Birmingham, AL/Birmingham, UK... What's the Difference?

Damocles

Damocles

Accedo!
Staff member
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/7560392.stm

Chiefs admit Brum skyline mix-up

Birmingham City Council has admitted sending out leaflets which showed its US namesake's skyline instead.

About 720,000 pamphlets praising Brummies for their recycling were sent around the city at a cost of £15,000.

But instead of showing landmarks such as the Rotunda and the new Selfridges building, it showed downtown Birmingham, Alabama, instead.

Jon Cooper, 37, who spotted the error, said the council had thanked him for pointing out the mistake.

Mr Cooper, of Kings Norton, Birmingham, said he had been left puzzled by the leaflet which was pushed through his letterbox.

More at link...
 
One also carries the nickname The Magic City, and one does not.
 
Epicurus said:
One is 75% black, and one is not.

I was raised in one, and have never been to the other.
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You are from the Magic City?? You know, nothing has done as much for B'hams image as the I-459 bypass.
 
Solitary said:
You are from the Magic City?? You know, nothing has done as much for B'hams image as the I-459 bypass.
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Gotta love the constant state of roadwork.

What most people think of when they hear Birmingham is our checkered past. It's amazing how many whites have fled the city limits for the suburbs. The city used to around 30% black, now with most of the whites escaped to suburbia it is just under 75%.

It's a great city, despite its history. Growing up, my friends and I spent all our free time in the Five Points. There are still plenty of kids who grow up racist, but there is a growing bloc of younger people who, like myself, were raised among the black population and taught to respect them as our equals.

I had black friends from the time I could speak, and graduated from a highschool that was 83% black. If everyone in Alabama had grown up like I did, there would be fewer racists.
 
Epicurus said:
Gotta love the constant state of roadwork.

What most people think of when they hear Birmingham is our checkered past. It's amazing how many whites have fled the city limits for the suburbs. The city used to around 30% black, now with most of the whites escaped to suburbia it is just under 75%.

It's a great city, despite its history. Growing up, my friends and I spent all our free time in the Five Points. There are still plenty of kids who grow up racist, but there is a growing bloc of younger people who, like myself, were raised among the black population and taught to respect them as our equals.

I had black friends from the time I could speak, and graduated from a highschool that was 83% black. If everyone in Alabama had grown up like I did, there would be fewer racists.
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I grew up in a similar situation about 60 miles west of you.

Actually, I think racism is dying for that very reason.
 
Not often I can agree with both Solitary AND Epicurus! I grew up in West End, about 3 blocks from what we called "the colored quarters" ...low rent housing projects. One of my best friends growing up, lived there, and we would meet in between at this other guy's house to play, he was Jewish. To us, there was no 'racial strife' or tensions, we were just kids playing together, never thought anything of it. I remember my black friend wasn't allowed to come to my birthday party, his mom wouldn't let him. It was the first time I ever realized there was a 'racial problem'... I was 8 years old.

I have often argued, people from our generation, who grew up in Birmingham in the 60's, are far less 'racist' than the rest of America, precisely because of what we grew up with. The stigma attached to 1960's Birmingham made us constantly aware of racism, and more socially conscious of our own prejudices. Witnessing first-hand, the fire hoses in the streets, and the turmoil, gave us a unique perspective and shaped our own viewpoints and awareness for the better.
 
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