Birmingham Public Library Hosts Presentation on June 9 Exploring the Legacy of Educator Audrey Bacon Byrd and the Enduring Impact of Booker T. Washington
PROGRAM AT A GLANCE
What: BPL Southern History Department Talk — "The Booker T. Washington Effect: Audrey's Story"
Presenter: Bettina Byrd-Giles
When: Tuesday, June 9, 2026 | 5:30–7 p.m.
Where: Birmingham Public Library, Grand Commons (1st Floor), 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203
Background: Presented by Bettina Byrd-Giles, "The Booker T. Washington Effect: Audrey's Story" explores the extraordinary life of Audrey Bacon Byrd, a trailblazing educator whose journey connected the legacy of emancipation, the Jim Crow era and the modern civil rights movement. Born into the legacy of formerly enslaved individuals, Audrey's story spans her childhood in San Antonio, Texas, her transformative years at the historically Black Tuskegee Institute, and her career as an educator whose influence extended across generations.
Admission: Free and open to the public.
Information: Contact the Birmingham Public Library's Southern History Department at 205-226-3665.
Birmingham Public Library Hosts Presentation on June 9 Exploring the Legacy of Educator Audrey Bacon Byrd and the Enduring Impact of Booker T. Washington
The free public program will explore the extraordinary life of Audrey Bacon Byrd, a trailblazing educator and family matriarch whose journey connected the legacy of emancipation and the Jim Crow era to the modern civil rights movement.
Presented by her granddaughter, Bettina Byrd-Giles, the program traces Audrey's family roots, educational experiences and lifelong commitment to teaching. Through family history, historical research and personal storytelling, Byrd-Giles will highlight how Audrey's life embodied the transformative power of education, resilience and community leadership.
Audrey Bacon Byrd was born into a family whose story reflected the opportunities and challenges faced by African Americans in the decades following emancipation. Her maternal grandparents, Sam and Kate Ware, were among the pioneering Black landowners of Beeville, Texas. Today, their community is being researched as part of a historic Texas Freedom Colony, settlements established by formerly enslaved people and their descendants after the Civil War.
A pivotal chapter of Audrey's life unfolded at Tuskegee Institute, where she was deeply influenced by the philosophies of educator and leader Booker T. Washington. His emphasis on economic independence, educational advancement and community uplift helped shape her life's work and inspired what Byrd-Giles describes as "The Booker T. Washington Effect"—the enduring influence of education across generations.
Audrey carried those lessons into a distinguished career as an educator, teaching in Chicago during a period of significant social change before ultimately settling in Northern California, where she continued to impact the lives of students, family members and her community.
"The Booker T. Washington Effect: Audrey's Story" honors Audrey's legacy while illuminating broader themes in African American history, including migration, education, self-determination and the lasting bonds of family. The presentation also comes as Audrey's remarkable life story is being adapted for film, bringing her legacy to new audiences.
Written by Roy L. Williams, Public Relations Specialist - Birmingham Public Library
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