EV CENTER PROGRAMS
Learn. Reflect. Connect.
Step into our programs, where the lessons of the Civil Rights Movement come alive through hands-on learning, honest conversation, and shared discovery. From workshops to community gatherings, each experience invites you to explore how the struggles and triumphs of the past speak to the pursuit of justice today. Whether you come to reflect, to question, or to connect with others, you’ll find a welcoming space to grow alongside your community. Explore the programs below and find the one that meets you where you are.
EXPLORE OUR PROGRAMS
The 16th Street Education and Visitor Center offers a range of programs designed to educate and inspire. Through educational workshops and community events, we provide opportunities for reflection and dialogue. Our programs aim to connect the history of the Civil Rights Movement with contemporary issues of justice, engaging visitors of all ages in the ongoing story of resilience and progress.
CELEBRATING THE POWER OF SHARED KNOWLEDGE AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING.
Harmony Group Sing
Held on a weekly basis, Group Sing takes as its cue the idea of harmony. Blending voices, learning new songs, working together to create a joyful sound. Led by church song leaders and local voice coaches, Group Sing invites visitors and locals alike to join in song to promote ideas of equity, collaboration, and reconciliation. Historic hymns, civil rights anthems, and contemporary music to be included.
Songwriting workshops on selected themes will encourage young talent. Possible partnerships with local universities or music schools. Culminating in an annual song fest or concert. Regional churches could also participate
- Learn from experienced mentors
- Foster community and connection
- Experience the joy of creative expression
Quilt of Many Hands
Quilting as a continued form of art, community building, collaboration, and activism. There is a robust history of quilting in the United States, and quilting in the African American community has a long and rich history. Quilting bees have long been forums for gathering, collaborative creativity, talking through issues of the day, and in the last century, social activism. The Freedom Quilting Bee was established in 1966 (Gee’s Bend). In 2017 the Social Justice Sewing Academy was formed to encourage participation in quilting bees that explore social issues including gender discrimination, gun violence, and mass incarceration.
Our programs could illuminate for a new generation how “gathering together to create together” promotes activism, increases understanding across demographic differences, and helps us tell stories in new ways.
- Build Deep Community Connections
- Drive Social Change Through Art
- Amplify Diverse Voices and Stories
Preserving Our Past Initiative
The elder generation’s histories of the Church’s role in the civil rights movement must not be lost.
The Education and Visitor’s Center is committed to preserving stories of the past to use as a
template for future generations.
Interview church members, community members, and descendants to capture histories on audio and/or video. These stories will then be archived and made available as a digital reference in a gallery of the Visitors and Education Center.
- Preserve vital history
- Build a lasting legacy
- Inspire future generations
MAKE A LASTING IMPACT BY SERVING YOUR COMMUNITY
16th Street Speaker Series
The 16th Street Speaker Series brings together voices from across the country to engage our community in dynamic conversations centered on justice, reconciliation, and healing. Featuring scholars, activists, artists, and community leaders whose work intersects with Civil Rights history and its living legacy, each event offers participants a rare opportunity to learn from those on the front lines of change. More than a lecture, the Speaker Series is an invitation to dialogue — a space where ideas are exchanged, perspectives are broadened, and relationships are built across diverse communities. Whether you are a student, educator, faith leader, or engaged citizen, we welcome you to be part of a conversation that matters.
- Learn from Front-Line Leaders
- Engage in Meaningful Dialogue
- Drive Justice and Healing
The Healing History Initiative
The 16th Street Education and Visitor Center, in partnership with the Alabama Humanities Alliance’s Healing History initiative, hosts Healing Circles — facilitated community dialogues that bring Alabamians together across lines of race, religion, and background to engage honestly with our shared Civil Rights history. Rooted in the sacred ground of the 16th Street Education and Visitor Center, these gatherings invite participants to reflect on Birmingham’s past, share their own stories, and explore how the events of yesterday continue to shape our lives today. A Healing Circle is not a lecture or a debate; it is a guided, respectful conversation grounded in the belief that we cannot heal in isolation, and that honest engagement with history is both an academic and a moral responsibility. Whether you are a longtime Birmingham resident or a newcomer, all are welcome to learn, listen, and grow together.
- Participate in respectful, guided dialogue
- Be part of active community healing
- Connect history to your daily life
Book Club
The 16th Street Education and Visitor Center Book Club is a community gathering designed to bring people from diverse backgrounds together in meaningful conversation centered on justice, reconciliation, and healing. Each session pairs a carefully selected title with expert facilitation, guided by scholars, practitioners, and community leaders equipped to move readers beyond the page and into purposeful dialogue.
The Book Club is more than a literary experience — it is an opportunity to build relationships across differences, explore challenging ideas in a welcoming space, and leave each gathering inspired toward action. Whether you are a lifelong reader or simply someone who believes in the power of conversation to change communities, the 16th Street Book Club invites you to read, reflect, and connect.
- Engage in expert-led dialogue
- Build Diverse Relationships
- Gain deeper insights
GROW WITH US
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY
Step into a space where history is not just learned, but lived. At the 16th Street Education and Visitor Center, our programs offer more than just a glimpse into the past—they provide a pathway to understanding its enduring impact on our present and future. By engaging with our initiatives, you’ll join a community dedicated to dialogue, reflection, and action. What lessons will you uncover? How will these stories inspire you to shape a more just and equitable world? Join us, and find out.