My first visit to Birmingham, AL was Father’s Day weekend, 1998. I approached the city on I-65 from Montgomery and had no idea what to expect, despite what some in town may believe. I’d left Savannah very early that morning, suffering one flat tire and frayed nerves as I attempted one of my sicker road trips; one that included Thomasville, GA, Dothan, AL and Montgomery, AL en route to the Magic City, without really stopping – in one day. There were no thoughts about dogs, hoses and Bull Connor. It was something I’d read about, something my parents told me about but as observers watching it on television in Trinidad rather than as people who’s family had grown up in it. I was more concerned with how my friend had convinced me to come visit and what was I going to discover while here.
I’ve recently been sorting through items in old boxes at the loft and came across several rolls of film that I’d never developed in the past seven years. Among them were the images that I felt were most important to take during that trip; shots of me in front of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, images from the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, pictures of the statues at Kelly Ingram Park. Images that were burned in my head from that trip were of what this town could be. I remember thinking, “What’s going to happen when everyone else finally discovers Birmingham?”
Last week, an image of Vulcan atop of his perch on Red Mountain gazing down into Jones Valley in the middle of the night served as the post of the day for this blog. The statue itself has served as a symbol of the success of the Magic City since its original erection for the World’s Fair. It has served as a focal point for me over the course of the weekend as I try to get my thoughts about Birmingham’s present and future. While there have been many attempts to identify a vision for the region complete with goals and strategies, a vision statement for the city has not been easy to locate.
Birmingham is a diverse city. It is also magical. It’s magical walking along Highland Avenue in spring. It’s magical sitting in Erskine Hawkins Park during the Function at the Junction. It has provided the momentum to change the world in many different ways. When people think of the city of Birmingham, there are some that only think of Dr. James Andrews and his high profile surgeries on professional athletes or of its cultural offerings and not of its past, though they may need to. When some do think of our city’s past, it is as a vehicle for providing hope for the future of the world and not as a black eye that has been
difficult to remove.
For those that believe that the image of Birmingham needs changing, maybe the image of Birmingham actually needs defining. My Birmingham is not Atlanta, not Charlotte, not Memphis, but Birmingham. It celebrates the diversity of the city and promotes inclusion in all facets of its existence. My vision is for this to serve as the 21st century hub of the New South. It enables people to know of all that is good in our region and to instill a can-do attitude in its residents. It is a city that celebrates the accomplishments and assets that it already possesses and determines ways to expose it both inside and outside of its boundaries. It is a city that does not think of failure or why it won’t work immediately but one where its citizens work together to lead the region forward, implementing the various goals and strategies developed through organizations such as Region 2020 and Operation New Birmingham with its residents
in the recent past.
What do we do to achieve this vision? Maybe the first question is really “Do you believe this too?” Is this feasible? I know it is. What am I willing to do to get there? The forum that I’ve suggested is aimed at improving that line of communication among all age levels, as some of the best young professional organizations are those that are young at heart. There are others working to strengthen communication in the corporate and political spheres of influence in the region. Our future leaders need to organize as well and possibly set the tone for their city, their future. Some are better at collecting information, others at producing projects and goals from that information. Let’s get that dialogue going and lead our region into this new frontier.
I have two questions for those reading this: What is your Birmingham? What are you willing to do to get there? Let us know. I’ll be seeking some answers from people around town and posting them here.
Cheers.
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You know you’ve got my support. I love your comment about Birmingham’s image not needing changing, but rather refining. TechBirmingham’s CHANGE campaign asks the audience to change themselves by considering Birmingham… as a place to live, as a trade partner, as an awesome place. Keep up the good work!
Comment by Curtis March 27, 2006 @ 8:36 amI agree completely, Andre. I have always said that we have so much potential here, but too may people scoff at that and think I mean that I want Birmingham to be like Atlanta. And I certainly do not. We can move forward and be modern and worldly without becomming overcrowded and impersonal.
Comment by Michael Seale March 27, 2006 @ 2:47 pmI totally agree with your comments. Birmingham's defining moment is now. We the citizenry of Birmingham can choose to take the necessary steps to well position our city to compete with cities arcoss the country or we can revel in the past and fall further behind those cities.
