Category Archives: Guest blogger

Guest blogger, What's great about Birmingham

What I found while walking in downtown Birmingham

May 23, 2016 David Sher Leave a comment

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is Charles Kinnaird. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

We are bombarded with news of political discord at the local, state, and national level. One can get disheartened watching news broadcasts these days, wondering if we can safely navigate the political shoals ahead. Recently I found a place where everything seemed to be working, in spite of what the news media may report.

Continue reading What I found while walking in downtown Birmingham →

Guest blogger, Race relations

Why a divided Birmingham can’t survive

May 9, 2016 David Sher 1 Comment

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is Maury Shevin. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

There are two Birminghams.

At least two.

The historical reason for our two Birminghams is known to most of us. Our history of racial segregation and economic colonialism is pretty widely known. The result of Birmingham operating under those conditions for nearly all of its first 100 years, has left people of good intentions trying to overcome a terrible legacy–a legacy of unprincipled abuse leads to a world of fear and doubt and mistrust.

How can any white man, in a suit, be trusted? Continue reading Why a divided Birmingham can’t survive →

Guest blogger, What's great about Birmingham

You won’t believe my experience riding a Birmingham bus!

April 25, 2016 David Sher 7 Comments

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is Malcolm Carmichael. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

A few months ago I discussed with some friends (all of us well over 65) how we might get around Birmingham if/when we could no longer drive.

“We’d take the bus,” one replied and we all laughed. None of us had ridden a public bus since the 1960’s. We also didn’t seem to know anyone who rode the bus.

The members of my transportation discussion group all live in Mountain Brook or Vestavia. “Let’s take some field trips,” I said. “Let’s catch the bus in our neighborhoods and go downtown for lunch.”

They looked at me as if I’d suggested we all get root canals. Continue reading You won’t believe my experience riding a Birmingham bus! →

Guest blogger, What's great about Birmingham

We moved from the suburbs to Avondale and love it

April 11, 2016 David Sher 4 Comments

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is Claire Parker. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

It was the energy.

The energy we felt when we drove in to the city for dinner, music, theater, walking or picnics. That energy drew us in frequently, and ultimately we moved in to Avondale from the suburbs over a year ago.

It’s been everything we were looking for and much more. Continue reading We moved from the suburbs to Avondale and love it →

Guest blogger, What's great about Birmingham

Birmingham hits a grand slam homerun!

March 28, 2016 David Sher Leave a comment

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is Jeb Stewart. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

Birmingham’s spirit as a comeback town has been well-reflected by the attendance last season at Regions Field, as the Barons set another record at the turnstiles.

The final attendance total was 444,639, making it second-highest regular season in franchise history behind the “Michael Jordan Year” of 1994 (467,867). 2015 also marked the third year in a row where the attendance topped the previous year. Continue reading Birmingham hits a grand slam homerun! →

Guest blogger, UAB, What's great about Birmingham

Children’s of Alabama: the 10th busiest pediatric center in America

March 7, 2016 David Sher 1 Comment

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is Mike Warren. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

After having been at Children’s of Alabama for over eight years, I want to share some thoughts.

Over 100 years ago a small group of dedicated volunteers recognized a great community need and began what would become Children’s of Alabama.

I think our organization today would make them extremely proud as we have grown to be a tremendous asset for the health of children throughout Alabama and the surrounding area. Continue reading Children’s of Alabama: the 10th busiest pediatric center in America →

Government structure, Guest blogger

Birmingham: Can we all get along?

February 22, 2016 David Sher 1 Comment

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is Willie Chriesman. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

“Can We All Get Along?”

It was a desperate cry from the late Rodney King who spoke those words in the wake of the Los Angeles riots of 1992.

But too often when that question is asked of local government leaders around here, the answer seems usually to be “no.” Continue reading Birmingham: Can we all get along? →

Guest blogger, What's great about Birmingham

A new generation of dreamers ready to build a dynamic Birmingham

February 8, 2016 David Sher 4 Comments

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is Matt Hottle.

If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

Recently, Comeback Town published an article from an anonymous author that was very critical of Birmingham and its prospects for the future.

I’m not quick to publicly criticize anyone’s opinion but this article bothered me because it was only offered anonymously and appeared to be written from a poorly informed viewpoint. Continue reading A new generation of dreamers ready to build a dynamic Birmingham →

Government structure, Guest blogger

Let’s step out of our ‘Little Kingdom’ and unite for a better Birmingham

January 25, 2016 David Sher 10 Comments

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham

Today’s guest blogger was written by a commenter who calls him/herself ‘bhamthoughts’.

(ComebackTown generally does not publish anonymous blogs–but it’s difficult to find people willing to include their name when the content may be perceived as negative.)

If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

I am not from here.

I wasn’t born or raised here, I didn’t go to a school that starts with an “A,” and you wouldn’t know my parents if they were standing right in front of you.

I am one of those rare people who have moved TO this city from somewhere else. Now that I have been here a while, it’s no wonder our city isn’t growing and competing with the Nashvilles and Charlottes of the world.

Everything I mention below comes from a good place, these are just the realities of our community that we need to overcome if we ever want to grow like the rest of the country. Continue reading Let’s step out of our ‘Little Kingdom’ and unite for a better Birmingham →

Guest blogger, What's great about Birmingham

What if we could dramatically cut the number of homicides in Birmingham?

January 11, 2016 David Sher 1 Comment

Christopher Nanni President & CEO Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham — Christopher Nanni, Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham.

Chief A.C. Roper Birmingham Police Department — Chief A.C. Roper
Birmingham Police Department

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

Today’s guest bloggers are Christopher Nanni and Chief A.C. Roper.

If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

If you could prevent people from killing others, would you do something about it?

This is the question that the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham asked itself in 2014. The Foundation encountered a strategy being implemented around the country with dramatic results: reducing homicides by up to 40% while at the same time decreasing incarceration, building police legitimacy, and offering those deemed the most likely to kill or be killed a way out.

Sound too good to be to be true? Continue reading What if we could dramatically cut the number of homicides in Birmingham? →

To begin a conversation about a better Birmingham