, August 28, 2015 (Photo by Ted Tuttle)

    Later that evening, Glenn joined Bishop Jim Lowe at Guiding Light Church to deliver his message to a very full church, as well as thousands more who had gathered outside.

    Crowds fill the Guiding Light Church sanctuary in Birmingham, AL, August 28, 2015 (Photo by Joel West) Crowds fill the Guiding Light Church sanctuary in Birmingham, AL, August 28, 2015 (Photo by Joel West)

    IMG_2330 Thousands gather on the lawn outside Guiding Light Church in Birmingham, AL, August 28, 2015 (Photo by Ted Tuttle)

    IMG_2340 Thousands gather on the lawn outside Guiding Light Church in Birmingham, AL, August 28, 2015 (Photo by Ted Tuttle)

    The following is a brief snippet from Glenn's speech at Guiding Light Church on Friday evening.

    "If you are trying to protect yourself, what is the ultimate protection?" Glenn asked. Listen to his answer below.

    The music provided by the Guiding Light Church gospel choir was absolutely beautiful.

    On Saturday morning, more than twenty thousand people gathered to march the same route as the one trod by Martin Luther King, Jr and his followers, making it the largest march in Birmingham to date, since that one in 1963.

    _MG_6624-L Glenn Beck speaks to marchers gathered in front of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    Raphael Cruz offers an invocation with marchers gathered in front of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher) Raphael Cruz offers an invocation with marchers gathered in front of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    IMG_2358 Crowds assemble to march as a blimp displaying "#AllLivesMatter" flies overhead in Birmingham, AL, August 28, 2015 (Photo by Ted Tuttle)

    Thousands of marchers follow the same route Martin Luther King, Jr. marched in 1963 in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher) Thousands of marchers follow the same route Martin Luther King, Jr. marched in 1963 in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    A man plays a shofar as marchers follow the same route Martin Luther King, Jr. marched in 1963 in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher) A man plays a shofar as marchers follow the same route Martin Luther King, Jr. marched in 1963 in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    Marchers hold signs as they follow the same route Martin Luther King, Jr. marched in 1963 in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher) Marchers hold signs as they follow the same route Martin Luther King, Jr. marched in 1963 in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    Drummers play on the street as marchers follow the same route Martin Luther King, Jr. marched in 1963 in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher) Drummers play on the street as marchers follow the same route Martin Luther King, Jr. marched in 1963 in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    The march ended right outside of Legacy Arena at the BJCC, where the main event was to be held. Before the crowds arrived, Glenn rehearsed his speech to an empty stadium.

    Glenn Beck rehearses his speech before the event in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher) Glenn Beck rehearses his speech before the event in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    Staff members listen as Glenn Beck rehearses his speech before the event in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher) Staff listen as Glenn Beck rehearses his speech before the event in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    Glenn Beck rehearses his speech before the event in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher) Glenn Beck rehearses his speech before the event in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    Glenn Beck and his wife Tania wait backstage with David Barton before the Restoring Unity event in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher) Glenn Beck and his wife Tania wait backstage with David Barton before the Restoring Unity event in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    Soon, crowds began to fill the arena and the show started in full swing.

    The choir from Guiding Light Church sings at the Restoring Unity event in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher) The choir from Guiding Light Church sings at the Restoring Unity event in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    Attendees raise their hands to the music at the Restoring Unity event in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher) Attendees raise their hands to the music at the Restoring Unity event in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    Actor Jon Voight dances with the choir on stage at the Restoring Unity event in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher) Actor Jon Voight dances with the choir on stage at the Restoring Unity event in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    _MG_7331-L Audrea Taylor addresses millennials in the crowd at Restoring Unity in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    _MG_7399-L Falma Rufus talks about the power of prayer at Restoring Unity in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    _MG_7564-L The band "I Am Spartacus" plays at Restoring Unity in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    _MG_7615-L Matthew West sings at Restoring Unity in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    _MG_7408-L Pastor Jonathan Gentry speaks at Restoring Unity in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    _MG_7473-L Bishop Jim Lowe of Guiding Light Church delivers a rousing speech at Restoring Unity in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    _MG_7770-L Glenn Beck speaks at Restoring Unity in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    IMG_2379 Crowds assembled at Legacy Arena at the BJCC listen to Glenn Beck speak in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Ted Tuttle)

    IMG_2384 Crowds assembled at Legacy Arena at the BJCC turn on their phone lights in a display of unity during Glenn Beck's speech in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Ted Tuttle)

    IMG_2383 Crowds assembled at Legacy Arena at the BJCC turn on their phone lights in a display of unity during Glenn Beck's speech in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Ted Tuttle)

    _MG_7675-L Glenn Beck speaks at Restoring Unity in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    _MG_7657-L Glenn Beck speaks at Restoring Unity in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    Later that night, Glenn and the Erwin Brothers showed the crowd a premiere of the movie Woodlawn at Legacy Arena at the BJCC.

