By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times
In a city rich with cultural legacy and artistic energy, The Flourish Alabama is carving out something both rooted and revolutionary. Co-founded by Jahman Hill and Eric Marable Jr., what began as an academic idea has grown into a dynamic arts organization reshaping how Birmingham experiences creativity, collaboration, and community.
At its core, The Flourish Alabama is built on a simple but powerful belief: “the idea that Black people are infinitely possible beings.” That concept—born from Hill’s graduate thesis at the University of Alabama — has since evolved into a living, breathing ecosystem of artists, educators, and organizers committed to amplifying voices across the city.
From Thesis to Movement
The Flourish’s origin story is as organic as it is intentional. What started as a graduate school project between Hill and Marable quickly became something much bigger. The pair became friends while both were attending the University of Alabama.
The idea for The Flourish Alabama began while Hill was in graduate school, when he chose to create a one-man show instead of writing a traditional paper in 2019. At the time, Hill was leading poetry workshops with youth in Northport through the Alabama Student Association for Poetry, where he noticed many children associated Black identity with negative experiences and limitations. Wanting to challenge that perspective, Hill and his collaborators began exploring a new idea: that Blackness represents infinite possibility.
“I was getting my master’s in women’s studies at UA (University of Alabama),” said Hill. “I hit up Eric because I didn’t want to do a paper. I was like, Eric, I want to do this one man show. Will you be the director? I just wanted to do a poetry show, but I wanted it to be different,” Hill explained. “For the paper, I came up with this idea, this theory called the flourish—the idea that Black people are infinitely possible beings.”
This concept became the foundation of their show, Black Enough, which they developed collaboratively and eventually performed off-Broadway. As the production evolved, a pre-show artist showcase — suggested by a fellow director — was introduced and named “The Flourish,” planting the seed for what would later grow into Flourish Alabama.
From there, momentum built. A pivotal moment came in 2019 during an event series at the now-closed Freedom House. “We were doing the 10th anniversary of Real-Life Poets,” Marable recalled. Real Life Poets was a Birmingham-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering Black youth through mentorship, open mics, poetry workshops, and strategic partnerships with other local organizations.
“They’re OGs,” Marable said of Real-Life Poets. “They really grandfathered me into this community of poetry and activism,” he added.
“Then I was asked to put together an event series. I was trying to find a name for it. I asked Jahman if I could use the Flourish at Freedom House and the rest is history. April 27, 2019… that’s when we say The Flourish was born in earnest.”
Marable said being Birmingham born and bred has helped him along the way. “I was able to build up my network in the city,” he said.
“Jahman had the knowledge and the know-how from working with a successful nonprofit. We put our heads together and were like — it’s time to make this a real thing.”
Rooted in Birmingham
Born in Rochester, New York, Hill was raised in Kansas.
“My dad was in the military. We stayed in a couple of different places in Kansas like Fort Leavenworth and a tiny town called a tiny town called Larned,” Hill said.
Though their journeys span places like Kansas, New York, and Baltimore, Birmingham is where Hill and Marable chose to plant roots for The Flourish.
“I’m from here — deep roots here,” Marable said, describing an upbringing that stretched from Northside neighborhoods to Center Point. That local connection, paired with both founders’ experience in nonprofit work, performance, and arts organizing, helped shape The Flourish into a city-focused initiative.
Their shared background in poetry, theater, and activism also plays a key role. “We saw art and activism joining together,” Marable said. “We wanted to use poetry as a catalyst for community growth.”
What The Flourish Does Today
Today, The Flourish Alabama operates across multiple lanes, all aimed at nurturing creativity and opportunity.
Their Full Bloom Initiative focuses on youth, bringing arts education directly into schools and helping build creative programming from the ground up. At the same time, the Flourishing Artists Initiative supports working artists with professional development, workshops, and performance opportunities.
“We give them workshops… we help them practice performance… we’re starting a fellowship program, artist residencies,” Hill explained. “We’re even sending artists from Birmingham to New York.”
But perhaps the most ambitious vision from Hill and Marable is the creation of a Black Arts District in Ensley, a historically significant Birmingham neighborhood.
