Birmingham Public Library Blog

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – If you’re a fan of the Magic City Classic, the largest HBCU football classic in the country, you know that it’s more than just a game. It’s a week-long celebration of Black excellence, culture, and tradition that brings people from across the country back home to Birmingham. So mark your calendars now for Tuesday, October 21, 2025, from 5:30  - 9:00 p.m. The 4th Annual Classic Cocktails, sponsored by the Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library , is the ultimate kickoff event you don’t want to miss. Hosted by the Birmingham Public Library, this evening of drinks, music and good vibes sets the tone for Classic Week in unforgettable fashion. Get ready. Something classic is coming. And it all starts at the Central Library. Join fellow alumni and supporters of Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University for a night that blends Southern hospitality, HBCU pride, and big energy, all for a great cause.  Guests will enjoy: 🎶 ...

Tara Stallworth Lee  - “Hurricane” Elaine Hudson (A. G. Gaston Park 1) , archival pigment print The Birmingham Public Library is excited to announce the opening of An Alabama Song , an exhibition featuring works by artist Tara Stallworth Lee. On Friday, August 8 , from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. , please join Lee at a reception at the Central Library as she celebrates her new show. About the Exhibition An Alabama Song presents photographs of such local music greats as singer “Hurricane” Elaine Hudson , trumpeter Daniel “José” Carr , and the late jazz composer, pianist, and poet Sun Ra . Among other subjects of her works are writers, advocates, and venues that Lee says represent “the beauty and struggle that is uniquely Alabama.” In a striking analogy to the musical arts, Lee describes the creation and elements of her exhibition... “The camera is my core instrument, my subjects the notes, and the thrilling, often unexpected, outcome of using film comprise the melody of this visual so...