Entrepreneur and blogger Stacey Ferguson gives the opening
keynote at the Y’all Connect conference in Birmingham.
Technology is a ripe area for startups in the city.

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By Jen Barnett

The future of Birmingham could be pretty much like its past: decided by the good citizens of Mountain Brook and officials from the City of Birmingham with little-to-no input from residents.

Occasionally, these two disparate groups produce fabulous offspring, like the Sidewalk Film Festival, Railroad Park or Regions Field. More often than not, they lock horns and produce nothing. So, when considering the future of Birmingham, my first thought was “Who cares?”

But … I do. God help me, I fucking do.

If we’re smart, we can build our own future through entrepreneurship.

These are the lessons I’ve learned from having businesses here, the ones I keep in mind as I think about next steps:

1. Plant the acorn with the knowledge that you may never see (or own) the oak. We wouldn’t have a Saturn or an Iron City if Bottletree hadn’t arrived.

2. Build a business in the tech sector. It’s the city’s blind spot for regulation, it’s a foreign language to the good ol’ boy network, and it won’t shackle you to local economic factors. Plus, you could bring in much-needed dollars from outside Alabama.

3. Don’t take private investment. Instead …

4. Build your own capital from a business you don’t necessarily love before launching your passion project. Shipt chief executive officer Bill Smith created his wealth with Easy Money and Insight Card Services. Avondale Brewery founder Coby Lake bought rental properties. If you’re a specialist, and a damned good one, you’ll have better odds than generalists like me when bootstrapping a business you love.

5. Spend more of your energy building people up, or working on your own idea, than bitching about someone else’s efforts. Bitch a little (you’re only human) to keep yourself competitive. Keep it off social media.

6. Do it more for the struggle than for the outcome. Like I said in No. 1, you may never see the outcome, but the struggle can be a lot of fun, with the right attitude.

7. If you’re going to tilt at windmills, choose ones that matter. Education, transportation, income inequality, science, arts and medicine are good ones. (#FireRayWatts is a personal fave.) Your neighbors’ lawn ornaments or sex lives aren’t.

8. Find strength in numbers. You don’t need money or power to get started if you’ve got friends. Entrepreneur Rebecca Davis and filmmaker Jen West both conducted successful crowdfunding campaigns for their projects. To make crowdsourcing work for you, make lots and lots of friends. (Loners are easier to exploit and marginalize.)

9. Develop a thick skin. The harder you try, the more haters you’ll have. This is absolutely inevitable. You don’t have to be a flippant dick about them (“haters gon’ hate”), just learn to deal.

10. If you make it in Birmingham, stay in Birmingham. That’s not a mandate, just my personal plea. Mentor someone. Buy Quinlan Castle and build a moat around it. Whatever it takes to keep you engaged with the city.

If you follow these lessons and your heart, your life will be so full of passion and purpose that you’ll hardly notice what’s lacking in Birmingham.

• • •

Jen Barnett is a Birmingham-based entrepreneur and marketing strategy consultant.

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Photo: Rain0975 (CC)

“Four Spirits” in downtown’s Kelly Ingram Park memorializes the
girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963.
Birmingham is overflowing with talented artists, and the people
who support them.

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By Jess Simpson

Ask me what could make the biggest difference in the future of Birmingham with the least muscle required (meaning unrealistic wads of money, seemingly unattainable widespread cooperation among politicians, core infrastructure evolution, etc.), and my answer is always …

Our creative capital.

Birmingham is overflowing with talented artists, musicians, filmmakers, dancers, choreographers, producers, actors, playwrights, authors, painters, sculptors, metal workers, photographers and patrons.

Ask almost anyone what they like about living in Birmingham, and they will talk about a favorite event or festival; the quality of our museums, symphony and ballet; the growing gallery and visual arts scene; the discovery of a new artist; or our ever-expanding array of top-notch performance spaces.

Anyone who doubts Birmingham’s creative capital simply isn’t paying attention.

For many years, I had the privilege of working for one of the city’s art centers, seeking performers to showcase. What I found again and again while scouting “outside” talent, is that local artists have as much or more talent than almost any other community in the land. And they consistently produce beautiful, thought-provoking work with astonishingly few resources.

In March 2015, I asked a panel of these artists, “What would happen if we dreamed big artistically?” Based on their thoughtful responses, it was clear: We have no shortage of big dreams brewing in the wings — we just the need the resources to bring them to fruition.

Finding inspiration, supporting grand thinking

Along the oceanfront promenade of Zadar, Croatia, visitors can experience the impact of visionary art. In reflecting upon my recent visit, I found my thoughts once again turning to Birmingham.

The Adriatic coastal area, once heavily bombed and scarred from war, is a magnet today for locals and tourists, thanks in large part to two public art installations. One, called the “Sea Organ,” uses air created by passing boats to create music through a series of pipes, delivering sweet sounds through the city day and night. The other, “Greeting to the Sun,” soaks up solar energy to produce a giant, out-of-this-world light show at night.

Both are free, self-perpetuating and constantly running. Universally acclaimed for creating hope and excitement where once stood only devastation and despair, these projects have helped to make Zadar one of Europe’s hottest destinations.

