I grew up in the South in the 1950’s.
‘Negroes’ drank from water fountains labeled ‘Colored’; used separate restrooms from whites; and were relegated to sit in the back of buses.
My father owned a small retail store in downtown Birmingham. Continue reading My dad’s struggle to do the right thing in racially charged Birmingham
ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a more prosperous Birmingham.
Today’s guest blogger is UAB Football coach Bill Clark. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.
How special was #theReturn, our first season back as a football team at UAB in 2017? Everything we did was beyond my expectations.
In my wildest dreams, I thought if we won six games it would be a miracle. We won eight, the most victories in our Football Bowl Subdivision history. I said if we can somehow get bowl-eligible, it would really be a miracle. We went to the Bahamas Bowl, just the second bowl trip in our young history. Continue reading Can UAB football continue to astound the experts?
ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a more prosperous Birmingham.
Today’s guest blogger is Chuck Holmes. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.
It happened again.
At WBHM, the public radio station that I lead here in Birmingham, we get occasional visits from our NPR colleagues in Washington, D.C.
After they’ve spent a day or so here, I know what’s coming. The reactions of first-time visitors to Birmingham have become predictable. Continue reading Birmingham: Our possibilities are limitless!
Would Alabama football fans be excited if Nick Saban led Alabama to a last place finish in the SEC?
Would there be a parade?
Would there be cheering?
Would Bama fans be slapping each other on the back and celebrating? Continue reading Did we win the Amazon booby prize?
ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a more prosperous Birmingham.
Today’s guest blogger is Jim Dixon. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.
What makes a city great?
My team should know—we evaluate cities every day.
Our work as real estate developers requires us to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of cities and towns before we ever search for and underwrite development or investment opportunities. Continue reading The rocket fuel that could launch Birmingham!
I recently published a piece titled “Mountain Brook stealing from Vestavia Hills.”
It tells about my clever Mountain Brook friend who smuggles his garbage into the trashcans of a nearby Vestavia Hills’ neighbor because Vestavia picks up garbage more often than Mountain Brook. Continue reading Confusion in Mtn. Brook, Vestavia, Homewood, & Birmingham
ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a more prosperous Birmingham.
Today’s guest blogger is Kashika Narang. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.
Growing up in Birmingham, I had a large comfort zone surrounded by my family, the Indian community, and with the Altamont school of which I attended. Continue reading Birmingham: Not as comfortable as I thought
I apologize for using the word ‘screw’ in the title, but I can’t find a more appropriate term.
Why is there so little job growth in Birmingham? Well, look no further than what appears to be happening in Hoover.
How do you feel about tax increases?
How about tax increases to stab your neighbors in the back? Continue reading We increase our taxes to screw each other
Some of you are probably going to think I’m going to blame Irondale’s financial challenges on its elected officials.
I am not.
I’m not sure there’s a human being alive who could find a painless way for Irondale or many of our other municipalities to avoid financial challenges. Continue reading Why we should worry about what’s happening in Irondale
It was the dark of night.
My Mountain Brook friend slipped down the stairs to his basement, opened his garage door, and quietly pushed his trash container to the street. Continue reading Mountain Brook stealing from Vestavia Hills