Any conversation about preserving the historic Prince Hall Masonic Temple in downtown Birmingham would not be complete without Brent Leggs, Executive Director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.
Not only is Leggs known worldwide for his work saving important landmarks in African American history like the estate of Madam C. J. Walker in New York and Nina Simone’s birthplace in North Carolina, but he’s also played a key role in creating the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, which President Barack Obama designated in January 2017.
For Leggs, whose organizations have raised $150 million to support over 400 projects nationwide, the Masonic Temple is personal. His connection to Birmingham began a decade ago, when he helped lead the national effort to preserve the A.G. Gaston Motel, restored on June 30, 2022, which former President Barack Obama ultimately designated a National Monument in 2017…