8/6/2019 Your Story is Mine
1/2april 7, 2011 - april 14, 2011 BIRMINGHAM WEEKLY
WoodlaWn StorieS bringS together a neighborhood.
Your story is minecover story by Sam George
W hv tri. W h thm , rtri r th mt ptt rm th t mmry tk. W rry thm
ru ith u, r-uy pihig hig thm i th tig r-tig, uti thy bm itgr prt
uritity. H my tim hv yu t rut-ig prtiury mmrb xpri ru tb ith ri, r
bm xprt t th m h t yu r th umptth timbut tht tim, ur tht hi try hgr
t?
Br th vt rr mi, try-tig h p ur hitry ,thugh hv rgy uppt
trititrytig ith th tiim Hyr th rig-iuig rubbrkig ritytvii.
Sti, muh I ht t y it, rity tviih it right, i tht r i i t mr
bizrr itig th ythig tht iti uhp t pru. N, i y tvii pruru tp rvig i
hum ith miry, might tuy gt t m itrtig tri th bb-tub.
Sti, try i vr mr pru thh it i big t i pr by th rigitr.Thr i vir
ti tht ur bt trytr thir ui h thy hrmmuity p, mthig th i migrti i i
gr rgttig.
Lukiy, prit rtiv ritigprgrm r ki Drt I SuppyCmpy (DISCO) i rkig
t r-tbihtrytig imprtt utur mium.DISCO, hih i t i BirmighmW ighbrh,
rty riv Krg Art i Birmighm r h t tim i prtrig ith W HighSh t pru
mbitiu prjt Woodlawn Stories.
Chip Brty, DISCO -ur, y thtthi prjt it right i ith thir mii t
brigBirmighm tut pprtuiti t rit. Byritig, tut thik but h thy r,
hthy t t b, ht mttr t thm, h thir try i b t, Brty y. WhiWoodlawn
Stories i t trity ritig prj-t, DISCO i b i W ru by v-utr h, t th mt
bi v, biv tri trytig r imprtt i thmv.
S ht i Woodlawn Stories? Arigt Brty, it muti-t rtiv vrtht bg h
Woodlawn Stories prjtirtr R Pt, h h xpri ith r-rtiv-b mmuity vpmt
prjt,pprh DISCO Chrtt D ith thi. R h rk tui imirprjt r th utry,
iuig SwampGravy, mmuity tri prrm iCquitt, Grgi, Brty y. Chrtt
itrumt i gttig DISCO th gru, h py itrt i mmuity vp-mt i W. Chrtt t
m but it, vr ri vrti, th bi ir th prjt tk hp.
Th prjt brk it thrph, th irt hih ivv rmy vutr rm ith vi mr uirrr
tig tri rm Wtiv. W ry tri t giv mmbr thW mmuitypt prtmy pprtuiti t
t thir tri pib,Brty y, i iti t puttig ut th r tri ith hurh, bui,
h,umi rgizti, ibrri ighbrhiti, h p trytig y tm th m p.
Atr th miv gthrig t mpt, it tim t pr th ub rmt. Thi tk t iv
Woodlawn Stories rgizrNyGub, Tr Lthm, R Pt, Kty Cr J Whityh mt kmth
t trrib th rr mtbb tgthr ript rm th rutTh tri r t rmtiz r itirig t
Brty, th ript i pythr vrrhig rrtiv g vi tht py h i t pu th my vi
Wit ig thr.
Th umiti thi hr i ur thi k t W HSh h 15 tut i prrm tt t r prrm.
Fr th pt mWoodlawn Stories Crtiv Dirtr OMGhh h b rhrig ith thhpig
thm t vi th tri thbrh.
Im vry xit but th t t hW t t hv thi hpMGh y. I thik it ru tth
mmuity, ru thigtut t W, piy th r ivv. I thik it gig t t tvrti.
MGh vi thi prjt tht i hp brig irity t th Wmmuity. Wh pp k thigh
thr, th m th hg-up hv] t t t b imprtt tht vryby gt try, h y. Tt
brig u tgthr.
I k Brty i h h r but th tur W tr h my it tri. W prBirmighm, thr
t pri imuity, v mg th pp h iv hr i g tim, h y. Likmuity, it b
thrugh g bhr t bth. Wv itrvi rm 21-yr- tut h pt thtr t 80-mthig-yr-
t I thik v b truk by th th tri. At th m tim, itt rmi urv tht
itrvipp ut th I-t-k-h-mr prt th W mmuity. thi i b trtig pit, th
utgig trytig i W. Wthikig thi pt yrth 60 triript, th prrm th ugig
trytig prjt i Wur ht rm tht prjt i tk, buhpp.
Brty u th pr rrig . Jut th pr ittirm m itig t hr trit titi, h
rmmbr. Ivr hi i jurim uitrviig pp. Thi xpri irt rm tht ki rk. Firt,
y h prir kg but th r itig t, th quti k h t b gr t irt. S, th uxury
jut itig. W tri t itrvi tr tri y rbibut rt thikig but, rh r gig t u
thi r tht qhr m mzig tri, ht. But hr itt ti thvum. Fr xmp, Bbby
B,mt uu tb h tW High Sh grut, m
8/6/2019 Your Story is Mine
2/2april 7, 2011 - april 14, 2011 BIRMINGHAM WEEK
hi hih hm xt t th tb i tht xtr pit i g u tm rig it hi yr.
N tht th prjt i iy rhig itui, Brty rt bk th pr-. It h brught
tgthr t pp ith mmuity h might t hv tthri, h y. Itrviig pp t-tig up
mmuity trytig y gttigthi prrm tg: A it h rquirbk--rth bt pp h r
butW but h prbby ut hvtk thri. Tht g thig.
The free performances, which will beheld in the auditorium of
Woodlawn HighSchool on Friday, April 8, at 7 p.m. andSaturday,
April 9, at 4 p.m., has been pulled
together with help from ASFA, the CorporateEvents team at
Regions, Urban Cookhouse andMellow Mushroom. For more info, visit
www.desertislandsupplyco.com.
W Stri performers: MiaBillingsly, Tyrone Blackmon, Whittni
Brackett,Charles Brooks, Sharay Brooks, TorilynnDenney, Aaron
Dixon, Markel Marshall,Marvin Marshall, Illyshia Parker,
LaurenParker, Derrel Rhode, Ladarius Smith, MarquisTucker and
LaMetrious Waller.
Sam George is the managing editor ofBirmighm Wky. Please send
your com-ments to [email protected].
Faces of Woodlawn:A few of the folks who provided inspiration
for Woodlawn Stories.Clockwise: Bill Humphrey, Myeisha Hutchinson
and Bobby Bowden.
Photos by T. Scott Carlisle.
