Arts and Culture
Birmingham Student Puts Braille Skills to the Test
Birmingham-area student Rachel Hyche will compete this weekend in the Braille Challenge. It's her second trip to the finals in Los Angeles.
Living History: Nurse to George Washington Carver an Inventor Herself
Meloneze Robinson of Tuskegee has witnessed history, and as a nurse, she's made some of her own. She cared for inventor George Washington Carver at the end of his life. Fifteen years later, she patented a surgical device after assisting with amputations at the former Tuskegee Veterans Hospital.
An Alternative to Delivering Babies at the Hospital
Alabama has the second-highest infant mortality rate in the nation. And more rural hospitals are closing. Now some physicians and nonprofits say birth centers are a way to provide cheaper and safer prenatal care and delivery.
A Forgotten Civil Rights Battle — Public Libraries
Protests from the civil rights movement centered on lunch counters, buses or the voting booth. But one often forgotten battle was over public libraries.
Museum Exhibit Gives a View of 1930s Birmingham
The exhibit Magic City Realism, a collection of etchings at the Birmingham Museum of Art, shows life in Birmingham during the Great Depression.
When Your Child Isn’t the Child You Expected
Sometimes children turn out differently than parents had hoped or expected. Writer and psychologist Andrew Solomon, author of Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity, looked at how parents manage to find profound meaning in raising exceptional children.
Birmingham Columnist Takes Journalism’s Top Prize
For the first time in eleven years, Birmingham has a Pulitzer Prize winner. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald won the Pulitzer for commentary Monday.
Barons Pick Up the Pace This Season
The Birmingham Barons have their first home game of the season Wednesday against Montgomery. And like many minor league baseball teams, they're implementing some changes to make games faster and more fun to watch.
Apple CEO Commemorates King’s Legacy in Birmingham
Apple CEO and Alabama native Tim Cook returned to his home state today to commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Cook spoke to a diverse group of high school and college students at a Southern Christian Leadership Conference forum at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church.
Cocktails, Costumes, and a James Beard Nomination
The Atomic Lounge serves up costumes and cocktails. The new Birmingham bar is a semifinalist for a James Beard Award.
The Challenges and Triumphs of Foot Soldier Jeff Drew
Jeff Drew was one of the first black students to attend what was then Ensley High School. It was all white, and for students like Drew, it wasn’t easy.
The “Designated University Kid” on the Alabama Community that Raised him
Eric Motley's memoir is something of an ode to Madison Park, Alabama -- a small, African-American community on the outskirts of Montgomery.
Back to Basics with One of Birmingham’s Oldest Food Trucks
The number of food trucks in Birmingham has exploded over the last couple of years. But the Travis Chicago Style no-frills white truck with a red stripe gets high marks from Birmingham residents, particularly African Americans who grew up seeing his truck.
Gwen Webb: From the Children’s March to the Police Force
Gwen Cook Webb was a feisty, freshman cheerleader at Western High School when she was arrested for protesting downtown near Birmingham’s Kelly Ingram Park in the 1963 Children’s Marches. That same spirit propelled Webb to become the second female African American Birmingham police officer.
Number of Hate Groups Increased in 2017
The Southern Poverty Law Center says the number of hate groups in its annual survey rose 4 percent in 2017, spurred in part by an increase of black nationalist groups. At the same time the number of Ku Klux Klan groups dropped significantly.
How a Small Alabama Town Pioneered the First 9-1-1 Call
In January 1968, the FCC and AT&T announced a plan for an emergency telephone number. But the Alabama Telephone Company decided to get out ahead of the feds and set up its own system.
Birmingham’s Noodle Mania
There's been a recent surge in new Birmingham restaurants serving up gourmet noodle bowls like Japanese ramen and Vietnamese pho.
Labor Department Investigation Finds Taziki’s Violated Overtime Rules
The U.S. Department of Labor today announced Taziki’s Mediterranean Café will pay $135,844 to employees after an investigation found the company violated overtime rules.
Violinist Mayumi Masri Not Silenced by Tragic Accident
After an accident that almost severed her arm, an Alabama Symphony Orchestra violinist is working to play as she once did.
Robert Siegel: Looking Back at a 41-Year Career
Friday is the last day for Robert Siegel at NPR. The longtime host of All Things Considered will retire after more than 41 years with the network.
New Initiative Seeks to Preserve Alabama LGBTQ Histories
Invisible Histories Project Alabama is aimed at finding, recording and preserving what the group calls the “always vanishing” stories of LGBTQ Alabamians.
Kids, Dogs and the Culture of Breweries
For WBHM’s food series, “Sound Bites” we look at why breweries have become such popular places for families to spend quality time.
How to Solve Birmingham’s Food Service Worker Shortage
There are too many restaurants in Birmingham and not enough people to staff them.
Miles Hoffman: ‘Random sounds are rarely soothing.’
Miles Hoffman says when it comes to classical music, there’s no substitute for a live performance. Hoffman is Morning Edition’s music commentator, and he’s the founder and artistic director of The American Chamber Players.
New Documentary Highlights Lesbian Struggle for Equality in Alabama
The film follows three lesbian couples, a group that directors say has historically been invisible in Alabama.
California Dreamin’ With a Heart of Dixie: Writer Charlie Wyatt
The Birmingham native has lived in San Diego, California, since the 1960s, but his soul stayed in the South. Wyatt began writing short stories a few years ago, releasing a little bit of that Southern soul in the process.
Musical Healing: ASO’s Izcaray Begins Second Season
A new season of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra kicks off this weekend. The symphony’s music director Carlos Izcaray dealt with quite a bit of personal adversity last season. But he says he was fortunate to have been able to keep working throughout the ordeal. Friday and Saturday’s Masterworks concert includes works by Haydn and Beethoven. We begin […]
Graham Boettcher’s Mission: Breaking Down the Ivory Tower
Graham Boettcher came to Birmingham just over a decade ago and says he's seen vast changes in the city's art scene and culture.
A New Chapter for S-Town Fans
A resident of Woodstock, Alabama developed a project that allows fans of the S-Town podcast to connect the place its set while raising awareness for suicide prevent.
The Voice Behind the Crimson Tide? That’s Eli Gold
Meet the man who is the voice behind the Alabama Crimson Tide. Eli Gold has announced games for the Tide on the radio for almost three decades.
Blazer Fans Eager for the Return of UAB Football
UAB Football fans are eager for the season to start, the first since the program was revived two years ago.
Twists, Fades and Frohawks? Blazer Barbers Have it Covered
UAB Blazers football players don't need to go farther than the locker room for a hair cut. The team has its own barbershop.