We have that same potential to engage and transform the world through the beauty and power of art. It requires that we, collectively and individually, make a commitment to educate, nurture, recruit and support artists.

Here’s how to start …

1. Collect work from Birmingham-based artists.
2. Buy tickets to shows.
3. Encourage original work.
4. Nurture curiosity about innovative art.
5. Help artists make meaningful connections.
6. Use influence to seek support for artistic projects.
7. Support bold ideas.
8. Elevate our talent at every opportunity.
9. Partner with artists on cross-pollination.
10. Demand engaging art programs in our schools.
11. Position Birmingham as a place where artists thrive.
12. And, by all means, kick the inclination to think of local as “second tier” to the curb.

Creating an environment where the arts can flourish takes dedication. It also takes heart.

And, that’s where the good news keeps coming. Birmingham has a heart so big, it can’t long be denied.

• • •

Lover of a colorful story and a good margarita, Jess Simpson is a Birmingham writer chasing a dream of slow travel through a fast world. Her recently published work includes “Greetings from Birmingham” for Paste.

• Website | Facebook | Twitter @aGypsyGene | LinkedIn | Instagram

• • •

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Photo: bg5000 (CC)

Photo: Southern Foodways Alliance (CC)

While Birmingham landmark Pete’s Famous Hot Dogs no longer
operates, the Birmingham hot dog lives on at other
Greek-established restaurants. City history offers many
opportunities to attract outsiders.

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By Charles Buchanan

The future of Birmingham is in its past.

Birmingham has a lot riding on its ability to cultivate — and capitalize on — the people, places and history that give the metro area its unique personality. Developers and city planners would be wise to take a look around them. Often, those who figure out ways to incorporate elements of our local DNA are rewarded with an enthusiastic response.

Take Regions Field. Parts of its design echo the metal-casting sheds of Sloss Furnaces and the light towers of Rickwood Field. Visitors can relax in rocking chairs while eating Dreamland ribs. Since the Birmingham Barons moved to Regions Field, the team has experienced a boom in attendance.

It’s not nostalgia that’s powering such reactions from the public. Instead, I chalk it up to a growing feeling of pride in Birmingham from the people who live here, which dovetails nicely with the larger cultural emphasis on “local” in everything from vegetables to beer to art.

This homegrown enthusiasm also has the potential to help redefine Birmingham’s image across the country. I once met someone who traveled to Birmingham because he was a fan of native son Sun Ra, an innovative musician who took jazz into outer space and back. I don’t think he found much to memorialize the sonic pioneer, unfortunately. But it would be easy for Birmingham to create a music trail — along the lines of the Civil Rights Heritage Trail or even in the form of a smartphone app — to guide visitors to sites associated with the city’s rich history in jazz, R&B, rock, country, gospel and other genres.

Likewise, Birmingham could become a center for ecotourism — a sort of Asheville of the Deep South — capitalizing on its close proximity to scenic places such as the Sipsey Wilderness and the Cahaba River. Closer into town, Red Mountain Park, Ruffner Mountain, Oak Mountain and the emerging Red Rock trail system offer easy access to outdoor adventures.

In addition, no other place can lay claim to the Birmingham hot dog, the secret-sauce slathered staple invented by Greek immigrants and made famous by dozens of tiny lunch stands, including Pete’s Famous. Few of those stands remain today, but we can still champion the dog that once fueled the workers who powered Birmingham’s industries that, in turn, made America hum.

Or how about Birmingham’s Batman, Willie Perry? The good Samaritan who once rescued stranded motorists from his souped-up Batmobile is back in the civic spotlight. His car is slated for restoration, a documentary about him is in the works, and his life has inspired Willie Perry Day, a day of service to the community each Aug. 3. You won’t find many real-life superheroes out there, but we have one who remains a force for good.

These unique stories have the power to surprise people across the country who think they know all there is to know about Birmingham and Alabama. By mining our own history and culture, we can mold fresh, colorful images of the city, new symbols for an emerging metropolis.

• • •

Charles Buchanan is editor of UAB Magazine, author of “Fading Ads of Birmingham” [aff. link] and an artist.

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Photo: Chris Happel (CC)

Coming to Birmingham from another part of the country can
induce culture shock, but Southern hospitality and smiles
can ease the transition.

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By Bertha Hidalgo

The future of Birmingham is evolving, and that’s exciting!

I am thrilled to experience its growth, to live in a city changing for the better. I have worked for the University of Alabama at Birmingham, one of the premier medical and public health institutions, since I arrived. UAB attracts top scientists from all over the world. I have been surrounded by other transplants since Day 1 who love our city as much as I do.

But it was rough in the beginning.

I moved from Los Angeles to Birmingham in August 2007. I didn’t know anyone in town, aside from my husband. He had to work the day after we arrived, so I was left to discover the city alone. I recall leaving our apartment complex in Hoover and driving on Alabama 150. After about a mile, I pulled into an Arby’s parking lot and cried for an hour. Few things were familiar to me. My family, favorite stores, comfort food restaurants and weather … they were all missing. Everything was different.

