Advisor(s)

Natasha Zaretsky

Committee Member(s)

Andrew Baer
Britney Murphy

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

1-27-2026

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

School

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Arts & Humanities

Abstract

The life, work, and legacy of Dr. A.G. Gaston demonstrate the significance of commemorating key civil rights activists through the establishment of historical institutions. Gaston was a pivotal leader in Birmingham’s Civil Rights Movement, and as the first Black millionaire in Alabama, he dedicated his life to generating wealth and uplifting his community. Stemming from humble beginnings, he was raised by formerly enslaved grandparents in a former plantation town. His rough upbringing encompassed a fight against racial injustice, an intense work ethic, and a passion for entrepreneurship. That passion allowed him to build his businesses from the ground up and create an empire in Birmingham. By creating businesses that both educated and employed the Black middle class, he elevated the community during the mid-twentieth century in ways that supported the city’s Civil Rights Movement. Alongside other prominent civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Fred Shuttlesworth, Gaston helped lead the Birmingham Campaign, a nonviolent movement that fought against the city’s segregation. In 1954, Gaston opened his namesake hotel to the public which served as one of the city’s first desegregated accommodations. It became the meeting place for the Birmingham Campaign and also the site of many historic moments. The A.G. Gaston Motel was designated a national monument in 2017, indicating both the importance of Birmingham’s Civil Rights Movement and Gaston’s role within it. The establishment of the A.G. Gaston Motel as a monument is representative of a larger push to recognize the significance of civil rights history in public spaces. While many historians are beginning to acknowledge the importance of traditional civil rights models in public history, the A.G. Gaston Motel showcases the significance of commemorating black economic power. This is an especially relevant development in a moment when public history is being targeted by government initiatives that are threatening to downplay its value. This thesis analyzes Gaston’s life, highlighting the lasting impacts of the initiatives and businesses he created in Birmingham, while also examining the complexities of the ethical and racial implications of how he built his wealth. The A.G. Gaston Motel stands as a vital but often underemphasized landmark in civil rights history. Its depiction of Black economic success deserves closer attention. Its preservation highlights how imperative public history is in telling complex narratives of resistance, entrepreneurship, and empowerment. In an era when federal efforts increasingly marginalize public history initiatives, advocating for this history becomes a key civic duty, one that serves to protect and elevate voices and spaces that were long excluded from the historical record. Drawing heavily from Gaston’s memoir as well as several other primary and secondary sources, this thesis emphasizes the importance of commemorating pioneers of social movements while highlighting the significance of public history for educating diverse audiences.

Keywords

Birmingham;Birmingham Campaign;Civil Rights Movement;entrepreneurship;national monument;public history

ProQuest Publication Number

32279255

ISBN

9798273349605

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