Roots and Routes: How Alabama's History Shapes Today's Families

What we inherit shapes how we raise our children. In this opening episode of Voices of Alabama Families, we explore how history lives on through families, communities, and everyday experiences—and how those stories become a child's first lessons in identity, belonging, and resilience. From the legacy of Africatown to childhood memories on Davis Avenue, from Birmingham to Montgomery, voices from across Alabama share how place, culture, and community shaped who they are—and how those influences continue to guide the children in their lives today. Because long before a child enters a classroom, they are already learning—from the stories they hear, the people who surround them, and the history that lives within their communities.