Leaving Birmingham

I grew up in Birmingham and remember many of the same experiences, so it was like talking (or listening) to an old friend.

I had a reason and desire to read this book because I grew up in Birmingham, lived in the same neighborhood vicinity as the author, and graduated from the same high school as the author. Mr. Hemphill was a good writer, especially since he essentially taught himself to be a writer, and his perspective and history of Birmingham in the years leading up to the pivotal sixties is well done. At times I felt like I was still back home in my backyard in Woodlawn as I read the book and remembered the same streets, places and people that he describes there. Mr. Hemphill's chapter that outlines the history and foundation of Birmingham and the explanations for the behaviors and events that followed are as good as anything I have yet read about the city, and that includes Diane McWhorter's prize winning book about her home town of Birmingham, "Carry Me Home", published a few years ago. But, Ms. McWhorter grew up "over the mountain" and not "down in the valley" as I did and Mr. Hemphill did so his perspective is much more real and personalfor me, as good as her book was and is. If you are a native of Birmingham, "Leaving Birmingham" is a must read. And even if you are not a native, it is compelling for those who enjoy and appreciate a good history and a good autobiography as well.

I decided to read this book for purely personal motives. Having been raised in California by a father who grew up in Birmingham in the early twenties and thirties, I had a desire to understand this man, my father, who seemed at times to have such radical world views. Reading Paul Hemphill's story, specifically the retelling of details of growing up in a working class family, including the bigoted views his father held, helped me to understand the world that molded many whites prior to the civil rights movement. When chosing this book, I wasn't looking for a dry detailed history but rather an insiders view of what this world of "Birmingham, Alabama" must have been like growing up. Why it created such biogtry? And How can we continue to change? Paul Hemphill, through this book, helped me to understand, what kind of a world Birmingham was, and how it shaped and molded the people who grew up there.

This book was required reading for my Civil Rights class. Although at times a bit too detailed and tangent prone, Hemphill's style is very gripping and kept my attention. The way in which the formation and development of Birmingham is disussed, enterpreted, and explained is superb. Hemphill does an excellent job of juxtaposing the racial, economic, and social climate that evolved and gripped the city of Birmingham throughout the years. I would consider this autobiography of sorts a must read for any person interested in issues pertaining to the Civil Rights Movement. Just get through the few dry parts, the rest is well worth the read!

In 1963 Alabama was the site of racial violence: native Hemphill decides here to return to his hometown, to come to terms with his family and life. Leaving Birmingham probes the ethnic relationships in Birmingham past and present, providing an intriguing analysis of the tensions and present-day life.