Yes, Birmingham has one of the highest crime rates in Alabama — but numbers without context are incomplete.

• Violent Crime: High in areas like Ensley and North Birmingham, but driven by decades of disinvestment, underemployment, and lack of youth resources — not the people themselves.

• Education Inequity: Birmingham City Schools are underfunded compared to surrounding suburban districts. Over 85% of students are Black, and many schools lack basic infrastructure.

• Housing & Employment: Gentrification is displacing longtime residents in neighborhoods like Avondale and Woodlawn, while job access remains unequal for residents in West Birmingham.

But that’s only part of the story.

Birmingham is full of leaders and organizations who refuse to wait for change and they’re making it happen.

Build UP Ensley

A tuition-free high school and workforce development program giving youth skills in construction, financial literacy, and homeownership. Students literally rebuild their neighborhoods — and their futures.

The Dannon Project

Helps formerly incarcerated people and at-risk youth gain jobs, stability, and purpose. Their motto: “Helping people become productive citizens.”

Urban Impact Birmingham

Revitalizes historic Black business districts like 4th Avenue, while supporting Black-owned businesses and cultural preservation.

These are the real investments being made — not by big developers, but by the community itself.

Birmingham is often painted with a single brush: crime, poverty, dysfunction.

But walk through the city and you’ll see something else:

• Murals in Avondale

• Spoken word at Ensley Live Loft

• Food trucks in Railroad Park

• Protest marches and voter drives downtown

• Families rebuilding homes that were once abandoned

This is a city that birthed the Children’s March, trained the nation’s civil rights warriors, and still knows how to rise.

Birmingham is a symbol — not just of history, but of what happens when we stay, rebuild, and reclaim our stories.

This page is for:

• Visitors who want to see the real city, not just the brochure version

• Investors who care about ethical development and Black communities

• Activists and educators who believe in people-powered change

• Visit neighborhoods beyond downtown — support Black-owned shops and restaurants.

• Invest in local nonprofits — your dollars matter more here.

• Share this page — help shift the narrative.

• Listen to local voices — then act with intention.