When Helen McCarrol was called to preach decades ago, she was turned away from the Baptist churches she approached in Birmingham. They didn’t have a place for her, because most Baptist congregations only allow men to become pastors. So Helen went out on her own and founded the Rising Star Holiness Church on Tuscaloosa Avenue. The storefront church stands near the end of a long block, by a gas station, some boarded-up businesses and a few empty lots. Her congregation has remained small– she often preaches to a room full of empty pews– but Pastor Helen holds services few times a week at Rising Star Holiness whether people show up or not.

Listen to our radio episode, Birmingham – The Long Story Short, for more Birmingham stories. Waiting for Her Flock was produced by SOTRU intern Sylvie Kovnat with photography by local artist Dana Smithberg and sound recording by SOTRU Radio Producer Laura Starecheski.

In Birmingham, Alabama, a woman cashed in her savings and dedicated her life to offer free music lessons to underserved children of the city. Al Letson, host of NPR and PRX’s State of the Re: Union, brings us the story of Jeane Goforth and her Scrollworks program.

Be sure to visit our Birmingham page where you can listen to the radio episode, read letters to the city, check out the photos we took during our trip and much more.

There is more to the history of Birmingham, Alabama, than the civil rights struggle. Birmingham was a major iron ore and steel manufacturing capital, and now the Red Mountain iron ore mine is being turned into a park for people to explore the history of mining and the subtleties of race relations. Al Letson, host of NPR and PRX’s State of the Re: Union, reports on the story of Red Mountain.

Be sure to visit our Birmingham page where you can listen to the radio episode, read letters to the city, check out the photos we took during our trip and much more.

SOTRU visits Gip’s Place, an old Alabama juke joint. Run by Henry Gipson, the 90-something year old owner, Gip’s Place is legendary in the blues world, slowly healing the racial wounds of the past through music.

Birmingham is a place that can’t escape its history—especially the painful parts. Almost fifty years later after the tragedies and triumphs of the civil rights era, Birmingham is still a community trying to put itself back together. Some have started trying to unearth the city’s past and face it. To do that, people are looking beyond the civil rights era: from slavery to vaudeville, and from Birmingham as a steel town to its post-industrial future.

We would love to hear what you think about our newest episode, Birmingham – The Long Story Short. Go ahead, give us what you got! Simply comment below to get the conversation started.