    Glenn introduces makers and cast members of Woodlawn in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher) Glenn introduces makers and cast members of Woodlawn in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    Makers and cast members discuss Woodlawn in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher) Makers and cast members discuss Woodlawn in Birmingham, AL, August 29, 2015 (Photo by Amber Fisher)

    Want more photos and videos of the event? Instagram showed over 1,400 photos tagged with the hashtag #NeverAgainIsNow and around 450 tagged with #RestoringUnity.

    Inside President Trump's EXCLUSIVE inauguration balls

    Joe Raedle / Staff | Getty Images

    Inauguration Monday was a busy day for President Trump, and it didn't stop after his inauguration address either. President Trump partied across D.C. long into the night.

    Exclusive balls are a D.C. tradition on inauguration night, hosting many of the nation's most influential people. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump appeared at three of the most prestigious balls: the Commander-in-Chief Ball, the Liberty Ball, and the Starlight Ball.

    These parties had star-studded guest lists that included celebrities, musicians, politicians, and many more. Here is a peek into the exclusive inaugural balls:

    Commander-in-Chief Ball

    The Washington Post / Contributor | Getty Images

    Trump's first stop was at the Commander-in-Chief Ball, an event dedicated to the armed forces that defend our nation. The event included a dance where Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha Vance joined the President and First Lady on stage and a performance from the country music band Rascal Flatts and country singer Parker McCollum. President Trump also spoke to U.S. service members stationed in South Korea on a video call and cut a cake shaped like Air Force One with a sword.

    Several people of note were in attendance, including Trump's pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and actor Jon Voight. Musician and avid Trump supporter Kid Rock was also in attendance along with country music star Billy Ray Cyrus.

    Liberty Ball

    The Washington Post / Contributor | Getty Images

    Trump's second stop of the night was at the Liberty Ball, an event thrown for all of Trump's loyal supporters. The event had a magnificent lineup of musicians, including country singer Jason Aldean and rapper Nelly. There was even a live performance of Trump's iconic campaign song, "YMCA" by Village People.

    Also in attendance were President Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner, who appeared on stage with her father.

    Starlight Ball

    JIM WATSON / Contributor | Getty Images

    Wrapping up his night of celebration, President Trump visited the Starlight Ball, which was full of major donors to his campaign.

    Shortly after arriving, the presidential couple and the vice presidential couple shared a dance in front of a mock White House. Later the stage featured singer Gavin DeGraw for a memorable performance. Notably, renowned podcaster and comedian Theo Von was spotted entering the event. Von is known for hosting President Trump on his podcast for an in-depth interview during his campaign, which many credit boosting Trump's popularity with the younger generation.

    Top five executive orders Trump plans to sign

    MORRY GASH / Contributor | Getty Images

    Donald J. Trump has officially been sworn back into office, and the restoration of America begins today!

    Over the weekend, President Trump gave a sneak peek into the tidal wave of executive orders he has promised to sign on day one. Judging by the nature of these orders, it appears that Trump will hit the ground running, making massive strides toward his campaign promises mere hours after being sworn in. While the scope of the 200-plus orders is wide-reaching, there is a special focus on the southern border, the energy crisis, and purging DEI policies from the federal government.

    Below we have compiled a list of the top FIVE executive orders that will be on Trump's desk today:

    Declare a national emergency at the border

    John Moore / Staff | Getty Images

    The situation on the U.S.-Mexico border has been in a state of free fall for the past four years as millions of undocumented, illegal immigrants have flooded into our nation. By declaring this crisis a national emergency, Trump will bring the needed attention to the border, as well as free his hands to act decisively.

    Designate cartels as terrorist organizations

    NICHOLAS ROBERTS / Stringer | Getty Images

    Drug cartels are responsible for many of the most heinous crimes committed across the border. These cartels are well-organized and run illicit operations including drug and weapon smuggling and human and sex trafficking. Over the past four years, the cartels have begun to establish themselves deeper and deeper in America, as in the case of an apartment complex reportedly being taken over by a Venezuelan cartel in Aurora, Colorado. By labeling these cartels as terrorist organizations, we can begin handling them with the necessary force required to relinquish their hold on American soil.

