Coming to Alabama was a bit of an adjustment. Alabama’s brand of southern is both more rural and more polished than Memphis, or so it would seem. What I knew about Alabama before I started school was beef cattle farming in Cullman County and the affluence of law and finance in Birmingham.
Memphis, my hometown, is a special brand of Southern, a brand I think best described in the Memphis Grizzlies’ unofficial motto “Grit ‘N Grind.” I can’t think of a better word to sum up the feeling of sticky barbecue sauce on your fingers, late-July humidity (which hangs in the air more of the year than not), and Delta blues playing in the background than "grit."
Coming to Alabama was a bit of an adjustment. Alabama’s brand of southern is both more rural and more polished than Memphis, or so it would seem. What I knew about Alabama before I started school was beef cattle farming in Cullman County and the affluence of law and finance in Birmingham. Tuscaloosa likes Nick Saban, but it loves Bear Bryant. We named a major street after him. We named a new integrated high school after him. We know that although September 11 is a day of national mourning, it is also a day to remember the good things that happened in the past (like the date that Coach Paul William "Bear" Bryant was born in 1913). |
Alabama Heritage BLOG
At Alabama Heritage, we owe many of our successes and smooth operations to our fabulous student interns. We hope that with this blog--written mostly by our interns as well as history students from UAB and a few from our own editors--our readers will have an opportunity to get to know the students who bring so much to the table with their enthusiasm, hard work, and expertise! If you're interested in our internship program, check out the details here. Archives
April 2024
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