With unemployment rates at 7.9% and an economy ranking number 44 in the nation, Alabama isn’t exactly a catalyst for growth.

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In some areas “The Magic City” seems to be lacking in its luster. Unemployment numbers are high and income levels for average households are significantly behind the national average. Beneath the hustle and bustle of the former steel city lies a daunting truth about poverty within its streets.

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Despite Birmingham’s economic struggle, historically low-income neighborhoods appear to be making a comeback with the help of men and women using their political platforms for good. Once plagued with high crime levels and weak infrastructure, poor communities are beginning to blossom under well-structured political and community led movements.

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Revitalization among historically decrepit neighborhoods has transformed areas like Avondale, Forest Park, Crestwood and Crestline-- communities once infamous for high criminal activity. East Avondale in particular has seen immense growth in the past decade. Running perpendicular to Avondale Park, 41st Street has transformed into East Avondale’s entertainment sector, attracting visitors with hip new breweries, restaurants and eclectic coffee shops like Saturn and The Abbey.

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In 2011 the city of Birmingham funded a $2.8 million renovation of the historic Avondale Park. In order to make room for brand new tennis courts, the existing pond was renovated, new walkways were installed, a new entranceway was built and an extension of the park was created.

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“The park was a lot smaller and there was only a small gate where the arch is now. It’s so much larger now and there’s brand new fields and playgrounds. It’s a lot nicer,” said 25-year-old Tanisha Jackson, a resident of East Avondale area. Jackson is happy with the work that local politicians have done in the area.

“It’s important for me to vote so I can pick a representative who’s going to advocate for my community well, ” said Jackson.

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Now equipped with improved infrastructure and safer places to gather like Avondale Park, these communities are climbing their way up the economic ladder. Some residents worry that this change in infrastructure will usher in gentrification-- a process which involves renovating and improving districts to conform to middle class tastes.

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Steven Stone, a 27-year-old barista working at Saturn coffee shop in Avondale has observed the changes undergone in the neighborhood over the past decade.

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“As far as gentrification versus revitalization, I think Avondale is growing in a developmental sense,” said Stone. He remembers a time six years ago when Saturn was not yet built, and many lots on 41st street were unoccupied. “Local politicians have done a good job helping new businesses start up and flourish,” said Stone.

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In other up-and-coming neighborhoods, Stone believes revitalization projects may be displacing lower income households.

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“Crestwood neighborhood is another story,” said the young barista. “The demographics of that area has changed recently with higher taxes pushing out lower income families. Gentrification is more of an ethnically-charged issue in that neighborhood, and it makes sense.”

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Others in the Birmingham area blur the lines of gentrification and the revitalization process, believing the two are not mutually exclusive.

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“Gentrification is essentially the same thing as urban revitalization,” said Drew Jackson, founder and CEO of StreetMetrics, an analytic platform for advertising on cars, buses and bikes in the Birmingham area.

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Jackson believes these growing communities lack access to adequate education, opportunity, and capital to start businesses. “If we're opposed to revitalization, we simply accept that the city will remain the same,” said Jackson.

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This young business owner stands behind the changes executed by local politicians.  I do believe Mayor Woodfin has been a positive light on our city, breaking down decade old boundaries, and unifying the people within BHM and our metropolitan,” said Jackson. He believes that politicians in power can do good by revitalizing neighborhoods that have struggled in the past.

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Faced with common economic challenges in the area, small business owner April McClung shares her story as a minority shop owner in downtown Birmingham.

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McClung has lived in the Birmingham area for 20 years. Her startup business-- Heirloom Pound Cakes-- first began after the family sold their grandmother's famous pound cake recipe to raise money for McClung’s sons to study abroad. The community went wild for the cakes. These sweet treats please the customer’s taste buds, but its the fair pricing that keeps them coming back for more.

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“There’s a good amount of people here that don’t make a lot of money. They can’t afford many businesses in the area,” said McClung. She believes her fair pricing strategy is what keeps her business alive.

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“It hasn’t always been easy getting the funds to startup,” said McClung while describing her journey with Heirloom. Her business is now thriving, but McClung recognizes that efforts need to be undertaken in order to support financial, educational and economic growth around her.

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“I’m a black woman, so, yes, voting is very important to me,” said McClung. She sees her vote as a minority business owner as an essential duty to her community and an acknowledgement to her heritage.

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As Birmingham continues on the track of revitalization, the prosperity of Birmingham communities and residents is dependent on the decisions our policymakers make. Voting for local officials is crucial to ensure the voices and needs of Birmingham residents are well represented in our communities.