Being from Alabama isn’t easy, this we know.
Alabama is a state riddled with issues. One of these issues is a pretty big PR problem. It’s no surprise that when someone from out-of-the state finds out they’re talking with an Alabamian the conversation immediately turns to a roast focused on incest and racism. I know this scene well. As an out-of-state student in Alabama for my college degree, I’ve acted every part in the play.
While this ass-backwards view of Alabama is in need of a revamp, there’s one common scene that doesn’t get as much attention as it needs. This would be the conversation happening all around the state with out-of-state college students speaking with Alabama “legacies.”
The conversation isn’t all that different from the one above. The roast on incest and race turns more to commentary than intentional insults. The difference comes in the attitudes of those conversing. Instead of the outsider acting like they were better because they were from a “more sophisticated” place, the Alabamian acts superior and passes the same judgment on this outsider that they do for all other transplants: Go home. We don’t want you.
Some symbols are more obvious than others about Alabamians views of transplants. Certain leadership development groups are only open to Alabama natives. Certain projects are only open to those who were raised in the state. These discriminatory policies are admittedly on one end of the spectrum. More often than not, the push back out of the state comes in conversations — a soft urging to go back home or a subtle jab where character is called into question. Of course, outsiders can’t care about the state of Alabama without an agenda.
I understand the hesitation. I’m a Yankee. I’ve been trickling down South for years now. Who am I to say Alabama is my home when I can’t trace three generations back?
But here’s the deal: Alabama is my home. With full knowledge of the complex issues, I am choosing to be here.
With the out-of-state student population rising in schools around the state, we have to face the fact that many of these students, full of youthful energy and idealism, are pushed out as soon as they get their degree. Students like me, who love the state and want to work for a stronger future, are being told we shouldn’t try. We don’t know what we’re talking about. We have bad intentions. Go to the North to make money and leave the issues to people who understand them.
It can be an emotionally scarring experience, but at the end of the day, it is the state that is suffering.
Is this “leave us, we don’t know you” mentality why Alabama is stuck in a no movement, bad is better than new situation? Probably not.
It does, however, speak to larger issues. Alabamians are built on pride. They identify first and foremost with their roots. A largely stigmatized group of people, Alabamians are untrusting of the unknown. This extends far beyond new people, including new ideas and new solutions.
For that reason, Alabama and innovation are not a common combination.
But innovation is what we — yes, we — need. We need new ideas. We need passionate people who are willing to give over their life to try something different.
So consider this my plea: with people all but running from the state, if there is anyone who genuinely wants to do something positive for the community we all call home, encourage them. Support them. Accept them.
Sustainable change will come on the heels of a culture shift. That needs to begin with individuals working to transform their own mindsets. Instead of the exclusivity, Alabamians need to focus on their collective power to rise and succeed. This means accepting each new, genuinely passionate person as a positive addition to the state’s landscape. We must capitalize on our people, wherever they come from.