The Gentrification of Birmingham, Alabama

William C. Anderson @ Truthout - The city that raised me is changing. Over the years I have watched Birmingham, Alabama, transform in many different ways. My hometown periodically captures the nation's attention during discussions about civil rights or its high murder rate. I recently saw images of Birmingham appear frequently during the uprisings in Ferguson, Missouri. People made comparisons to Jim Crow Birmingham without really knowing much about the city today. It's a city that has often displayed abandonment, disrepair and mismanagement. Today, its government is boldly evoking a word of great political significance during this era, stating to the world that the city is moving 50 years "forward." This 2013 proclamation marked the 50th year after 1963, when things were much different. However, some questions about what needs to be changed remain.  Read more.