Whether it’s a local event, a cultural tradition or a story worth listening to, Alabama has no shortage of voices that deserve the spotlight. From small-town happenings to statewide moments, these stories reflect the people, places and conversations that shape life across the Yellowhammer State.
I’m APR’s Digital Content Reporter and Producer, Aydan Conchin. Alabama Out Loud is an ongoing series where I highlight events, culture and community voices from across the state — turning up the volume on what makes Sweet Home Alabama worth listening to.
In the fourth episode of Alabama Out Loud, we’re turning toward Black History Month through an Alabama lens. Let's explore how the state’s past and present are deeply shaped by Black voices, resilience and community.
In the Yellowhammer State, Black history isn’t something distant or abstract. It’s something rooted in places people still move through every day. In Selma, the Edmund Pettus Bridge remains one of the most recognizable landmarks of the voting rights movement. According to the Encyclopedia of Alabama it's where marchers crossed in 1965 demanding equal access to the ballot.
In Birmingham, the Civil Rights District, including the 16th Street Baptist Church and Kelly Ingram Park. These places reflect where demonstrations once filled the streets.
Montgomery holds its own central role in that history. Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church stands along the street where the Montgomery Bus Boycott took shape. Tuskegee reflects another side of Black Alabama history through education, leadership and achievement as reported by the Encyclopedia of Alabama.
Across the state, these places connect Alabama’s past to communities that still carry those stories forward. During Black History Month, many of these historic spaces also serve as places people can visit, learn and reflect.
In Montgomery, the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice offer immersive experiences exploring African American history from enslavement through civil rights and beyond. Visitors can also tour Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, where movement leaders once gathered.
In Birmingham, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute sits at the center of the Civil Rights District and continues hosting exhibits and educational programming tied to the movement’s local impact. Just outside, Kelly Ingram Park and the 16th Street Baptist Church remain open public landmarks.
In Selma, visitors can walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge and explore the nearby National Voting Rights Museum, which preserves artifacts and stories from the voting rights struggle.
And in Tuskegee, the university campus and Tuskegee Airmen historic sites highlight generations of Black leadership, scholarship and service rooted in the Yellowhammer State according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama.
Whether visiting a landmark, attending a program or simply standing in these historic spaces, Alabamians continue engaging with a history that remains present across the state.
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