In 2023, the Flourish planted it roots at The Greenhouse, a community-centered event venue, creative workshop space, and arts hub located at 602 19th Street in downtown Ensley, Birmingham, Alabama. It serves as a vibrant gathering place for Black creatives, hosting poetry readings, open mic nights, mental health workshops, and events that foster connection and community.
In October 2025, The Flourish Alabama was awarded $139,000 from the City of Birmingham as part of the city’s Building Opportunities for Lasting Development (BOLD) program — an economic development funding initiative that supports community-based projects.
“We’re building in Ensley… it’s kind of crazy,” Marable said. “We’ve got a dance studio coming, a music studio.”
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Ensley was home to Ensley Works, which was one of the largest steel manufacturers in the country. As that business boomed, so did the area’s arts scene. Legendary jazz musicians like Erskine Hawkins performed at Tuxedo Junction, which was located at the intersection of two trolley lines in Ensley. After Ensley Works shut down in the 1970s, however, the area began to decline.
The Flourish seeks to reimagine Ensley as a thriving cultural hub — one that honors its history while creating new pathways for artists.
High Tea and the Art of Gathering
Among The Flourish’s most recognizable programs is High Tea, a recurring event series that blends performance, community, and curated vibes.
“It’s like an NPR Tiny Desk — but us,” Hill said with a laugh.
High Tea evolved from earlier events like “Flourish at the Freedom House,” adapting through the pandemic and shifting venues before landing at The Greenhouse in Ensley, Alabama. The format typically features two headline performers, an open mic, and a recorded set that extends the experience beyond the room.
“We didn’t go to Atlanta, didn’t go to Nashville,” Marable emphasized. “Birmingham was popping. We’re just giving people the shine they deserve.”
The events have grown steadily, often packing out The Greenhouse. “We’ve been out of space,” Hill noted. “So, it’s nice being in a larger venue now.”
This year alone, High Tea has had some of Birmingham’s biggest voices headlining the event, like Pynk Beard, Halo Wheeler, and DMNiQ.
The next High Tea event is set for Sunday, April 19 and will feature performers Te Divine and Allison Upshaw.
Built on Collaboration
A defining feature of Flourish is its collaborative spirit — something both founders intentionally built into the organization’s DNA.
“We pride ourselves on collaboration,” Marable said. “We want to be a community hub — anybody who’s got a crazy idea, like, ‘oh yeah, we can do it.’”
That openness extends to their programming, which ranges from poetry and music to workshops, wellness initiatives, and even plans for a community garden in Ensley.
The Team Behind the Vision
Behind Hill and Marable is a growing team that keeps the vision moving.
From media and marketing to operations and grant writing, each member plays a role in sustaining the organization’s momentum. “They’re incredible,” Hill said of the team. “The spark is happening — it’s pretty incredible to see.”
Notably, some team members began as students in The Flourish programs and have since stepped into leadership roles — an example of the organization’s commitment to growth from within.
A Culture of Possibility
At every level, Flourish Alabama is about more than events or programming — it’s about cultivating a mindset — one that Hill and Marable have championed from the very beginning.
That mindset is rooted in possibility, shaped by upbringing, community, and a belief in creative expression as a tool for change.
“My parents were never like, ‘you can’t do this,’” Hill shared. “They encouraged me to be whoever I was.”
Marable expressed the same sentiments, giving credit to his parents for influencing his creativity. “My mom is also, an executive pastor as well. So just seeing her organize and teach and all that growing up and then my dad is a painter, drawer, and a big music head.”
That same ethos now drives The Flourish’s work across Birmingham: creating space, building systems, and reminding people — especially young artists — that their potential is limitless.
Hill said having an upbringing centered on and rooted in activism helped shaped who he is today.
“I remember I was like five or six years old when I first saw the movie Panther, which is about the Black Panther party,” he recalled. “It was one of my favorite movies growing up. I didn’t know why at the time, but as I got older, I kind recognized and understood the importance of activism, and I saw art and activism joining together.”
As the organization continues to expand — from classrooms to stages to entire neighborhoods — one thing remains clear: The Flourish Alabama isn’t just participating in Birmingham’s cultural scene. Under the leadership of Jahman Hill and Eric Marable Jr., it’s helping redefine it.
To learn more visit theflourishal.com.
