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In the American South, the front porch is a place where people gather to talk, play, read, laugh, watch, listen, and lean on one another. The front porch remains a symbol of community by extending the boundaries of our home to those around us before they ever lay a hand on the front door. Whether we are listening to stories passed down from friends and families, offering to sit with a neighbor during a troubling time, escaping a summer rain, or dropping off food in times of both celebration and heartache, the front porch gives us refuge. The simple moments are part of the rituals, habits, and narratives that teach us how to belong to one another. Front porches have experienced a rise and fall in popularity as people moved to the suburbs. Instead of sitting out front, people moved to the back of the house and sat on a patio. We are working to revive the rural icon of the front porch in the city of Birmingham and our porch has room for us all.
We kicked off the month of February with our first installment of our Front Porch Talks series. Iron Hills Folk School members Christie and Lily are both students in UAB’s Medical Sociology program and talked about their work concerning healthy societies and communities. Christie discussed social cohesion, the glue that holds us together, and some of the challenges that arise through committed social relations. Lily discussed how mental illness is defined by our medical institutions. They reminded us healthy societies don’t just happen by accident, they are created through intentional action and a willingness to connect. In mid-February, our King Cake Social became a time to celebrate another part of what makes the south so special — Mardi Gras! Complete with a King Cake tasting contest, shrimp gumbo, Hurricanes, a blacksmithing demonstration, and new connections made, together we spent an evening celebrating abundance. Celebration and play are just as critical to engaging in civic life as reading the local news, fundraising, or taking notes at a monthly organizational meeting. Although participation in our community is our responsibility, when we come together over good drinks and great food, it doesn’t have to be a chore. Quinn, another Iron Hills Folk School member, invited us to see the Mason jar as a symbol of patience, transformation, and personal empowerment as we learned the process of fermentation to make sauerkraut. Fermentation takes time and requires us to trust the process. When learning a new skill, a sense of trust can be hard to find. We can feel vulnerable or frustrated, but those feelings are lessons in themselves, helping us to grow as people, together. This workshop is the first of many more hands-on learning events soon to come. Together we are strengthening our capacity to show up, to listen, to ask questions, to celebrate, to learn, and to care for one another. Be sure to check out the calendar on our website for upcoming events and follow us on Instagram for updates!
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