Reviewed by: Caleb Turrentine
How to celebrate Black History Month in Alabama 2025
Reading time: 4 minutes
It’s February and that means it Black History Month, a period to celebrate all of the amazing accomplishments African Americans have made in the U.S. From unity gatherings to visiting truly historic sites throughout the state, there are so many ways you can join in on the celebration of diversity, inclusion and culture.
Read on to learn more about some great Alabama events commemorating Black History Month.
Birmingham
Birmingham had a notable role in establishing unity and the Civil Rights Movement. The Birmingham Civil Rights Insitute has historical exhibits and community events that serve to highlight the importance of Black History Month and all it encompasses.
Check out some events they have coming up:
- Creating Space: Building Community with Brick-and-Mortar: Feb. 11 | 1 PM
- Social Justice Café: Forced Prison Labor & Convict Leasing: Feb. 19 | 4 PM
- Birmingham Labor Movements & Today’s Workforce Assess: Feb. 27 | 11:30 AM
Looking for more Bham events? We’ve got you covered.
- Black History Month + Valentine’s Day Festival
- UAB Men’s Basketball Black History Month kickoff
- Knocking at the Door: The Life and Legacy of Dr. James Montgomery
- Revisiting Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail’
Montgomery
Not only is Montgomery our state capital, but also a great place to visit significant sites, museums and memorials.
BONUS: You can also visit the very site of Rosa Parks’s arrest, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s church and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice.
Other Montgomery landmarks to visit include:
- Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail
- Rosa Parks Museum
- Freedom Riders Museum
- Southern Poverty Law Center Civil Rights Memorial
- Lynching Memorial
Selma
Selma is one of the key cities where the civil rights movement took place in 1965. The late John Lewis led over 600 marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The violent incidents that occurred tell the story of relentless fighting for rights that should’ve applied to everyone.
This horrific event, which resulted in physical hostility from state troopers, heavily influenced voting rights for African Americans.
Other Selma landmarks to visit include:
- Brown Chapel AME Church
- National Voting Rights Museum & Institute
- Old Live Oak Cemetery
- Lowndes Interpretive Center
- The Jackson-Community House
Tuskegee
Tuskegee has been recognized as the home of the first African American military aviators, known as the Tuskeegee Airmen. You can make a day of it and stroll through the campus. Some notable alumni include Lionel Richie, Ralph Ellison, Alice Coachman, and many more.
Other Tuskegee landmarks to visit include:
Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa is home to The Tuscaloosa Civil Rights Trail as well as a number of churches museums and parks that all recognize the civil rights events that have taken place in the city. Make sure to stop by The University of Alabama’s Read In featuring novel from famous African American authors.
Anniston
Anniston has a huge Civil Rights Trail with ten historic sites that tell the story of the significant events that happened at that specific location. One of the infamous sites is the Freedom Riders National Monument which is a part of the Anniston Civil Rights and Heritage Trail.
Mobile
The City of Mobile recently added the newly renovated Isom Clemon Civil Rights Memorial Park to honor the legacy of Isom Clemon, a pivotal figure in the Labor and Civil Rights Movement in Mobile.
Another huge museum you won’t want to miss is the Africatown Heritage House, which was just nominated by USA Today as the top ten best history museums in the U.S. Here you can check out the rich African culture and the resilience of survivors and descendants of slaves transported in the Clotilda, the last know Slave Ship.
How are you celebrating Black History Month in Birmingham? Let us know @bamabuzz.