Comment by Chris Hatcher March 27, 2006 @ 3:49 pmAndre, First of all, you know that I agree with your vision of Birmingham and applaud your efforts and involvement with so many worthwhile groups. Yet, we’ve had this discussion so many times in recent months with so many different groups, that I sometimes get discouraged. I was in a conversation recently where I was jazzed up about all the changes I’ve seen in the 5 years Artwalk has been holding it’s shows in the loft district, and the gentleman felt much more disheartened as he had been here for 39 years and is tired of waiting for “it” to happen. I think most of us (the choir, if you will) are doing something that speaks to us and also helps this city. For me, it is currently Artwalk, and I have got to say that I feel so fortunate to work for a young group of volunteers who are really trying to make a difference in this city by offering something fun, that is community oriented, and that brings people downtown. Is it enough to change the perception of Birmingham in the metro area and beyond? Probably not on its own, but it’s a cog in the wheel.
Comment by Joy Myers March 27, 2006 @ 4:40 pmI think that the choir may need to finally take the lead. A lot of people are waiting for that one person to guide them to the promised land. The choir is already working towards getting there; we’re already leading the way. I’m just saying that we need to stop thinking we’re the lone ranger and work with each other more, much in the way that ArtWalk worked with Sidewalk this last year in fundraising efforts. There are are many mini-choirs that need to start reading from the same sheet music and coordinate their efforts.
Comment by dresramblings March 27, 2006 @ 5:15 pmO.K. Dre. You asked for it.
What an interesting question. I have lived in Birmingham since the 7th grade. I moved here from Northern California. Prior to that time, we had visited our grandparents several summers. My Oasis was Five Points South. I don’t recall anyone referring to it as downtown at that time. It was the closet thing I could find to my beloved San Francisco. I was fortunate enough to attend Ramsay and John Carroll, both located on the Southside. I couldn’t wait to leave for college.
I came back to Birmingham for a break after college. At that time, City Stages was in May. That event made me feel that I was in another place. For the exception of a few places such as Ramsay High School, I had not experienced a number of people of diverse backgrounds converging in the same place in Birmingham. I had to be part of this transformation taking place. I turned down all job offers in the Mid-West and Mid-Atlantic states. Of course my Grandfather Weaver’s comment that places like Atlanta wouldn’t be what they are if people had not committed to its growth. He convinced me that if my peers and I would make a commitment to Birmingham, it would progress too.
Once I landed a job at UAB, I was once again a Southsider. The number of diverse communities began to grow. At John Carroll, many of my friends were of Greek, Italian, Irish, Palestinian, Lebanese descent. Like my family, many African Americans and whites moved from rural Alabama to Birmingham to work in the steel industry. UAB’s health sciences attracted large numbers of individuals from India and China . The Birmingham that was considered black and white had to define and acknowledge a group we used to refer to as “other.”
At the time, ONB had wonderful committees committed to events for young professionals that encouraged us to explore downtown. One of the major events was the opening of the 24th Street bridge. We had a major Halloween party in celebration. Today, there are several groups dedicated to a similar cause.
As part of a young and progressive university, I felt I was in the midst of a revolution. Under Dr. Charles McCallum, innovation and a pioneer spirit were requirements to survive at UAB. He was focused on internationalizing UAB. This was right down my alley.
My Birmingham has a rich history in racial turmoil resulting in laws, policies and practices that influenced the world. Just visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. My Birmingham provided the world with the necessary cast iron and steel to keep an industrial, manufacturing society alive. My Birmingham is home to one of the best medical and health sciences research entities in the country. My Birmingham consists of families and individuals who know the meaning of struggle, strife, love and life. My Birmingham places an emphasis on religion, especially Christianity. My Birmingham is home to Muslims, Jews, Unitarians, Christian Scientists, Scientologists, Atheists, Agnostics, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains….My city is aging and suffering from the syndrome that many cities face at this stage in its development. My Birmingham is home to southern English, mainstream English, Black English, Spanglish, Hindi, Mandarin, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese…My Birmingham is a place of beauty and culture. My city is yet to realize its potential. My city is abused by outsiders and insiders who may not realize that it could be much worse. My city has lost of municipalities that sometimes won’t cooperate. My city still suffers from racism, ageism, sexism, heterosexism, and apathy. My city has a bunch of people trying to overcome its weaknesses. My city is serving as the central city to more and more industries. My city is a work in progress. My city is our home.
Comment by Bettina March 27, 2006 @ 5:49 pm[…] had tried to start this section last year on my personal blog, Dre’s Ramblings, as a way to find out what people enjoyed or disliked […]
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