Birmingham has changed, as has my opinion of it. Familiar stores and restaurants from L.A. are sprouting up around the city. Chipotle and Pinkberry were two eateries I missed the most. Not long after my arrival, they arrived as well. Nordstrom Rack also came and made this place feel more like home. The music and food scenes have also evolved significantly since 2007, receiving national recognition.

Some things about Birmingham — and the South — have impressed me significantly. People send handwritten notes and gifts. Strangers smile and say hello. Baggers take groceries out to the car. Life is slower in Birmingham, at least compared to Los Angeles. Time not spent in traffic driving 50 miles to work is extra time I dedicate to my family. The cost of living is incredibly lower in Birmingham than L.A., another major reason we continue to live here. In all, a more personal, higher-quality way of living — I really like that.

I have grown to love a few special things about Birmingham. I like experiencing four seasons, as mild as they may be. I really adore everyone’s passion for football, particularly because it means making and eating party food, or … shopping time. Malls and stores are ghost towns during the games. Score!

I discovered my love for the word “y’all” as well! Best. conjugation. ever.

So here I am, 8 years later, with roots in the ground and no immediate plans to leave. I’ve made great friends, many of whom I consider family. Birmingham is becoming more like the place I left and less like the place I came to in 2007.

I may never truly understand some things about Birmingham and its people. (Let’s just say I don’t get crawfish.) But it is a city that has shown me a lot of love, a place to start a family and ultimately, a place to live my life. Birmingham will forever have a place in my heart and remain a home away from home.

• • •

Bertha Hidalgo is an assistant professor in the epidemiology department at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, an associate scientist at the UAB Nutrition and Obesity Research Center, faculty scholar at the Center for the Study of Community Health, chair of the Minority Affairs Committee for the American College of Epidemiology and blogger at Chic in Academia.

• Website | Facebook | Twitter @BerthaHidalgo | LinkedIn | Instagram

• • •

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Photo: Lee Burchfield (CC)

St. Paul and the Broken Bones is just one of the many
Birmingham bands of late to attract a national following.

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By Kenn McCracken

The future is constantly changing, fluid and shifting with no guarantees.

Perspective changes your view of the future; your place and standing in the macrocosm, your priorities and interests and experiences — those will draw your focus of where we’re headed. As someone who has worn many hats over my four-plus decades, my perspective incorporates culture in Birmingham, both as creator and audience.

Had you asked me 5 or 10 years ago about the future of Birmingham’s music scene, I would have given you a different answer than I would today. Then, the city was less known for Verbena, Remy Zero or Azure Ray (all enjoying varying levels of success on the national scene) than for Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks. Local bands of all genres might draw audiences, but couldn’t draw the same level of support as cover bands like the Velcro Pygmies or the Cheesebrokers.

Even with venues like Five Points Music Hall and the Nick (not to mention the pre-corporate Oak Mountain Amphitheatre or Sloss Furnaces), seeing a rising national act required a trip to Nashville or Atlanta. The general consensus among my friends — both fans and musicians — was that Birmingham was a musical dead end.

Fast-forward to 2015, and the outlook as a city that supports music is much brighter. Venues like Iron City, Tin Roof and Saturn bring in many acts that I never would have imagined we’d see in Birmingham, and crowds come out to support those shows. (RIP Bottletree Cafe.) Birmingham Mountain Radio, which started as an Internet-only station in 2010, has expanded to the FM airwaves not only locally but also in Tuscaloosa.

I’ve lost count of local bands gone national, including Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires, Azure Ray, Duquette Johnson and A.A. Bondy (both previously in Verbena), the Great Book of John and St. Paul and the Broken Bones. This year saw the first SlossFest and the third Cask and Drum festival. And, speaking purely from someone who favors rock, Birmingham’s other genres — country, jazz and blues — all continue to thrive.

The entire time, we’ve had musicians who stayed in Birmingham despite better opportunities elsewhere. We’ve had venue managers who continued to support local music, and entrepreneurs who started venues and radio stations to provide sustenance to hungry listeners. Most importantly, we’ve had a shift in the audience, not just in tastes but also in willingness to support those bands and businesses.

All of them chose to stay, determined to change the future to suit themselves. And their efforts paid off: In the short span of 10 years, the future of Birmingham inverted itself in the musical sense.

As with so many songs, the future of Birmingham is unwritten. We the lifelong residents, we the childhood transplants, we the adult immigrants … we are the authors. If your inner musician is determined enough, positive enough and willing to smile in the face of failure, the future of Birmingham is yours to write, and to tell, and to play.

• • •

Kenn McCracken is the co-host and curator of the weekly show “(The Show With No Name)” on Birmingham Mountain Radio, bassist for the Exhibit(s) and master of his own liver.

• Website | Facebook | Twitter @insomniactive | LinkedIn | Instagram

• • •

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Photo: Curtis Fockele (CC)

The Drive-By Truckers perform at Iron City on Southside.
The venue has not only brought in bands from the South
but also from across the nation.

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By Jackie Lo

Those of us who love Birmingham are slowly nurturing and hand-feeding this beautiful city with our passion and adoration. Naysayers have moved from and come back to a very different city. Outsiders have taken notice, written articles, shared our secrets. But, eventually the surprise will leave their tone and will be replaced with respect and their own adoration.

