Birmingham honors the Black businessman who quietly backed the Civil Rights Movement

The AG Gaston Motel is part of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, a collection of landmarks associated with 1963 Birmingham Campaign events, like The Children's Crusade. (Marisa Peñaloza/NPR)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Construction workers are putting the finishing touches on the courtyard of the newly restored AG Gaston Motel.

The renovation of the downtown hotel is the latest addition to the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument designated by President Barack Obama in 2017 to preserve key historic landmarks.