Embracing My Southern Identity

I’m a proud Jewish, liberal southerner who loves the Crimson Tide— and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Picture this: I’m cruising through Savannah, eager to hop out of the car and stroll along the sidewalks where the stories of the past are etched in stone. We’ve got plans to indulge at Paula Deen’s The Lady and Sons restaurant, where I’m craving something rich and fried, maybe a crispy green tomato.

As we’re sitting in traffic, a car full of college guys pulls up beside us. One of them gestures for me to roll down my window. Being a Southerner, I think we’re all friends here, so I oblige.

“Hey man, are you really into Obama, the Yankees, and the Crimson Tide?” he asks.

“Yep, that’s me. Quite the combo, right?”

They seem friendly enough, but before we can dive deeper into our cultural differences, the light turns green and we move on, into the sweltering heat of downtown Savannah.

Growing Up in Bessemer

Sometimes I forget what I’ve got plastered on my car. I grew up in Bessemer, Alabama—a place that feels small in heart but big in spirit. My parents were never ones for bumper stickers; it took Alabama winning the national championship three times in five years for my dad, the biggest Crimson Tide fan I know, to finally put a car tag on his Buick. They were not supporters of George Wallace, and once I inquired why they wouldn’t show support for Wallace’s opponent.

“Albert Brewer is a good man, isn’t he?” I asked.

“Yes,” my dad replied, “but you never know what might happen when you draw too much attention to yourself.”

That might explain why I didn’t realize my dad was Jewish until I was seven, or why I didn’t go to temple with him until I asked to when I was fifteen.

Breaking Free

When I got my Honda Element in 2004, sunset-colored (my mom loves to joke that it’s “Auburn-colored,” which is Alabama’s rival), I decided it was time to break free from my parents’ worries. I started with a Yankees emblem, then added Crimson Tide stickers when Nick Saban came on board.

In 2008, I slapped an Obama sticker on my car, and while some friends gave me a hard time, I told one of them, who happens to be a Bama fan too, to think of it as “O Bama.” He just couldn’t wrap his head around that.

My Academic Journey

I’ve never lived outside the South; I got my undergraduate degree in Alabama and my master’s and PhD at the University of Tennessee. Now, I teach at a small liberal arts college in South Carolina that’s affiliated with the Presbyterian church. I grew up Methodist but later embraced Judaism, even without an official conversion. When I was hired, they needed professors to belong to a Christian church, and I said, “I think I’m still a member of my mom’s church.” They accepted that.

Still, feeling only half Jewish just didn’t sit right with me. Over the years, I worked hard to change the college’s policy, and we finally succeeded six years ago, the same year Obama was inaugurated, the Yankees clinched their last World Series, and the Crimson Tide took home their first national championship under Saban in 17 years.

A Year to Remember

What a year that was! Today, I’m still the same multifaceted person. I’m a bit less Methodist and a bit less Jewish, but even more Southern, thanks to my newfound love for single-origin Bourbons, my subscription to Garden and Gun, and my adorable Dixie Dingo dog, Max. These dingoes are the only non-European indigenous American dogs, originally traveling to the South from Asia via the land bridge to Alaska. You can find them mainly along the South Carolina-Georgia state line. Max is an old yellow dog with big, floppy ears—a funny mix, just like me.

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Conclusion

In summary, I’m a proud Jewish, liberal Southern guy who embraces my diverse identity. My experiences and interests, from sports to politics, reflect a rich tapestry of southern culture. Life in the South has shaped me, and I wouldn’t change a thing about my journey.