This is an opinion column

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Today’s guest columnist is Michael Sznajderman.

Hey Birmingham. Why do we have such low self-esteem?

Yes, we have a dark history.

Yes, our steamy summers can be trying.

And yes, we’ve got some tough issues that aren’t easily solved.

I could go on.

But it’s our chronic insecurity – the discomfort we display when trying to talk up Birmingham as a pretty phenomenal town – that may be our city’s most troubling problem.

Because, if you ask first-time visitors to Birmingham what they think, they’ll tell you that this is a pretty cool place. Just maybe, we could learn something from them.

Last month, I took in a giant dose of Birmingham-love from thousands of outsiders who came to our city – many of whom had never been here before.

They came for the 2024 Main Street Now conference – an annual gathering of community planners and designers, architects, and others devoted to revitalizing towns and neighborhoods of all sizes, across the United States. The conference was hosted by Main Street Alabama, the coordinating program for Main Street communities in our state.

Typically, Main Street Now chooses cities far larger than Birmingham. Last year, they were in Boston; next year, it’s Philadelphia.

And yet, Main Streeters converged on Birmingham in force, breaking the record for attendance.

The Main Streeters packed a ton into the four days they spent here. Beyond the more than 140 educational sessions at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex and the Alabama Theatre, there were “mobile workshops” (field trips) to rejuvenating communities across central Alabama, as well as expertly-led bus and walking tours of downtown Birmingham, Woodlawn, the city’s historic churches, Sloss Furnaces, and Vulcan Park and Museum.

I was privileged to volunteer at some of the Main Street Now events. I met people from tiny towns in Utah and Colorado, Maine and Montana. I also chatted with folks from big towns, like Atlanta and Milwaukee, Detroit and Miami. To a person, they were blown away by our city and state and the innovative ways towns as diverse as Montgomery and Jasper, Wetumpka and Gadsden are redeveloping and enhancing some of their unique and authentic spaces and places.

As for what they thought of Birmingham, the first-timers I talked with were stunned by our community’s natural beauty, its architecture, its cultural and historic attractions, its expanding parks and greenways, the amazing food, and cool nightspots. They really had no idea.

They had a blast, and were absolutely charmed by our warmth and our hospitality. And, they said, they want to come back.

Again, I’m not saying Birmingham and other Alabama cities and towns – and our state – don’t have challenges. We have plenty of difficult, unresolved issues.

But these visitors reaffirmed for me how Birmingham can amaze the stranger, in a good way. And, how our city and state can impress even the most jaded big-city dweller or world traveler. All we have to do is get them here.

Last year, the reaction from newcomers was the same when the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) brought their annual conference to Birmingham. Like Main Street Now, NABJ typically descends on much larger cities. They chose Birmingham in 2023 because it was the 60th anniversary of the human rights campaign that took place here and changed the world for the better. That conference, too, broke the organization’s attendance record.

Next year, the Birmingham area will host the World Police and Fire Games, which will draw more than 8,500 athletes from more than 70 countries, plus thousands more who want to root on their friends and loved ones competing at the games. This global event is even larger than The World Games that took place in the city in 2022.

I love how all these folks are finding their way to Birmingham and Alabama. We have a lot to show them, and I know we can pleasantly surprise a lot of them.

So, love this place. It’s actually pretty cool, and worth working on to make it even better.

Don’t take my word for it. The Main Streeters raved about their trip to our lovely place. And it was lovely to hear it.

Now, swallow your insecurities and spread the word.

Michael Sznajderman is a retired public relations professional and former newspaper reporter, columnist and editor. He lives in Birmingham.

David Sher is the founder and publisher of ComebackTown. He’s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).

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Invite David to speak for free to your group about how we can have a more prosperous metro Birmingham. [email protected].