White and black parents talked differently to their children

Mike Diccicco
Mike Diccicco

Today’s guest columnist is Mike Diccicco.

I’m a white guy that grew up in the 60’s in Birmingham. Moved there in 2nd grade, left after graduating high school in 1967.

During that whole time, I had one black friend, a kid named Jackie, same age as me, who lived in an old farmhouse a half-mile through the woods from our modest rancher on Lynn Acres Drive in Roebuck. Continue reading White and black parents talked differently to their children →

Are ‘Over-the-Mountain’ Caucasians welcome to Magic City Classic?

John Lyda
John Lyda

Today’s guest columnist is John Lyda.

I have always wanted to attend a Magic City Classic football game between the Alabama A&M Bulldogs and the Alabama State Hornets, the state of Alabama’s two largest historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Year after year I’d find myself once again allowing the Classic weekend to come and go, telling myself, “I’ll go next year”. Continue reading Are ‘Over-the-Mountain’ Caucasians welcome to Magic City Classic? →

Did Birmingham backstab Pelham?

Rendering of proposed downtown Birmingham amphitheater. Source: Corporate Realty
Rendering of proposed downtown Birmingham amphitheater. Source: Corporate Realty

By David Sher

I didn’t expect to be writing a column about the new $50 million amphitheater proposed for downtown Birmingham.

I’m not a politician or business person involved in the project and the only information I have is what I’ve read on-line. Continue reading Did Birmingham backstab Pelham? →

Vestavia geezer stunned by Birmingham’s leap into 21st Century

Malcolm Carmichael
Malcolm Carmichael

Today’s guest columnist is Malcolm Carmichael.

My friend, Mike Buchanan, and I, both mature residents of suburbs south of the city, read the hype and wondered: what’s riding the Xpress really like?

Is it different from the existing bus service we’ve tried with limited success?

What will it accomplish? Continue reading Vestavia geezer stunned by Birmingham’s leap into 21st Century →

Can Birmingham put Humpty Dumpty back together again?

Brenda Starnes
Brenda Starnes

Brenda Starnes is guest columnist today.

I have the unique experience of having lived and worked in Nashville, Charlotte, and Birmingham.

I love Birmingham—that’s why I moved back—but Nashville and Charlotte have one big advantage over Birmingham. Continue reading Can Birmingham put Humpty Dumpty back together again? →

To begin a conversation about a better Birmingham