More traveling bands will put a pin in Birmingham on their tour maps. More people will attend local venues. Record shops will flourish, and underground radio will thrive and shake up the quality of music that hits our airwaves. Local bands playing at home will really mean something to everyone involved.

Women will make as much money as men do at the same job. They will be free to make their own choices about their bodies and not have to worry about what the politicians at the Capital have to say about it or if their rights or clinics will be shut down. Contraceptives will be affordable, and sex education will be available to everyone.

Gay marriage will be accepted in all counties in the state, and we will look back on that day outside the courthouse and realize we saw history happen in our city. A city that helped lead civil rights for race equality has now made strides for sexual equality. LGBT couples will be able to have all of the same rights that straight couples enjoy.

Drunk driving will be greatly reduced as ridesharing options such as Uber and Lyft will be available to our city. Waiting 45 minutes for a taxi will be a thing of the past. Public transportation will be easier and available in more places. Bike sharing will be a huge success as bike lanes and walking paths will spread throughout the city.

Marijuana will be legalized. We will be one of the last states to implement it, but when we do, we will realize it isn’t the terrible monster it’s made out to be. The war on drugs and violence within our city will have one less component, and our jails won’t stay at capacity because of it.

We will have a lottery that properly funds our education system to increase the quality of schools citywide. Our kids will be smarter than we ever were and “Alabama jokes” won’t hold the same weight they once did.

We will take pride in our amazing food and drinks, and more outstanding and award-winning restaurants and bars will open and be successful. We will have more places downtown that stay open at night and more late night options as well. “Locally Sourced” and “Locally Made” will be on every new menu.

Construction will continue to boom downtown, and we will keep moving into renovated old structures that once were abandoned and in shambles. New construction will continue to be thoughtful and add interest to our skyline, and everyone will see downtown as the place I’ve always loved.

Progress. That is what the future of Birmingham holds. We’ve seen it happening. It might be slow, but that’s our brand of progress, a slow and steady growth. We have pride, and we know how to fight. Wanting more and never being quite satisfied is what sets us apart. We always appreciate what we have to work for instead of what is simply given to us.

• • •

Jackie Lo (a k a Jacklyn Loquidis Hamric) is editor in chief of the blog I Am the F-Bomb, DJ for the weekly “Jackie Lo Show” on Substrate Radio, interior designer at Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds and a musician.

• Website | Facebook | Twitter @TheJackieLoShow | LinkedIn | Instagram

• • •

The full version of this essay and many more are available in the free ebook, “The Future of Birmingham.”

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Photos: Hugh Hunter. Reprinted with permission.

Regions Field shows how big ideas in Birmingham come to life
through civic partnership and determination.

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By Hugh Hunter

Birmingham has had big ideas in its past, from the original Vulcan statue created in 1903 and its recent renovation, through the rise of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, to Railroad Park and Regions Field.

Our recent success is driven more by individual entrepreneurial vision and passion. What we lack is a community partnership of business and government that seizes on visionary opportunities like the rerouting of I-20/59 through downtown, below, and makes it happen.

Or as David Sher blows against the coarse wind of naysayers by lobbying for some sort of regional government in his blog, ComebackTown.

Roald Hazelhoff, director of the Southern Environmental Center at Birmingham-Southern College, started the Darter Festival at Railroad Park and wanted to reposition us as the Gateway to Nature, dropping the old dated Magic City moniker. [Editor’s note: Hugh Hunter served on the center’s board of trustees since 1995.]

The Southern Environmental Center is a co-manager of
the Turkey Creek Nature Preserve.

And my friend and Mr. Birmingham Tom Cosby, below, is championing one of my favorite big ideas: extending the Appalachian Trail to Alabama. He has shown me where the trailhead will start at Flagg Mountain, about 20 miles south of Sylacauga.

So, let’s think big, Birmingham!

• • •

Hugh Hunter is owner of Hunter Photography and partner in Hunter Films, both based in Birmingham.

• Website | Facebook | Twitter @hughbudhunter | LinkedIn

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Photo: Shannon (CC)

The Sloss Music and Arts Festival launched earlier this year.
While new events can enrich city life, many residents continue
to lack basic services and help.

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By Caperton Gillett

I’d never really considered the future of Birmingham. In my inherent cynicism, I figured that the future of this city would be more or less identical to the present.

It’s not something one likes to discover about oneself.

And I recognize that it’s neither entirely accurate nor entirely founded. Things in Birmingham are changing dramatically for the better. It’s a place to be on purpose. We’re on lists that start with “The Top 10 Places” — and good ones, not like “The Top 10 Places for Competitive Tulip Growers.” A metropolitan area once known for largely for racial tension, record-breaking bankruptcy and obesity (we’re Top 3!) is now a city worth bragging about, and more so seemingly every day.

Birmingham has a legitimate downtown loft district, complete with actual entertainment, culture and nightlife in an area that used to roll up its sidewalks at 9 p.m. Downtown and surrounding areas are filling up with homegrown stores and restaurants, keeping money in the local economy and just giving us a reason to get out and meet our neighbors.

