I have a lot to say about Birmingham. Often when you hear the words "Birmingham, Alabama," it brings up images from the civil rights era... segregation, violence, bigotry, prejudice, etc. That is precisely why I wanted to visit this town. What is Alabama really like nowadays?
Some of you may know that I was the editor for a short documentary about the LGBT community in Birmingham called, Out in Alabama. I'm going to go ahead and plug it here. As often is the case with post production work, I didn't get to be out in the field shooting. But after seeing all of the footage, I really wanted to go down there and see it for myself (another shout-out to the film's director, Ms. Bonnie, for hooking me up with a place to stay!). Keep reading for my Birmingham likes and dislikes.
I mentioned in my first post about Birmingham that I hit a crazy thunderstorm while driving down from Memphis, but once it cleared up, the landscape was beautiful. What wasn't so beautiful was encountering a huge Mack truck with a Confederate flag taped to the front grill. That wasn't a good start. DISLIKE #1.
DISLIKE #2: Not just in Birmingham, but in most of the Southern towns I visited, there are no recycling programs. It pained me every time I had to throw a Coke can into a garbage can.
LIKE #1: Beers are like 3 bucks! Love it.
LIKE #2: The progressive recognition of the town's history. I spent most of my one full day at the Civil Rights Institute downtown. This place is very interesting and thorough. HOWEVER, I was a little disturbed by the exclusion of Malcolm X and the role of the Black Panthers. The only mention was of Malcolm X's assassination in 1965.
The museum is across the street from the 16th Street Baptist Church, the site of the 1963 bombing that killed four little girls. Also across the street is Kelly Ingram Park, where the Children's Crusade (also called Project "C") took place and where schoolchildren were sicced with attack dogs and high-powered hoses at the behest of Bull Connor, a man infamous for his inflated ego, who villainized an entire class of people, and used excessive force and coarse vitriol to get what he wanted (whoa, history does indeed repeat itself). The park now has monuments and signs dedicated to these events, which make the heavy weight of its dark history all the more palpable.
Signs paraphrasing the timeline of historical events are scattered all around downtown, which may not seem all that significant, but I think they are quite powerful. I really dig how the choice was made to remember everything that happened in this city and to educate the public, rather than to try and bury it. That's a lot more than other areas in the South can say (ahem, Texas). I was happy that I didn't see any of that bullshit about the Civil War being about state sovereignty, when we all know that it was about another word that starts with an "s," ends in a "y," and has a "v" in there. Anyway.
Now, while I'm getting political, do I really want to delve into race? I suppose all I will say is that I didn't see much of a diverse spectrum (that doesn't mean there isn't one, I just didn't see it in the limited time I was there). What I saw was Black and White, with very few greys.
After the Civil Rights Institute, I checked out Reed's Books, which is an impressive literature junkyard run by this very nice old man. If you're a book junkie, definitely make a stop here. Then go take a nap at Railroad Park (I created a habit of evening naps in the park on this trip).
Okay, now for the nightlife! First stop: A gay club called The Quest. This was an interesting experience. First, this place requires a "Quest card" to get in. I don't know what that entails exactly because the bouncer gave me one for free because I have a California I.D. and he is from California originally. Once inside, some curious people-watching ensued. I won't get into it, but I will share one conversation with a creepy-ass dude:
[Creepy Dude sits down right next to me, when there are about 15 other free seats around the bar]
Creepy Dude: "You're a female, right?"
[I roll my eyes and turn away]
Creepy Dude: "Just have to ask..."
Me: "You don't have to ask."
[Creepy Dude continues asking me questions about my relationship status and proceeds to explain his companionship goals]
Only Other Lesbian in the Bar Who is Twice My Age: "Don't engage, honey! Fucking crazy..."
[Creepy Dude leaves]
I don't know what it is about the South and not being able to discern gender.
Second stop: A drag bar called Al's on Seventh. This place is featured in Out in Alabama, so I wanted to experience it for myself. Granted, it was a good time, but something struck me that would continue to strike me in other cities on my trip... I'll be blunt... The drag shows are not nearly as entertaining as the New York drag scene. I guess it makes sense, New York being really competitive and all. But I was disappointed by the levels of energy and creativity that I saw. Call me a drag snob. See video example below.
And that concludes my epic post about Birmingham. Next stop: N'Awlins. Okay, okay, I promise to never pronounce it like that again.
Onward,
Chris