Plywood surrounding businesses and buildings is the opposite of what most people picture when they think of a thriving downtown, but, somehow, Birmingham managed to take an uncertain moment and make it magical.   

Several businesses were damaged during civil unrest Sunday, May 31, reflecting the worldwide reaction to the death of George Floyd, a black man who died from police brutality and others like Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery and others who were killed either at the hands of police or by racists.   

In the aftermath in Birmingham, residents are lending a hand to clean up and artists are lending their spray paint cans and paintbrushes to make a district dormant from damage and COVID-19 vibrant again.   

“Birmingham has proven over and over again that this is a resilient city where people come together to create meaningful change,” said David Fleming, REV Birmingham President and CEO. “The many murals spreading across the plywood covering broken windows downtown is further colorful and beautiful proof.”

Gusty Gulas, a realtor, is one of those people. He provided plywood to damaged storefronts and formed a group of volunteers who wanted to sweep away debris.   

“I sat Sunday night in amazement of what was going on in our city,” he said. “We were already coming off of dealing with the pandemic and still dealing with the pandemic. I have had conversations until 1:30 a.m. with some of my friends and I woke up Monday morning and it was kind of heavy on my heart. I knew I was being called to assist and help out in some way.”  

Gulas amassed more than 100 people to help pick up the pieces starting at California Fashion Mall. On the first day, he said the group helped seven or eight businesses.  

“Basically, it’s just a group of volunteers willing to help with whatever’s needed,” he said. “We all have different talents. So, it’s about seeing what people’s talents are and pointing them in the right direction.”  

He also found a glass company that will sell replacement windows at cost to the Alabama and Lyric Theatres. In the meantime, he organized a paint party last Sunday where volunteers brushed on a message of “Bham Strong: Be safe, Be well” on the plywood.   

“I never thought of painting plywood, but I saw other people doing it,” he said. “It’s cool and amazing what people are doing to provide a positive message.”  

And, positive messages are popping up all along 3rd Avenue and in several other pockets downtown. Across the street, the famous civil rights-era slogan “Birmingham, the world is watching” is sprawled across the side of the Lyric.   

A few businesses over in front of Wheelhouse Salon is a black and white portrait of Floyd coupled with the phrase ‘Bham Strong’ done by Mammoth Mural’s Shane.   

Andrew Tynnes, Shane’s partner, said Mammoth was contacted by shop owners to decorate their plywood.

“It’s been overwhelmingly positive,” Wheelhouse owner Johnny Grimes said of the reaction to the mural. “That was one of the ideas be doing this. We wanted to change the narrative but also to create a conversational piece. Thousands of people have come by to see it and take pictures.”

The choice to do it in black and white was intentional.   

“It’s a reflection of the intense polarization of it,” he said. “Also, even within black and white, there’s a variety of color. There’s a lot of shades of gray in that. His death has been a symbol and a call to change in America for a lot of different things.”  

Another business owner whose space was vandalized is Dr. Juanakee Adams of Adams Eye Care on 5th Avenue North. The next day, dozens of volunteers, including comedian and Birmingham native Roy Wood Jr. gathered to help clean the business that’s been a downtown staple for 40 years and put up plywood.