Birmingham to Atlanta a brief Chronicle of African American Suburban Development

Suburban residential neighborhoods and housing needs were a fundamental concern to working and middle class citizens of the United States in the era immediately following WWII.

During this same time period greater civic involvement took place in a variety of segments throughout American society. However within various African American communities nationally, citizens began to resist the constraints of Jim Crow legislation and social custom. Evidenced by the accelerated momentum of what become known as the Civil Rights Movement, during this period issues of ethnic exclusion, citizen agency, action, reaction and response were frequently reflected in the residential arena.

Consequently, a thorough examination of the American Suburbs provokes discussion and consideration of real time struggles over equitable access and distribution of public resources within a civil society.

The development of suburban residential neighborhoods in the 1950s marked the second wave of suburban development for African Americans.

Images of Birmingham and Atlanta offer a brief chronicle representing three periods in the development of African American suburban neighborhoods ranging from 1887 – Present.

Note: Images are posted top to bottom, Atlanta to Birmingham. At the bottom are photographs of the Smithfield Community representing the first wave of suburban development circa 1887 and continuing upward to include the second wave during the mid twentieth century development in both Birmingham and Atlanta and onward through early twenty first century Atlanta, representing the third wave of African American suburban development.

Streetscapes: Late twentieth century suburb in Atlanta.

Backyards: Early twenty first century Atlanta. Small backyards with large houses. My understanding is that by this time 2 career householders had less of a desire for large properties than their earlier predecessors.

Streetscapes: Mid 1970s suburbs, Atlanta.

Vistas: View through the yards offers a mix of mid twentieth century ranch house in the foreground, juxtaposed with a early twenty first century two story house, in the background.

Streetscapes: Mid twentieth century

Streetscapes: Mid twentieth century.

Streetscapes: Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Birmingham AL. Sight of the 1963 bombing and murder of four children, unknowingly martyred in the American Civil Rights Movement.

Streetscapes: Center Street, aka Dynamite Hill is the residential segregation division line in Jim Crow Birmingham AL. The traditional Smithfield community is north of the demarcation.

Streetscape: Side street north of Center Street, Birmingham AL.

Streetscape: Street sign.

Streetscape: aka Dynamite Hill this mid twentieth century Center Street home, was the sight of a 1960 vigilante bombing, Birmingham AL.


Streetscape: Late 1930s FDR era public housing initiative, Birmingham AL.



Streetscape: Early twentieth century home, Smithfield community, Birmingham AL.

Streetscape: Late nineteenth century home, Smithfield community, Birmingham AL.



Streetscape: Sunday morning quiet in the early twentieth century section of the Smithfield community, Birmingham AL.

Streetscapes: Civic organization sign post.

Streetscapes: Entrance sign post to the Kelly Ingram Memorial Park, venue of civil rights struggle and violence, Birmingham AL