What is this?

I’ve lived in Birmingham for over 20 years and I love living here. In my line of work, I talk to people all over the country and when I tell them I live here one of the first things they say is, “You don’t have an accent!” There is a perception of this city: that we’re racist, stupid, redneck. When someone is told they’re stupid for so long, they start to internalize that message. They start believing it.

Part of my job is to recruit software developers to work for my company. When I talk to someone outside of the city to try to convince them to relocate I inevitably get the question, “Why would I want to live in Birmingham?” That’s frustrating, to say the least. So, I initially conceived of the WhyBHM project as a marketing and recruitment effort.

But then I sat down with my friend Wade over coffee. Wade is a trained journalist and is excellent at asking the right questions to delve deeper into an idea. After 30 minutes with him, I realized that the project didn’t focus on what others thought of us but of what we think of ourselves. Rather than try to change external perceptions, I want to focus on reinforcing our own self-image and the pride and love we have for this city.

The project is simple. You and I sit down and you tell me your story. There are two questions:

Why did you come to Birmingham?

Why have you stayed in Birmingham?

Answer either or both. And by thinking about your story and telling that story out loud, you’ll remind yourself why Birmingham is such a Magic City.

http://vimeo.com/19851120