In January 2015, I began the final semester of my college career at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. One of my final four classes focused on writing about West Alabamian culture. My classmates and I each chose a different topic to tackle throughout the semester. We conducted interviews, did research and visited the places we were interested in.
Since moving here in 2012, I have always been interested in the Black Warrior River which separates Tuscaloosa from its sister city, Northport. Close proximity to a waterway affects a city’s culture, economics and ecological system. I wanted to find out how the river had affected Tuscaloosa.
But I found the topic to be too broad for my purposes. Instead, I decided to focus on the Riverwalk, an area near campus and downtown that has seen a lot of development in the last ten years.
I could not have anticipated all that I would learn.
Since moving here in 2012, I have always been interested in the Black Warrior River which separates Tuscaloosa from its sister city, Northport. Close proximity to a waterway affects a city’s culture, economics and ecological system. I wanted to find out how the river had affected Tuscaloosa.
But I found the topic to be too broad for my purposes. Instead, I decided to focus on the Riverwalk, an area near campus and downtown that has seen a lot of development in the last ten years.
I could not have anticipated all that I would learn.
All photos ©Ashton Varner unless otherwise specified.