By Emily Ehrnschwender

Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan are visiting Alabama this week as a part of their challenge to visit every state in the US. The couple arrived in Birmingham last night.

The trip started in Mobile and Bayou La Batre on Sunday, where the couple enjoyed seafood on the coast while learning about the changes that have occurred in the fishing industry due to globalization.

Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post, “I’m looking at more of the world through the lens of building community these days.” Zuckerberg and Chan experienced the Southern community by worshipping at Aimwell Baptist Church, enjoying a Mardi Gras parade in Mobile, and visiting a local bar where he visited with community members.

They arrived in Birmingham Monday night where they dined at OvenBird in the Pepper Place neighborhood. Following the evening, OvenBird Tweeted at Zuckerberg, “It was an honor to host you and your lovely wife Priscilla tonight.” Zuckerberg and Chan toured the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Tuesday.

It has been speculated that a tour of the US could be the beginning of a political career for Zuckerberg. When asked if planning to run in 2020, however, Zuckerberg consistently denies any political intentions. Those who have met him during his tour of Alabama claim his conversations are apolitical. The couple appears to simply want to experience the south while learning about the social fabric that holds communities together on both a local and global scale.

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