‘Classic Season’ means football, festivities, HBCU pride … and much, much more in Birmingham
Classic Season is in full swing this month in Birmingham with the Morehouse Tuskegee Classic taking place this Saturday, and Alabama State University and Alabama A&M returning Oct. 29 for the Magic City Classic.
This marks the second year for Birmingham to host the Morehouse Tuskegee Classic, known as the country’s longest running NCAA Division II classic. It’s also the 81st consecutive year for us to host the Magic City Classic.
Gamedays in Birmingham are truly magical, with people coming together from near and far to express their HBCU pride, cheer on their teams, and connect with friends. The days leading up to the games are packed with tailgating, concerts, parties, and parades. There is a storied tradition here, and for those who attend, it just gets better every year.
It may feel like bragging, but hey, we’re here to back it up: Birmingham is the football capital of the Southeast, and we are at the center of an HBCU culture that exceeds anything you’ll find anywhere else in the country or the world.
Alabama has more historically Black colleges, universities and community colleges than any other state, and most of them are located within an hour and a half of Birmingham.
HBCUs are hugely important in Birmingham and for Birmingham. That’s why Classic Season means more than football and festivities, and it even means more than the significant economic impact the city receives from hosting these teams and their fans. For example:
— These events are vital to Birmingham’s social fabric. There are families here who wouldn’t dream of missing the Magic City Classic any more than we’d sit out Thanksgiving dinner.
— These games also solidify a larger connection between Birmingham and historically Black colleges and universities — institutions that have produced so many of our leaders and that have played such an important role in the history that has shaped our city.
— They support a larger public-private strategy for our future growth, and specifically for retaining and attracting the future leaders we need to ensure our city’s long-term success.
When people come to Birmingham for games like this, they find a place where they can belong and thrive. There are literally people in Birmingham today because of what they experienced while attending the Magic City Classic at some point along the way. They recognized Birmingham as a place where you can come and be your full self.
Working in partnership with the private sector, we leverage these events to support our efforts to grow our sports/tourism economy but also to recruit year-round businesses and help our home-grown businesses attract top talent that emerges from HBCUs.
For the Morehouse Tuskegee Classic, the City of Birmingham, Prosper, the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama and the Birmingham Business Alliance are partnering to create an incredible weekend experience for executives from Charlotte, Detroit, New York and Washington D.C. to experience the Birmingham region and learn more about the unique opportunities that are available here. These executives, by the way, are all alumni of Morehouse College, Tuskegee University and Spelman College
Other events organized for the Morehouse Tuskegee Classic will allow student leaders from area HBCUs to learn about the career opportunities and quality of life that the Birmingham region offers. Several events will highlight our workforce development pipeline and give students a chance to meet local executives and major Birmingham employers.
So you get what I mean when I say Classic Season is about more than football games. And make no mistake: Our HBCU strategy is intentional and ongoing, not limited to fall football season.
A couple of examples:
— As part of Birmingham’s experience hosting The World Games 2022, Alabama’s HBCUs were highlighted through a partnership with Microsoft. The HBCU Experience was designed to encourage students’ professional growth, facilitate collaborations between the colleges and Microsoft, and inspire students to pursue tech careers and business opportunities.
Activities ranged from a series of virtual events for HBCU students, a Minecraft Challenge for HBCU students to explore game development, an HBCU exhibit at The World Games Plaza, and the creation of a scholarship fund for Alabama HBCUs to help ensure lasting, positive changes for these students.
— This past May, my Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity hosted the New York-based HBCU SpringComing festival, the first time the event had ever occurred in the South.
The festival was sponsored by Indeed.com and included days of activities across city venues including an innovation lab, wine and jazz mixer, comedy show, and tour of the civil rights district. It took place in concert with the SWAC Baseball Tournament at Regions Field on Birmingham’s Southside. And a special highlight of the festival was the award of $1,000 scholarships to 25 Birmingham Promise students about to embark on their studies at HBCUs.
So you understand me. Classic Season is here. But recognizing the importance of HBCUs never goes out of season here in Birmingham.
As a Morehouse alum, I will cheer this weekend for the Maroon Tigers. But as mayor of Birmingham, I will be cheering something much, much bigger — our city’s connection with all HBCUs and the talent they send out to the world every day.
