Birmingham celebrates Black Business Month on historic Black Main Street

Birmingham is celebrating Black Business Month by honoring the history and legacy of its historic Black Main Street. The district, particularly along 4th Avenue, has served as a vital hub for Black entrepreneurship for over a century.

A central figure in this history is A. G. Gaston, who established a diverse business empire starting with an insurance company in 1923. His ventures included the A. G. Gaston Building and the A. G. Gaston Motel, the latter of which served as the headquarters for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the 1963 Birmingham Campaign.

While the district faced economic challenges following integration and the construction of Interstate 65, which physically separated neighborhoods from downtown, several landmarks remain active. Institutions such as the Green Acres Café, the Carver Theatre, and the Prince Hall Grand Lodge continue to serve as links to the area's entrepreneurial and civil rights heritage.