Birmingham

Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama, and one of the largest cities of attraction for tourists and the largest industrial center in the South, due to its use of cheap labor including slavery, and eventually non-unionized African American labor which helped it compete in the industrial market after the city's founding after the Civil War. The population according to the 2010 census is a bit over 200,000, while the metropolis area surrounding and including the city has a population of just over one million.

The city experienced rapid growth after its founding, and later experienced a large decline in population due to the civil rights movement, which was part of the "white-flight" phenomenon. Birmingham was founded in 1871 by the Elyton Land Company, with the hopes that it would become the industrial center that it would eventually grow to be in the late 1900's-giving it the nickname "The Magic City" due to its quick and prosperous growth.

Birmingham was a large center during the civil rights movement, and is home to the jail that Martin Luther King Jr. penned his famous letter "Letter from Birmingham Jail" in. The protests in Birmingham became violent, giving the city the persona of "Bombingham" for a time in the 60's.

Although white flight has extended to the present, Birmingham is currently undergoing a sort of revitalization or rebranding in hopes of sparking the economy and tourist market of the city. Since "The Magic City" is used by other cities and municipalities, Birmingham is being renamed "The Diverse City" as a fresh tagline. The rebranding is being fore-fronted by the company Big Communications Inc.

The city has many notable buildings, universities, museums, and events centers. Here is a list that doesn't cover close to all Birmingham has to offer.

Woodlow High School

The Inside of Alabama Theatre

The Wells Fargo Tower

Birmingham's Skyline

The gay population in Birmingham has an organized community with many events, including an eight day gay pride festival spread across the city at different venues and streets.


Here's some statistical data on Birmingham according to the 2010 Census (however accurate that may be)

Population

Total Population

455,278

Housing Status
( in housing units unless noted )

Total	215,938
Occupied	185,270
Owner-occupied	108,439
Population in owner-occupied ( number of individuals )	263,512
Renter-occupied	76,831
Population in renter-occupied ( number of individuals )	178,321
Households with individuals under 18	57,248
Vacant	30,668
Vacant: for rent	12,960
Vacant: for sale	4,387

Population by Sex/Age

Male	213,016
Female	242,262
Under 18	106,309
18 & over	348,969
20 - 24	35,484
25 - 34	66,886
35 - 49	85,652
50 - 64	87,900
65 & over	59,265

Population by Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino	19,976
Non Hispanic or Latino	435,302

Population by Race

White	182,559
African American	249,864
Asian	4,828
American Indian and Alaska Native	1,146
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	180
Other	11,803
Identified by two or more	4,898

Sources: 

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/66649/Birmingham

The Most Segregated City in America: City Planning and Civil Rights in Birmingham, 1920-1980


http://bplonline.cdmhost.com/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p4017coll8/id/1356


http://www4.samford.edu/schools/artsci/scs/davis.html


 http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,986714,00.html


http://birmingham.patch.com/topics/Gay+Rights


http://centralalabamapride.org/Home.php


http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2006/07/17/smallb1.html?jst=s_cn_hl