“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.”
Remembering Civil Rights icon Rev. C. T. Vivian by 11Alive
The staff, Director and Board of the Birmingham Black Radio Museum share our profound sadness at the passing of two great Americans, Rev. C. T. Vivian and Congressman John Lewis. It is hoped that our community will continue to gain strength and insight from their courage.
Sincerely,
Emily Bibb, Ennis Bragg, Bob Friedman, Willamena Richardson, Min. Gwendolyn Cook Webb
BBRM Director Bob Friedman (Solomon Crenshaw Jr. for The Birmingham Times)Ron January, operations manager at WATV (Solomon Crenshaw Jr. for The Birmingham Times)
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.
