Author: thebbrm
On August 13, 2022, legendary Birmingham broadcaster and civil rights activist Paul "Tall Paul" White was inducted into the Alabama Broadcasters Association (ABA) Hall of Fame at Ross Bridge Resort in Hoover, Alabama. Seen here are WATV broadcaster Ron January, Ullman High School Civil Rights activist Gwen Sanders Gamble. BBRM Director Bob Friedman, Paul White's great niece Eugenia Hood with great grand daughter Autumn receiving the award for the family, and ABA Director Sharon Tinsley.
In the spring 2021 AAA Explorer magazine, The Birmingham Black Radio Museum gets a mention among the iconic and enticing attractions of the 4th Avenue Business District. When the Carver Theater reopens after renovations are complete, BBRM collections will be on display.
via Hoover Public Library
"Meet the founder of the Birmingham Black Radio Museum (BBRM), Bob Friedman in this Zoom conversation, where he will discuss and share the history and collection of the BBRM.
The BBRM documents and intricate layer of Birmingham's history. It is not necessarily a museum in the traditional sense. It can also be categorized as a community archive and an oral history project and its mission is to preserve a historical movement through the lens of Black Radio in Birmingham from the 1930's through the 1980's."
shared by Hoover Public Library, on their YouTube channel
University of Alabama SLIS Community Partner Bob Friedman Receives Campus Recognition
Bob Friedman, Director of the BBRM, with Dr. Robert Riter, Assistant Professor and Archives Coordinator.
Steven Yates writes:
Each spring, the Council on Community-Based Partnerships recognizes excellence in community-based scholarship. Students, faculty, staff and UA community partners are honored for outstanding research. Past projects have ranged widely, including health care, education, science and technology, art, literature, and special needs. Recipients are nominated by associates and peers.
This spring, SLIS nominated community partner Bob Friedman and the Birmingham Black Radio Museum (BBRM) for the Excellence Award for Outstanding Community Partner-Initiated Engagement Effort. Along with the award, the BBRM and SLIS were awarded $2,000 in seed funds for their "Mapping Birmingham Black Radio" project.
From the April 17, 2019 Community-Based Partnerships Award Luncheon Program: "The Birmingham Black Radio Museum (BBRM) is a community-based museum dedicated to preserving the history of Birmingham black radio and the pioneering role of broadcasters in supporting Civil Rights activities. A significant Alabama cultural heritage institution, the BBRM places particular emphasis on capturing endangered narratives through oral history. In his role as founder and director, Bob Friedman has secured multiple grants from national organizations to support the museum's mission. As a result of his efforts, the BBRM has been invited to join Library of Congress consortia dedicated to preservation of radio. Additionally, in his role as mentor, Friedman has provided opportunities through partnerships with UA's School of Library and Information Studies to prepare generations of students to responsibly and ethically preserve cultural heritage while utilizing socially conscious best practices." Learn more about the BBRM here.
Alyx Chandler: Archiving the Past in Iron City Ink
Bob Friedman, creator and director of the Birmingham Black Radio Museum, poses with some of his radio equipment, museum memorabilia and record collection from his years hosting radio shows and conducting interviews.
"With the help of local and nationwide student volunteers in library sciences and history over the last several years, former WJLD radio host and BBRM Director Bob Friedman continues his mission to transcribe and create a community-based web archive for the oral history of Birmingham-connected black radio. BBRM catalogs interviews from the 1930s through the 1980s conducted by him and other radio show hosts."
Full article on Iron City Ink
Alabama News Center Black Radio Personalities July 2017
IMLS Announces Grants of $1.4 Million for African American History and Culture Museums
"The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) today announced 16 grants to museums in 10 states totaling $1,485,955 for the African American History and Culture (AAHC) grant program. More than 32 organizations requested grants totaling $3,076,510.
Museum Grants for African American History and Culture support projects that improve the operations, care of collections, and development of professional management at African American museums. Examples from the 16 selected projects include:
The digitization of the Birmingham Black Radio Museum's collection of oral histories and interviews of radio personalities, civil rights leaders, authors, and entertainers. With the help of student interns from the University of Alabama School of Library and Information Sciences and work space provided by the historic Carver Theatre, the museum will digitize the entire collection and develop a blog series for public discussion."
Full press release here