The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute issued a statement on Thursday evening after discovering that the $3.7 billion Alabama General Fund budget for 2026, passed by the Alabama House of Representatives earlier that day, did not include funding for the institute, the Magic City Classic, or the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

 

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“This news comes on the heels of national efforts to suppress conversations about race, inequality, and the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement—conversations that are essential to understanding who we are and how far we’ve come,” the statement, posted to its social media platforms, said.

The statement from the institute’s board thanked State Senators Rodger Smitherman (D-Birmingham) and Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro), for their efforts to restore the funding and called on the public to contact their local legislators to show their support.

The bill, approved 95-3, now goes to the Senate for further consideration.

According to the Alabama Reflector, the three programs are allocated $2.2 million, which is only 0.06% of the current 2025 budget. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville), mentioned that he expected funding for these programs would be provided through a Senate amendment.

Established in 1992, the institute highlighted the importance of its statement, which coincidentally came exactly 62 years to the day after the Birmingham Campaign began.

“It is not lost on us that 62 years to the day, we are once again called to act. This time, not just to protect our rights—but to preserve the very stories of that struggle,” the statement included.