Ensley
WBHM selected to be part of America Amplified initiative
WBHM has been chosen as one of only 20 stations nationwide to be part of national initiative called America Amplified that prioritizes meaningful in-person and online engagement in order to build trust, expand audiences and deepen the impact of public media journalism.
Turning Red Line Green: Virtual Conference Brings Attention To Underserved Areas
In the past, certain areas of Birmingham that were up for redevelopment faced discriminatory practices by banks and insurance companies. Some bankers, regulators, developers and entrepreneurs want to change that.
Opportunity Zones Pull Investors Into Low-Income Areas
Alex Flachsbart’s business cards were hot properties at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tuesday after his presentation to the County Commission about opportunity zones in the area.
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.
Questions Surround Mayor’s Plan for Ensley Tower
Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald discusses plans to renovate a vacant building in downtown Ensley.
The Junction: The Parsonage Bombing
Ensley residents who remember that tragic event and the role the community played in the civil rights movement say this rich history is important today as Ensley looks toward revitalization.
The Junction Listening Party, Oct. 30
Whether you call Ensley home or you’re an outsider who wants to learn more about this vibrant community, please join us for a FREE event on Sunday, October 30th from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Ensley Soho to hear stories from the WBHM 90.3 FM series and discuss Ensley’s past, present, and future. Where: Ensley Soho, […]
A Look at the Struggling Neighborhoods of Birmingham’s West Side
Communities like Ensley, West End and Fairfield were commercial hubs during the industrial heyday of the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Weld for B’ham on Living Beyond the Headlines, West of I-65
When you hear “Ensley,” or “Brighton,” or “West End,” what comes to mind? Many people who work, live, and raise families on the west side of Birmingham want you to know there’s more to life there than the crime and other problems that fill so many news reports.
The Junction: Oasis Gardens Ensley
In an alley in downtown Ensley, Hank Layman is transforming a parking lot into something that’s been missing from the community for years: a garden.
The Junction: Sebastian Kole
Birmingham native Sebastian Kole spoke with producer Mary Quintas about his connection to Ensley, how it informs his music, and the positive changes he sees in the community.
The Junction: We Won’t Be Next
After police shootings and racially-charged murders this month, the national conversation is once again focused on the fraught relationship between police and black communities. To address these tensions, The Birmingham City Council recently hosted a forum in Ensley called “We Won’t Be Next.” Rachel Osier Lindley brings us the latest in our series, The Junction: […]
The Junction: Stories from Ensley, Alabama – Janice Houston Nixon
In 1967, 12-year-old Janice Houston Nixon decided to transfer from the all-black school in her native Ensley, to an all-white school nearby. Nixon was inspired to do so by her sister, integration pioneer Carolyn Houston Crumbley Major, who we profiled in a previous episode of The Junction: Stories from Ensley, Alabama. In this latest installment of the […]
The Junction: Stories from Ensley, Alabama — Holy Family Cristo Rey High School
Fair or not, the words "Ensley" and "success" don't often appear together in local media reports. But tucked among vacant buildings and weedy lots a few feet from an Interstate, there's a high school with a college acceptance rate most suburban schools would envy. For the latest chapter of "The Junction: Stories from Ensley, Alabama," education reporter Dan Carsen talks with the people making it happen to find out how this school works.
The Junction: Stories From Ensley, Alabama – An Integration Pioneer
In 1965, Carolyn Houston Crumbley Major became the first African-American graduate of Ensley High School. Producer Mary Quintas spoke with Carolyn's son, Rafaael Crumbley, and sister, Janice Houston Nixon, about Carolyn's contributions as an integration pioneer - and what her legacy means today.
Help Choose The Logo for The Junction!
The teen graphic design students of Ku'umba Community Arts created logo options for The Junction. Get to know the designers behind the logos, and help choose the official logo for The Junction!
WBHM Launches New Series Exploring Birmingham’s Ensley Community
Public Radio WBHM 90.3 FM launches “The Junction: Stories from Ensley, Alabama” this week. To many people outside of the community, Ensley is merely a crime-ridden, impoverished place. Through radio features and multimedia stories on junctionstories.com, project creator Mary Quintas goes beyond the quick crime reports to explore what life is like in Ensley according […]
The Junction: Stories From Ensley, Alabama. Episode 1
WBHM is one of 15 stations chosen for Localore: Finding America – a national initiative to expand public media. Over the next several months, WBHM will bring you “The Junction: Stories from Ensley, Alabama” – a project created by independent producer Mary Quintas.
Voices from Birmingham’s History: Flooding Along Village Creek in Ensley
Birmingham is in a valley, resting at the foothills of the Appalachians. The city’s creeks collect water running down from the mountains and filter it through the floodplains. Last week, WBHM reported on developers today taking a new interest in the 1925 Olmsted Plan for parks and green space in Birmingham. The Olmsted Plan preserved the city's major tributaries, specifically those of Village and Valley Creek.
Holy Family Cristo Rey School
The dropout rate in Birmingham city schools is nearly three times the state average, leading some parents to consider more costly alternatives to public education. One school in Birmingham is making the option available to families that otherwise couldn't afford a private education.
