Like we've been saying all along

This is a good city. It has an ugly past caught on camera and written about in history books; unfortunately that past has become fixated in the minds of many, even those who didn't even live during the Civil Rights movement. Deadly racial violence has happened in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City, but in the minds of the big city elite, those mentalities thrive and are encouraged in Alabama and much of the south. I'm not saying the mentality is totally unjustified as it's definitely been perpetuated in worlds of news and entertainment for decades, but isn't making blind judgments about a place infamous for making blind judgments a bit hypocritical?

I didn't plan to be here when I turned 30. There are still times when I get fed up with Birmingham, but the place has grown on me and after my parents moved away from the town where I grew up, Auburn, I adopted this city as home and for the most part, I have been very happy and that is why I stay. Good shows and art exhibits come here, there are a lot of fantastic locally-owned independent business, restaurants, clubs, galleries, affordable housing and the once dormant downtown is coming back to life. Granted the city has it's problems within its government, public transit system and crime rate of late to name a few -- annoyances, but not deal breakers.

Many who live in the city of Birmingham feel the same way. I don't know the mood in generic strip mall suburbiaville because I never venture out there, a blessing that I have that option. That's where all the money and good public schools are, but the soul of the city is in its downtown, true for all cities. The McWorlds that surround it wouldn't have the luxury of existing without a gritty urban hub and I will always appreciate Birmingham for its humble roots based in steel mills and foundries.

An article has recently been written by Andrea Sachs of The Washington Post. I saw her one night a few weeks at Bottletree Cafe doing an interview with a local musician. I didn't meet her, but she was pointed out to me by a friend. Like many people who live here, I was hoping the article wasn't going to focus too much on our American Idol trilogy or the city's "struggle" to reclaim itself post-depression, post Civil Rights movement. To those who live here or have moved back we know that Birmingham shouldn't be so easily pidgeonholed, and to my delight it hasn't been. In her short visit here, Sachs covered a lot of the places that make Birmingham livable and likeable and coming from one of the best newspapers in the country, that says quite a lot.


Andrea Sach's article, "Tuning in on Birmingham" appeared in the July 23, 2006 edition and can be read here.
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(Why they needed to print a locator map of Birmingham, I have no idea. I didn't think Birmingham was that obscure, but that is my only criticism of the article.)