In 1926, the people of Rosedale, Alabama voted to incorporate into Homewood, a new municipality that operated as one of the first suburbs of Birmingham. Since then, Homewood has become associated with some of the best of the state—good schools, fashionable restaurants and shops, verdant public parks, and a thriving housing market. Yet this narrative of progress and improvement has largely excluded Rosedale. Instead, the historically black neighborhood has increasingly faced gentrification and encroachment by the expansion of the downtown Homewood business district.
The Rosedale Memory Project makes the Rosedale neighborhood’s distinct history identifiable and accessible. Founded in the late-1800s, the area has a rich communal history. As an African-American neighborhood in the segregated South, Rosedaleans maintained intense bonds with their neighbors, created thriving businesses and churches, and founded their own school. Lifelong Rosedale residents still remember walking through the forest and picking fruit off of bushes, baptisms in the water at Spring Park, and sleeping on the front porch with all the doors open. In a time of racial inequality, they took immense pride in manicuring their lawns, beautifying the streets and ensuring that their children had access to education and opportunity.
The Rosedale Memory Project began in 2019 as a partnership between Samford University faculty and students and the Rosedale Community Development Corporation. As the project continues, our goal is to make Rosedale’s history readily available to other academic researchers and the community at large.
Featured Item
Fannie Ellis, Gertrude Mencer and Hattie White in Bethel A.M.E Church, 1963
Fannie Ellis, Gertrude Mencer and Hattie White in Bethel A.M.E Church in 1963. Gertrude Mencer was an educator and was taught by Booker T. Washington…
Featured Collection
Featured Exhibit
Voices from a Disputed Time
In 2019, a Samford University student group in Dr. Annalise DeVries' Digital History class chose to study the Rosedale School. ...
Recently Added Items
Rosedale Alma Mater
Rosedale High School's Alma Mater recorded at the 2019 Rosedale High Reunion at the Homewood Senior Citizen's Center.
Frances Jones Interview
Frances Jones narrates her childhood experiences in Rosedale, describing her family, friends and home life. She discusses her time at the Rosedale…
Funeral Pamphlet for Mrs. Laura Scott Howze
Pamphlet handed out at the funeral of Mrs. Laura Scott Howze, detailing the eulogistic service proceedings.
Madolyn Jones Wyatt Interview
Madolyn Jones Wyatt discusses her attendance at Rosedale High School and her experience with integration in the tenth grade. She also recounts her…
Phyllis Theresa Shepherd Interview
Phyllis Theresa Shepherd describes her numerous visits to Rosedale to see her two sets of grandparents, who lived across the street from one another.…
Josephine Jerald Interview
Josephine Jerald details her life in Rosedale, Alabama and the changes she has seen within the community over time.
Harriet Hall Pullom Interview
Harriet Hall Pullom narrates her experience living in Rosedale "90%" of her life. She recalls childhood memories of the area and speaks of her current…