We have parks — nice ones. We have a baseball stadium — a really nice one. The hops? Free as a bird. Landmarks and cultural touchpoints are being restored with an eye to preserving our history instead of ignoring it; our sidewalks are literally teeming with filmmakers and walkers and crawlers of art. We have festivals the way rural towns have agricultural fairs (are we going to start crowning a Miss Cask and Drum? please?), and they’re well attended.

Just as notable as the positive changes are the changes that haven’t been happening. And the people to whom they haven’t been happening.

The ZIP code encompassing the loft district, many civic buildings and much of the new culture and entertainment happens to be the second-poorest ZIP code in Alabama, the seventh-poorest state in the country. The poverty rate surrounding all of those gorgeous luxury lofts is 50 percent; citywide, the rate is just above 30 percent.

Increasingly trendy neighborhoods like Avondale are pushing out crime and unpleasantness to make way for art, quirky bars, home renovation and rising property values. But caught in the tide are some longtime residents who can’t afford to hang with increasingly affluent newcomers. Often, infrastructural issues long unaddressed by the city finally see action once the neighborhood is nice enough to be deemed worth fixing.

The growth and revitalization of these de-vitalized parts of the city isn’t a bad trend. Residents have organized, worked hard and worked consciously to make their neighborhood a better place by reviving dilapidated houses, bringing in local businesses and supporting schools. Avondale is unquestionably a cleaner, safer and livelier neighborhood, thanks to its proponents.

But many neighbors who benefit from it aren’t the ones who made their homes there before it got fancy. “Improving neighborhoods” and “improving life for current residents” aren’t always simultaneous goals.

Issues like poverty must be addressed head-on. If an area is improved by pushing out the impoverished, they aren’t any better off. They’re just … elsewhere.

• • •

Caperton Gillett is a senior copywriter at o2 ideas and a freelance writer.

• Website | Facebook | Twitter @capertong | LinkedIn

• • •

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Video: Ike Pigott reflects on the food movement in Birmingham.

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By Ike Pigott

[Note: video transcript]

The future of Birmingham is food.

So what do I mean by that?

We’re not going to become this agrarian paradise. We’re not going to have urban farming everywhere.

But food is going to be the thing that changes Birmingham and alters its future for the better.

If you think about it, that simple picture I took at the food truck has represented something, for me anyway. It’s one of the areas of the city where you are inclined to see about a third laborers, a third hipsters and a third businesspeople. It’s one of the most egalitarian areas that you’re going to come across in the city.

Every little food truck is like its own little Railroad Park in Birmingham, having just the right mix of people, having a good diverse group of people and having a group of people getting along and communing around something.

It’s been that way for a long time.

And I’m going to take that from the present, and I’m going to go back to the past.

•

More on the Taqueria Guzman Taco Truck.

•

The images of segregation in Birmingham, the images of segregation in the city, often very violent. But the ones that stand out are the ones that seem so innocuous: the restrooms, the lunch counters, where people could be eating together but were prevented from doing so. And that in and of itself was part of the abomination.

But then you look to the future, and I see a future for downtown, I see a downtown that has been trying to grow and trying to build its culture and try to bring people for a very long time.

And what’s the piece that is the linchpin that is really going to spur a renaissance in downtown Birmingham in bringing people in? It’s the Publix — it’s the grocery store, it’s food. You put the kind of food in there that brings people together, and people can’t help but be together.

So there’s your answer: It’s food.

• • •

Ike Pigott is a veteran communicator based in Birmingham who got out of television news and back into life. Now working for Alabama Power, he specializes in corporate communications, but has interests that are all over the place.

• Website | Facebook | Twitter @IkePigott | LinkedIn | Instagram

• • •

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Photo: Ike Pigott (reprinted with permission)

The First Avenue North gas station lot is a gathering place for
fans of the Taqueria Guzman taco truck. Food can be the basis
of a coming together in a city long divided.

Photo: Elizabeth Swift (CC)

A giant crane is a sign of progress along Birmingham’s skyline.
More than 30 projects are under way in or near downtown.

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By Rod Walker

After several decades of decline, the people of Birmingham are finally starting to shed the inferiority complex that so many have felt for so long. We’re seeing cranes on the skyline, the old, long empty buildings being restored with new eateries, music venues, spaces for the arts, for recreation and for residence. We may be on the threshold of living up to the “potential” talked about for so many years.

When state laws changed in 2009 making small breweries possible, a new art form arrived: craft beer. Avondale Brewing Company was the first building block for the renovation of the neighborhood, which now includes several eateries, art galleries and a new music venue, Saturn.

Railroad Park seems to have been the beginning. Then came the Barons’ new stadium. Then more new projects: the Uptown restaurant district; the Westin; the living spaces, restaurants, arts and entertainment in the loft district.

The change now seems to be happening exponentially with more than 30 projects under way in or near downtown, either new construction or renovation. They include the Thomas Jefferson Hotel, the Pizitz building, the Booker T. Washington Insurance building, the Lyric Theatre, the Powell steam plant, the Merita Bread building and the Publix supermarket.

