'Good is rising': Magic City Sweet Ice owners experience groundswell of support

At first, David Shaw thought the letter he received was a bill or some kind of joke. Mixed in with the other mail delivered to Magic City Sweet Ice on May 30 was one envelope with no return address. Inside was a short, typed message in all capital letters:

“David,

It is hard to imagine a Birmingham boy leaving and bringing back a black wife.

You need to move to California where that is SOP [standard operating procedure].

Or go back to Woodlawn.”

David grew both confused and concerned for his wife, Wani, their three children and their Italian ice business, which started as a push cart in Woodlawn. Wani was equally baffled when he showed the letter to her, as she had never felt uneasy being an interracial couple in Birmingham.

“We’ve lived here five years, and we’ve never experienced anything like this,” Wani said. “Of all the places we’ve lived, from up north to here, Homewood has been one of the best places we’ve lived so far. The families have been so embracing and warm and welcoming, and so it was just a shock.”

Neither had any idea who could have sent the letter, but David felt a need to respond to the anonymous hate. He said he would have preferred to talk to the letter-writer privately, but in the absence of a name or return address, David took to Facebook with the hope that his response would find its way to the right person.

“I was kind of hoping maybe they’re on Facebook and that was the main reason I did it. At least I could respond that way publicly, since there was no way I could respond privately,” David said.

He posted a picture of the letter and a short response declaring his love for his wife of 14 years and that they had no plans to move to California. He and Wani expected a few comments from friends and that it would be forgotten in a few days. Instead, the letter spurred an “overwhelming” number of Facebook posts, calls, emails, and visits declaring their support for the Shaw family and their business.

“People are so supportive of change and positive things happening in Birmingham. People are showing that stuff like this does not represent Homewood, it does not represent Birmingham, it does not even represent the state of Alabama,” Wani said. “It’s almost like good is rising against bad.”

The Shaws have received supportive calls and emails from people in Illinois, Texas, Minnesota and – of course – California. After seeing their story on the evening news, one couple from Gardendale got in their car and drove to Homewood the same night to encourage David and Wani.

The Shaws have not yet told their children about the letter and aren’t sure if they will. They worry that it will be too much of a burden at 8, 10 and 11 years old.

“I think to them it’s very foreign that anyone would even think like this,” David said. “They don’t have that baggage, and you don’t want to put it on them. They don’t understand, but at the same time, you don’t want to burden them.”

“I don’t want them now to start seeing things in color,” Wani agreed.

Both David and Wani said they don’t feel any anger toward the letter writer, and they hope the community that has rallied to support them will not encourage hate toward the person. If given the chance, they said they would like to sit down with the letter writer and talk about what led him or her to send the letter.

“I think if they would have met us and talked with us and communicated with us as a couple, there’s no way they could continue to feel that way, I don’t think,” David said.