Celebrating the legacy of A. G. Gaston, pioneering Birmingham businessman
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)– A. G. Gaston Boys & Girls Club released a reprint of Gaston's autobiography 'Green Power' this month, continuing the legacy of a pillar of the Birmingham community.
Born in Demopolis in 1892, Gaston became a multimillionaire by 'finding a need and filling it,' a goal that fueled a life of commitment to his community. This included the A. G. Gaston Motel, opened in 1954. The motel offered first-class lodging and dining to African Americans during the Jim Crow era.
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The motel quickly became a fixture of the Black community. In 1963, it served as the headquarters for the Civil Rights Movement. Leaders of the movement like Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and Ralph Abernathy met in the motel to rest and discuss strategy. The building was targeted in a 1963 bombing that left four injured.
The motel now houses a museum honoring Gaston's life and legacy. It joined the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument after a decree by President Obama in 2017. It is now jointly owned by the City of Birmingham and the National Park Service.
During the Civil Rights Movement, Gaston used his business connections to support the movement and make deals benefitting the Black community. In 1967, he brokered a deal with Boys & Girls Club of America to independently charter his own location, which still bears his name today.
Since then, the A. G. Gaston Boys & Girls Club has honored his legacy in more ways than one. Children who go there after school learn the lessons of Gaston. Boys & Girls Club published his autobiography.
'This is his memoir, his blueprint. This is essential to letting society and the community know what his plans were,' said Shay Oden, a spokesperson for the A. G. Gaston Boys & Girls Club.
'Green Power' was reprinted by the Boys & Girls Club as part of the A. G. Gaston Legacy Project. The proceeds of sales benefit the Boys & Girls Club of America.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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