I’m very excited about what Birmingham is becoming. The magic is back, only without the choking pollution and the barbaric racial segregation laws. We should be happy about all the good things without losing sight of lingering challenges.

The first challenge is jobs. What it takes to get new Birminghamians to stay are good-paying, stable careers. For cities like Austin that have experienced rapid growth, many jobs have been in technology. If we could add high-tech jobs to our health care and banking sectors, we would have an easier time attracting transplants.

The second challenge is old perceptions. Many people around the world have a negative perception of this city for several reasons:

• The resistance to the 1960s civil rights movement;
• The horrid air pollution for most of the city’s history;
• The crime wave of the 1990s;
• The fact that it’s located in Alabama, perceived by many to be backward.

The best way to overcome negative stereotypes is to create a new positive image that overshadows the old images. If we try, we can do that.

The last challenge is inequality. Birmingham is much more than just downtown or Avondale or Southside. Neighborhoods such as Ensley, Titusville, North Birmingham, Fountain Heights and Collegeville are just as much a part of this city. We should use our newfound prosperity to improve the lives of all citizens. By upgrading the infrastructure everywhere. By improving public transportation.

People from more prosperous areas of the city should reach out to those in less prosperous areas to help those neighborhoods improve themselves. We should invest in new businesses that provide goods, services and jobs in areas that need them most.

If we keep our heads up, if we never give in to the negativity spouted by some, and if we never forget our neighbors in all parts of the city, the future of Birmingham is brighter than ever!

• • •

Rod Walker is a driver for Yellow Cab and a blogger at Birmingcabbie.

• Website | Facebook | Twitter @RodWalker2 | Instagram

• • •

The full version of this essay and many more are available in the free ebook, “The Future of Birmingham.”

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Photo: Bahman Farzad (CC)

The historic Alabama Theatre has been home to many color
films over the years. It anchors a growing cultural scene
in Birmingham.

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•

By Candie A. Price

I may be showing my age, but when I was younger, I remember watching old movies that boasted a color process called Technicolor. Upon further research, I found the words “candy-colored,” “boisterous” and “lush” used to describe its various effects, moods and sensations.

This process monopolized cinema’s first half-century, accurately producing the full spectrum with amazing results. Although it’s not used nearly as much in today’s filmmaking, the idea of something being in Technicolor intrigues me still.

How do I relate this to Birmingham? As a Philly girl in the South, I am fully aware of Birmingham’s history and need to shed her ugly images, specifically the ruthless acts of domestic terrorism during the civil rights movement. However, 13 years here, I see a Birmingham that is learning, growing and attempting to move forward from her stigma of 1963.

Our city is moving from the black-and-white photos of segregation, hate and racial disunity toward a more welcoming collage in Technicolor. Of course, we have room for improvement in many areas — socio-economic disparity, racial relationships and other issues — that also exist in many cities. Birmingham has a unique opportunity to show the rest of our country, especially in such volatile times, that change, forgiveness, resiliency and vibrancy can happen everywhere, especially in a place formerly dubbed “Bombingham”!

The future of Birmingham is candy-colored, boisterous, lush: a vibrant city wherein people of all walks of life can enjoy the city center; Railroad Park; Uptown; CityFest; a growing foodie scene; neighborhood revitalization via REV Birmingham; museums; top-notch medical research and educational facilities; countless conferences and events for small businesses and entrepreneurs; one of the most philanthropic cities in the country; affordable cost of living; impressive banking center; and a growing diverse cultural climate. Just a few of the strides made in the last five decades.

We still have much work to do, but we are no longer seeing life in Birmingham in terms of black and white. The colors, representing all of our citizens working together and in tandem, can produce a more accurate depiction of what a community should look like. A diverse spectrum, resulting in a dazzlingly rich quality of life for all … in full Technicolor! Our future depends on it, and just like 50 years ago, the world is still watching.

• • •

Candie A. Price provides public relations and marketing services to Christian authors, entrepreneurs, ministries and businesses. Her blogs include Your PR Diva and Philly Girl in the South.

• Website | Facebook | Twitter @YourPRDiva | LinkedIn | Instagram

• • •

Essays from other contributors are available in the free ebook, “The Future of Birmingham.”

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Photo: Liz Parker (reprinted with permission)

Tina, left, and Maya are pet stars on Instagram. They are
among thousands of companion animals in Birmingham.

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By Joey Kennedy

The future of Birmingham has to involve animals. A progressive city — and our city is a progressive one — can’t put animals, especially companion animals, in second place.

A society can be judged on how well it treats its animals. If so, Birmingham would be judged poorly.

Many people dump their dogs and cats in neighborhoods, knowing that somebody is likely to take care of them. Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Animal control is a hell into which they go. Often, they never come out. Animal control officers take strays to the Greater Birmingham Humane Society, where they’re more likely to be adopted than under previous systems. Still, most strays that enter the system are put down. Killed. Doesn’t matter if they’re healthy and adoptable. So many animals come in that they have to be killed for space.

Most animals in Jefferson County taken in by animal control come from the City of Birmingham. Many are pit bulls, the Satan of dogs. That’s a shame, because pit bulls are among the most gentle breeds. Golden retrievers, cocker spaniels and Chihuahuas are much more aggressive. Yet, the pit bull gets that bad rap.

