Tuxedo

"Way down South, in Birmingham

I mean South in Alabam'

'Ans old place

Where people go to dance the night away

They all drive or walk for miles

To get blues—that Southern style,

So blue—it'll make you want to dance the night away

Tuxedo Junction—where I want to be."

These lyrics from the famous Erskine Hawkins song sum up Tuxedo's history beautifully. This small Birmingham neighborhood was once the social epicenter for the city's Black community in the 1920s and 1930s. The area got its name from the nearby Tuxedo Park subdivision that housed Tennessee Coal Iron and Railroad Company workers starting in 1899. Juke joints and dance halls sprang up, and it became known as a premier entertainment district for Black workers. In the late 1950s, much of the area was demolished as part of an urban renewal project, which led to the construction of the Tuxedo Court community. The Belcher-Nixon building, once a dentist's office, is the only surviving commercial building from those glory years, and it's been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The community is currently partnering with the nonprofit Main Street Birmingham to develop a cultural center in the historic building.

Historic Craftsman, Prairie and ranch-style homes make up this neighborhood, with home prices ranging from $40,000 to $170,000. Children in the area attend Minor Elementary School, a K-5 Title I school with approximately 550 students. The school's programming includes the Alabama Reading Initiative, which helps students build literacy skills. Students go on to attend Wilkerson Middle School, named after Malachi Wilkerson, a revered local choir director from years past. Wilkerson Middle opened its doors as an elementary school in 1957 but transitioned to a sixth to eighth-grade middle school in 1989. Under the leadership of administrator and educator Diane Rivers, the school implemented a series of performance improvements that would lead the school to be recognized as the first recipient of the Rochester Institute of Technology and USA Today Quality Cup Award in 1994. After identifying poor reading skills as a roadblock to learning, the school implemented a peer tutoring program that improved discipline and test scores in all subjects. In 2003 principal Constance Burnes instituted a strict disciplinary and accountability system, including introducing a well-stocked game room as an incentive for good performance. She also ensured that teachers thoroughly prepared students for the Alabama Math and Reading Tests and brought in outside educators to teach extracurricular courses like life skills, drama and ballroom dancing. This progress led Wilkerson to be named a model school by the International Center for Leadership in Education in 2008. Teenagers in the community attend Jackson-Olin High School, which offers two academies: the Academy of Health Science and the Academy of Horticulture.

Named after the beloved local jazz legend, Erskine Hawkins Park is the gathering hub of the community. The park is host to the annual Function in the Junction Jazz Festival. The festival started in 1985 to honor Erskine Hawkins and has been held every July since, drawing about 4,000 people each year to listen to live jazz performances. Hawkins himself attended every celebration until 1993, the year he passed away. Function in the Junction is the longest-running music festival in Birmingham and an annual reminder of the area's vibrant cultural history. When looking for good eats, locals head straight to Green Acres Restaurant. This hidden gem has been a community favorite since it opened in 1958, serving comfort homestyle Southern staples like wings, chicken liver and fried green tomatoes. Residents get their caffeine fix from the nearby Heritage Coffee, while Tres Fine Clothing keeps the neighborhood stylish with its fashion offerings.

Within just a few blocks, Tuxedo holds so much of the cultural history that makes Birmingham the magical city it is. With historic homes, lively community events and access to all the city has to offer, this neighborhood appeals.

Written By

Rebecca Frankel

Photography Contributed By

Griffin Holmes

Video By

Alexander Wong