Foot Soldiers Celebration Returns to 4th Avenue May 2

Birmingham’s historic downtown will once again serve as a living classroom on May 2, as residents gather for the 63rd Annual Foot Soldiers Civil Rights Street Celebration in the Historic 4th Avenue Business District.

Set for 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM the daylong event invites families and visitors to “Step Into History,” honoring the students and young activists known as the Foot Soldiers who helped shape the modern Civil Rights Movement.

Led by Chairwoman Paulette Roby, the annual celebration blends reflection with community fellowship. Organizers say the event is designed not only to remember the past, but to connect generations through shared purpose.

“This is more than an event—it’s a movement of memory, unity, and purpose,” organizers shared. “We invite families, friends, and the entire community to come together and be part of history in motion.”

The Foot Soldiers, many of them children and teenagers, played a key role in Birmingham’s 1963 demonstrations, drawing national attention during the Birmingham Campaign and helping push forward federal civil rights legislation.

Saturday’s program will feature tribute ceremonies, live music, and community programming aimed at all ages. A “Community Unity Village” and “Youth Legacy Zone” will offer space for local groups, families, and young people to engage with the movement’s history in hands-on ways. The day will close with a candlelight tribute and unity walk.

In coordination with the event, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute will offer free admission for K–12 students throughout the day, giving younger attendees a chance to explore exhibits tied to the city’s central role in the struggle for equality.

Organizers encourage attendees to bring lawn chairs and spend the day along 4th Avenue, where much of Birmingham’s Black business and cultural life once thrived during segregation.

More information about the district and its history is available through the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

Event Details:

• What: Foot Soldiers’ 63rd Anniversary Civil Rights Street Celebration
• When: May 2, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Where: Historic 4th Avenue District, Birmingham, Alabama