Part of the problem is that pit bulls are used for fighting. Collateral dogs — pugs, cockers, other pit bulls, Labrador retrievers — are used as bait dogs, to make the fighting pits more vicious. I can train pugs to fight; that’s a human flaw, not an animal one.

This happens in Birmingham every day.

So for our future, the city council needs to adopt these measures to make life better for all animals:

An anti-tethering ordinance. Homewood recently passed one, setting a time limit that dogs can be chained outside without supervision. Keeping them on chains 24/7 makes them mean. Birmingham should put limits on how long dogs can be chained outside without adequate food, water and shelter.

A licensing program for pets. Owners who have them spayed or neutered would pay a nominal cost, say $5, for licenses. Those who insist on foregoing this process would pay a much higher fee, $25 to $50.

Feral cat colonies. Instead of ignoring this persistent problem, let’s encourage TRN: trap, neuter and return. This would fund rescue groups to trap these cats, spay or neuter them and release them into their colonies. They won’t reproduce, eliminating the problem.

Recognition of animal rights. We must acknowledge that dogs and cats are sentient beings. They deserve life like we deserve life. They think and plan, feel pain, hope and love. Birmingham’s future must include companion animals as part of the culture and positive benefits of the city. These animals need love, not derision. They need care, not indifference. They know what we’re doing.

No-kill policies. No upside exists for killing thousands of dogs and cats a year when they could be saved. It’s not a budget question; it’s a humanitarian question: Are we humans, or are we something else? The city should include the Greater Birmingham Humane Society in all levels of animal control and care. The organization has the resources and know-how to save these animals from certain death.

We need to treat the city’s animals as we treat ourselves. They want to live. To simply collect and kill them is not what we want the future of Birmingham to be. That’s a cruel future. That’s an unacceptable future. That’s a future of demise for the city we love.

• • •

Joey Kennedy is a Pulitzer-winning editorial writer and a veteran journalist for four decades. He teaches composition and American literature at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, serves as the back-page columnist for B-metro magazine, writes a weekly column for Alabama Political Reporter and is co-founder of Animal Advocates of Alabama.

• Website | Facebook | Twitter @JoeyKennedy | LinkedIn

• • •

Essays from other contributors are available in the free ebook, “The Future of Birmingham.”

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Photos: Christine Prichard. Reprinted with permission.

The Birmingham Barons celebrate winning the Southern League
Championship in 2013, the team’s first year back in Birmingham.

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By Christine Prichard

Nearly all of the innovative things that have popped up in the ’ham since I dropped anchor here in 1997 exist because of creative collaboration.

So many productive partnerships are out there, including Jones Valley Teaching Farm + the Birmingham City Schools + Southern Living and Cooking Light. Or Innovation Depot + UAB + entrepreneurs. Or McWane Science Center + corporate sponsors + volunteers.

Collaboration is what created Railroad Park and Regions Field. Collaboration is at its best during the Sidewalk Film Festival, where the rich talent of our local film production community plus enthusiastic volunteers and filmgoers work together to create one of many celebrated arts events in Birmingham.

Shella Sylla is the founder of Birmingham company Sister Golf,
which teaches the game’s fundamentals to busy professionals.

And think of metro area youth who passionately participate in arts, sports and academic activities. This wouldn’t be possible without the joint efforts of teachers, coaches, parents, volunteers and the students themselves.

Metro Changers, a Birmingham-based nonprofit group,
takes a moment for prayer.

All of these projects, places and people collaborate and thereby create a vibrant community for all who call Birmingham home.

A gala benefitting the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham.

Just think what could happen if this collaborative spirit were more influential in areas where Birmingham needs to improve, such as air quality and mass transportation.

Habitat for Humanity site supervisor Chris Cosby, left, works
with a volunteer while constructing a house in Avondale for
World Habitat Day.

Collaboration is what makes us great and is the future of Birmingham.

• • •

Christine Prichard is a Birmingham-based photographer and photography educator who collaborates with solo entrepreneurs and small businesses to create custom photography, mobile apps and mobile websites.

• Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram

• • •

The full version of this photo essay and many more are available in the free ebook, “The Future of Birmingham.”

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Photo: Rob Briscoe (CC)

Father and daughter go hiking at Red Mountain Park, which
opened in 2012. Children have a wider array of activities in
Birmingham for learning and growing.

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By Angie Cleland

It wasn’t until 2005, when my first daughter was born, that I seriously considered the future of the Magic City and what it would and could offer her and the family that my husband and I were building here. Until this point in my life, my view of my hometown had always been, well, half-empty.

I was a naysayer. I watched the go-getters come and go from a city that lost hope and forgot to look to the future.

No, it wasn’t until my first daughter was born that I realized I wanted more for this city that she would call home. I wanted her to fondly recall the experiences of her youth here. Her birth created in me a new interest in unearthing the magic of our city for her and her generation. I no longer wanted to sit on the sidelines.

