Birmingham has struggled to shed the images of violence and destruction from 1956-1963 and today is home to several memorials and a premier civil rights museum.
Follow the Birmingham Civil Rights Trail using Birmingham by the Book, (pg. 6) available on Amazon.com. Or for in depth information, A Walk To Freedom has first hand recollections, and 225 photographs.
Featured this year are three FREE events, with a tour of Rickwood Field, a talk on Birmingham Mineral Railroad, and a Community Preservation Spotlight in Titusville. Mark your calendars for these upcoming events! For more information, please contact Birmingham’s Historic Preservation Manager: Hannah.Garmon@birminghamal.gov
February is Black History Month and reviewing Birmingham’s Civil Rights History is a great way to acknowledge it. The following is a video produced by CBS 42 with places to explore.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson who died today, had ties to Birmingham’s Civil Rights history rooted in his work with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and his commitment to honoring the city’s civil rights history. He visited the A.G. Gaston Motel in March 2025 and was in Alabama in 2013 for the 50th anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in September 2013.
Jackson and his family were at A.G. Gaston Motel to explore future partnership opportunities with Kendra Woodfin, wife of Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, and KultureCity, a nonprofit dedicated to sensory inclusion and disability accessibility.
“It’s good to be home again,” Jackson whispered from his wheelchair. “I have Parkinson’s and I can’t talk very well, but my mind is on freedom.” He added, “The Bible says, ‘Remove not the ancient landmarks which thy fathers have set.’ This is a landmark. Never forget it. It is dark, but the morning comes. When it is really dark, you can see the stars more clearly. Amen.”
Two-night “Winds of Change” tribute and BYJE Alumni Concert honor visionary trumpeter, educator, Broadway musician, and cultural catalyst Jothan McKinley Callins at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
Friday, February 20, 2026 at 7:00 PM CST and
Sunday, February 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM CST
Jothan CallinsCalvin Sexton
Founder: BYJE was founded in 1994 by Jothan Callins, a musician, educator, and co-founder of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.
Purpose: The ensemble toured internationally and mentored hundreds of students, providing an opportunity for young musicians to learn and perform.
Alumni Reunion: The original ensemble operated from 1994–2005, and an alumni reunion is planned to celebrate Callins’ legacy and the music he created.
Reunion Events: The reunion will include a meet-and-greet, a banquet, a tribute concert called “Winds of Change,” and a BYJE Alumni Concert.
Date and Location: The celebration takes place from February 19–22, 2026, at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in Birmingham, AL.
Alumni: Alumni are encouraged to sign up and participate in the reunion events, including rehearsals starting in January 2026.
Led by trombonist, bandleader, and former BYJE member Calvin Sexton—a Birmingham native, New York City–based artist, educator, and South Arts Jazz Road awardee—the project gathers past BYJE musicians, Callins’ family, and a new generation of artists to honor a man whose work changed the sound—and the future—of young Black musicians in Birmingham
Friends and former students describe Callins as “unforgettable,” “a man we can call great,” and “the epitome of a jazz legend for the Magic City.” The project is part of a grant from South Arts Jazz Roads Residency Award, which Calvin Sexton is an Awardee for $40,000.
Join us in person for a fun afternoon with the Birmingham Historical Society for a special screening of this award-winning documentary that captures the amazing musical history that came out of Ensley in the 1920s through the 1950s. Local filmmakers Katie Rogers and Brandon McCray will be in attendance for a special Q&A after the film, and Burgin Mathews will be signing and selling his book on the subject. Stay for drinks in the courtyard with live jazz by Jose Carr and Bo Berry and friends, who are also featured in the film. *Runtime: 52min
New interest in the preservation of the historic Prince Hall Masonic Temple brings the importance of Robert R. Taylor‘s contribution to Birmingham to the forefront. As the first accredited African American architect, together with his partner Louis H. Persley, he brought planning concepts he adopted as the first black MIT graduate to the campus at Tuskegee Institute.
1st accredited African American Architect
1st African American enrolled at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Established 1st black architectural firm in the nation, Taylor & Persley
Great Grandfather of Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to former president Barack Obama
Architect of Prince Hall Masonic Temple in Birmingham, Alabama
Primary architect at Tuskegee Institute
His likeness is on a U.S. postage stamp
His father was a freed slave
Developed & planned the industrial curriculum at Tuskegee Institute with Booker T. Washington
But his importance to Birmingham is in the historic, 100 year old Prince Hall Masonic Temple, designed by Taylor & Persley. While it is currently in disrepair, a recent dialogue between national preservation leaders Brent Leggs and Irvin Henderson is starting the process toward protecting the building from further deterioration by raising support, and advocating to include it as part of the Civil Rights National Monument fundraising.
The building opened in 1924, and with an auditorium that could accommodate 2000, it often featured Duke Ellington’s orchestra and Count Basie’s big bands, along with dances, meetings, and special events. The offices of notable black businesses were located in the upper floors. The cost of construction was funded entirely with contributions.
Kweisi Daniels, Ph.D, School of Architecture and Construction Science at Tuskegee University, emphasized that every historic building tells a story. The Masonic Temple stands as a “towering reminder of black ingenuity, entrpreneurship, and civic pride“, as he further states,
“There’s something profound about standing in a space designed by the first African American architects. you’re not just preserving structures, you’re preserving legacies.”
At last month’s summit meeting, Leggs and Henderson left the audience with a challenge.
“We are stewards of this history, not just spectators,” said Henderson. “And we must work hand in hand with developers, preservationists, city officials, and, most importantly, community members to preserve the past in a way that empowers our future.”
Friend of Rickwood left to right: Mike Newton, Coke Mathews, Sam Fisher, Ben Cook, Lamar Smith, and Gerald Watkins. Not pictured but in attendance, Tom Cosby
But before that 1993 certification, Tom Cosby, Terry Slaughter, and Coke Mathews recognized the importance of the ballpark, and led fundraising efforts which ultimately led to Birmingham Historical Society’s involvement in the HABS documentation. It’s a preservation success story that put Birmingham on the map, bringing its first Major League Baseball game to Rickwood in 2024. (View all the drawings and documentation at the Library of Congress HERE at HABS AL-897)
Gerald Watkins shared not only his enthusiasm for the sport, and the struggles in maintaining the park, but also the ongoing support that will be necessary to sustain it. Want to help? Attend an event! Or contribute to its support HERE
photos by Louise McPhillips
Friends of RickwoodHABS AL-897 posterBooks available about Rickwood FieldCarolanne Roberts, with winners of Chocolate Cake contestGerald Watkins, Director of Friends of RickwoodTom Cosby, early supporter of fundraising to preserve Rickwoood fieldWayne Hester, President Birmingham Historical SocietyMarjorie White, Director Birmingham Historical SocietyTrustees Carol Slaughter and Kaydee Erdreich