    Resume construction on the border wall

    PATRICK T. FALLON / Contributor | Getty Images

    Shortly after taking office, President Biden halted the construction of the border wall, a project that was a staple of Trump's 2016 campaign. Over the past four years, no progress has been made on the mammoth structure designed to help secure our border—but that ends today.

    Declare a national energy emergency

    David McNew / Staff | Getty Images

    During Trump's first term in the Oval Office, America was energy independent, a status quickly lost under Biden. By declaring an energy emergency, Trump plans to cut through miles of red tape and help America tap its bountiful natural energy sources, such as oil and gas. Under Trump, Keystone XL can resume, and new sources of oil and gas can be tapped for the first time, ending our reliance on foreign energy.

    Force the federal government to recognize biological sex

    Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

    Flying in the face of the woke ideology that has been permeating the American government for years, Trump will sign an executive order that establishes a government-wide acknowledgment of the gender binary—that is, that there are only two genders, male and female. This will require all government identifications, such as passports and personnel records, to reflect biological reality and end the forced use of "preferred pronouns." It will also end taxpayer-funded transition procedures for members of the military and prisoners.

    15 MLK quotes the far-left does NOT want you to read

    Hulton Archive / Stringer, Michael Ochs Archives / Stringer | Getty Images

    While members of the far-left often herald Martin Luther King Jr. as an emblem of their movement, it is ironic that many of MLK's core values and teachings are at odds with their values. On this day when we honor Martin Luther King Jr., one of America's most articulate and transformational leaders, it is important that we remember his teachings as they truly were, and not what the modern-left would like them to be. Here are 15 of MLK's most impactful quotes the far-left would like you to forget.

    MLK was a firm believer in non-violent demonstration, unlike ANTIFA and many of the modern-left movements today. He also taught the motivation behind these non-violent movements should be love, not hate.

    1. I have earnestly worked and preached against violent tension, but there is a type of constructive nonviolent tension that is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. So, the purpose of direct action is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.—Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963
    2. After contemplation, I conclude that this award which I receive on behalf of that movement is a profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time – the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression. Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts.—Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1964
    3. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.—"I Have a Dream" speech, 1963
    4. Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace, and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. If this is to be achieved, man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.—Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1964
    5. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.—Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1964
    6. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land. “And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid.”—Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1964

    MLK believed just laws are derived from God's law alone. He defined unjust laws as those that do not treat all men equally in dignity, as God's law requires. Civil disobedience is only justified when it involves breaking an unjust law in pursuit of moral law, he taught.

    7. How does one determine when a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law.—Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963
    8. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. To use the words of Martin Buber, the great Jewish philosopher, segregation substitutes an "I - it" relationship for the "I - thou" relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things.—Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963
    9. We can never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. But I am sure that if I had lived in Germany during that time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers even though it was illegal. If I lived in a Communist country today where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I believe I would openly advocate disobeying these anti-religious laws—Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963

    MLK did NOT hate America. On the contrary, he loved America's founding principles and fought for the equal application rights of principles and America's Judeo-Christian heritage. He was hopeful rather than hateful of the future of America and mankind.

    10. So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."I Have a Dream" speech, 1963
    11. One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters they were in reality standing up for the best in the American dream and the most sacred values in our Judeo-Christian heritage.—Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963
    12. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men — yes, Black men as well as white men — would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.—"I Have a Dream" speech, 1963
    13. I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the “isness” of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal “oughtness” that forever confronts him.—Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1964

    Unlike Critical Race Theory and modern leftist movement, MLK fought against applying special privileges to a particular race. Instead, MLK dreamed of both black and white people living together in love and brotherhood as equals.

    14. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.—"I Have a Dream" speech, 1963
    15. When this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, Black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.—"I Have a Dream" speech, 1963

    Join Glenn and Stu this Monday, January 20th, starting at 11 a.m. Eastern, for an unforgettable livestream of Donald Trump’s second inauguration. Broadcasting live from the heart of the nation’s capital, Glenn will bring you unparalleled coverage during the last hour of his radio program of this historic moment as the United States ushers in what Glenn describes as a "golden era" under Trump’s leadership. After his radio program, join Glenn for BlazeTV's live stream of the inauguration with special guests, live commentary, and the energy of being right on-site at this historic event for coverage you don’t want to miss.

    Subscribe to BlazeTV+ today to be part of this historic event. Use the promo code Glenn47 to receive $47 off your annual subscription and gain access to this and more content from your favorite BlazeTV hosts. Don’t wait—this is your chance to witness history live with Glenn and the team as we look toward the future of America with BlazeTV!