BPL 2025 Black History Spotlight: The Central Library

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The Birmingham Public Library PR Department is doing branch spotlights on Black History Month programs happening at our libraries across the city during February. 

Our first feature is on the Central Library in downtown Birmingham, which is kicking off nearly 70 Black History Month programs happening at BPL throughout February by holding the 2025 Black Heritage Fair from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. this Saturday, February 1. This annual event is sponsored by the Birmingham African American Genealogy Group, Inc., which meets monthly at the Central Library and uses resources from BPL's Southern History Department to help members do genealogy research. 

Learn more about Black History Month programs happening at the Central Library below.


Saturday, February 1, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

2025 Black Heritage Fair

The Birmingham African American Genealogy Group, which meets every third Saturday at the Central Library downtown, is hosting its annual Black Heritage Fair. The 2025 theme is African Americans and Labor, paying tribute to the important role African-Americans have played  in the U.S. labor force. The event is free. It features genealogy workshops, African art, African-inspired fashions, and African music workshops.

The speakers will be Tuskegee Attorney Lateefah Muhammad and Willie Mae Ward Crews, an educator. Musicians will be Najah Reeves Najiy, an African drummer, Katherine Minnett,  singer from Colony, Ala., and Celloist Jaynise Gentry. 

For more information, go to www.baaggroupinc.org or email info@baaggroupinc.org. 

Jourdan Truth McGowan, Time - Stop the Violence BHAM


The featured paintings are reinterpretations of iconic magazine covers, in which McGowan makes bold commentaries on culture, politics, religion, and other topics. The paintings showcased in Issues invite viewers to engage in meaningful reflection and dialogue on the pressing challenges of our time.



 Inspired by Native American and African designs, Allen delicately carves decorative details onto the surface of his wheel-thrown vessels in a process known as sgraffito. A selection of Allen’s intricately embellished stoneware has been on view since mid-December.   


Central Library Southern History Department 

Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 11am – 12pm 

 DNA ethnicity testing may seem a simple and efficient way to identify your ancestral connection to the peoples and places of Sub-Saharan Africa, but what do you know about the types of tests that exist and the insights that they offer? Paul Boncella examines the current state of the science, lists the possibilities for African ethnicity testing, and explains what the various products actually deliver. 

By Roy L. Williams, PR Director|Birmingham Public Library
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