So, I started digging in to see what the city already had to offer children and families and created a group for stay-at-home moms like me. I didn’t find too much. I felt this growing need to prove to them that their misinformed perceptions or negative stories about Birmingham weren’t true — even if I didn’t fully believe it myself yet.

Finding events and activities for our children became easier. Our city, my city, was beginning to change. It gave me a renewed sense of pride, one that eventually led to the creation of the site Birmingham Mommy. My weekly events calendar grew, and my family grew, too, with the addition of twins. New places to take the children were opening left and right. I was giddy, and my kids were as well.

Having seen what nearby cities were doing reaffirmed for me that our town, too, was full of potential — we just needed a little more guidance and direction. We needed the right people in place to push us, people who would not give up when their ideas were met with resistance and skepticism.

With a new generation of doers and makers and leaders in place, we’ve witnessed the emergence of the Lyric Theatre, Regions Field and Railroad Park. We’ve enjoyed new breweries like Avondale and Good People, and watched in delight as the food scene has exploded with restaurants like El Barrio and Bamboo on 2nd and Post Office Pies.

Thanks to local artists, we’re sporting our cool new T-shirts that profess our love for the “’ham.” We go to food festivals to support our growing food truck scene, we take in concerts at venues like Iron City and Saturn.

For the first time in a long time, people are actually participating. And as a result, local businesses are thriving.

One of my most favorite things to do with my kids is make a summer bucket list. We used to spend a lot of time away from Birmingham marking the activities off of our list. While “riding a dolphin” might not be possible here (yet!), zip-lining through Red Mountain Park, rock climbing at First Avenue Rocks and cooling off at Alabama Splash Adventure are all within reach.

Now, when I see the Birmingham in which my children are growing up, I’m amazed and proud of all they can experience here. This makes my little Birmingham heart very happy … and maybe more than just half-full.

• • •

Angie Cleland is owner and co-founder of the website Birmingham Mommy.

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• • •

The full version of this essay and many more are available in the free ebook, “The Future of Birmingham.”

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Photo: Fiesta (reprinted with permission)

Dancers entertain the audience at Fiesta in Linn Park. Cultural festivals showcase the diversity and the stories of Birmingham’s communities.

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By Teresa Zúñiga Odom

“Festivals ask the audience to be a player, a protagonist, a partner, rather than a passive spectator.”

— David Binder, Broadway producer in his 2012 TED Talk

So many exciting festivals in Birmingham each year draw diverse attendees: Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), the Chinese New Year Festival, Sidewalk Film Festival, the Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival, Oktoberfest. We brought our own event into the mix in 2002.

At the time, I was a board member of the Hispanic Business Council, part of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (now the Birmingham Business Alliance). A few of us were looking for a way to raise scholarship money for Hispanic students in Alabama. A business idea quickly turned into a nonprofit event when we realized how many misconceptions people had about the Hispanic community, from both a business and a societal perspective. That discussion gave birth to Fiesta, the state’s premier Hispanic cultural festival.

The Hispanic population in the Birmingham region was exploding, but the myth was that everyone who speaks Spanish was from Mexico, ate tacos and listened to mariachi music. Creating a festival got our creative juices flowing on ways to educate the non-Hispanic community about the many cultures of Alabama’s Latino community in a relatable way.

Every diverse group experiences misperceptions and struggles with finding ways to explain them to others. For the founding board members, the idea of educating others about these misperceptions through Fiesta compelled us. We felt like a mini-Hispanic United Nations.

Today’s festivals celebrate diversity and multiculturalism. Everyone involved in Fiesta takes pride in pulling it together each year and gathering feedback from all groups to improve it constantly. Putting on the event has had some unexpected benefits in its 13-year history.

One section of Fiesta is the Cultural Village, where booths each represent a country with personal artifacts, food and music. To me, this is the most colorful part, the corazón (heart) of the event. The number of people who experience the stories of these Latino community members never ceases to amaze me.

I especially love hearing conversations with a true give-and-take. One year, I overheard a young woman speaking to the gentleman who pulled the Peruvian booth together. She recounted her visit to the Incan citadel Machu Picchu, only to discover that he had never been. She couldn’t believe it, and he asked her if she had ever visited the Statue of Liberty.

Her face changed, growing a little embarrassed as she said no. A few seconds later, they were both laughing and talking about assuming things and sharing more stories about Peru, travel and culture. This scene is typical. Educating through stories is a valuable part of festivals.

Fiesta and other festivals in our city prove to us how great we can be as a community. Find your festival, and let it give you hope. Share your story, and listen to others. Dance, eat and laugh together. Do your part in positively shaping the diversity of Birmingham.

• • •

Teresa Zúñiga Odom is an energy expert training coordinator at Alabama Power, a blogger at Southern Señora and a founding board member of Fiesta.

• Website | Facebook | Twitter @TeresaZOdom | LinkedIn | Instagram

• • •

The full version of this essay and many more are available in the free ebook, “The Future of Birmingham.”

All you need to do is fill out this simple form. We’ll email you a link to download the book. (And, at no extra charge, we’ll add you to the mailing list for the free Y’all Connect newsletter.)

• • •

Read more essays in our special 10th anniversary series, The Future of Birmingham.