Sloss Furnaces

On January 12, 2012, Heather Guy presented a program on the history of Sloss Furnaces at the Bessemer Public Library. Heather is the education coordinator at Sloss, and she brought photos and artifacts to complement her slide show.

In April, 1882, the furnaces went into blast and within a year had sold 24,000 tons of iron. read the story of Sloss here.

Sloss produced pig iron. This is pig iron, much smaller than the ones produced by the furnace back in the day.

Here is a picture of a group of workers at Sloss.

Here a lone iron worker is dwarfed by the hot furnace.

Sloss Furnaces is now a National Historic Landmark. A visit to Sloss Furnaces is worth the time. Information on hours, etc, can be found here.

Many community events are held at Sloss, including Stokin' the Fire Barbecue competition in the summer  and Sloss Fright Furnace in October

One annual event at Sloss is sponsored by Central Alabama Pride; Pridefest is during the month of June. Read about Pridefest 2009 here.

Healing the community

Healing can take place on several levels. There is physical healing, as when one has a broken bone or a kidney infection. There is emotional healing, as when one has been hurt by the actions of their lover. And there is community healing, something Birmingham has been struggling with since the 1960's. But more recently, since the April 27 storms, communities are broken in a different way and are in need of a different kind of healing.

On Sunday our pastor delivered a sermon titled "Building a Healing Community." (Her May sermon series was developed before the storms.) She based her sermon on the story of Jesus healing the paralytic (Mark 2: 1-12) and she spoke of the different types of healing mentioned above, including community healing.



Also on Sunday the Birmingham News published "A Special Report" titled Reinventing Our Community, stating "...metro Birmingham just might be ready to move beyond a decade of division, disparity and corruption." Almost every section of the paper had articles outlining the broken history of our city, the huge opportunity that has been laid out in front of us, and ideas for moving forward, with urgency, toward meaningful change. Everyone in Jefferson County should read Sunday's paper. Click here for the entire Special Report. There is a lot to read, plan to spend some time there.

The storms of April 27 may have been the spark that ignites a movement. Relief and recovery efforts have ignored real or perceived boundaries without regard to race or religion or sexual orientation or football affiliation, and there is a common call for the rebuilt communities to be better than the ones that are no more.

The Bessemer Cutoff OFA Team (Bessemer's 2012 Obama team), sent volunteers on Saturday to work at the Pratt City Resource Center. (Bessemer Cutoff OFA on Facebook)



The Resource Center is staffed by dozens of officials from various agencies and scores of volunteers. Residents who have been affected by the storm can pick up supplies such as tarps or cleaning supplies as well as household items, water and food. Services offered by FEMA and the Red Cross could be accessed, and internet access and some health services were offered for residents who needed it.

In addition, donations of water and food and other items were constantly being dropped off.

In other words, hundred of people created a steady stream of cars coming into the facility, which had to be directed to the proper areas in order to avoid confusion. And with hundreds of residents coming in, and volunteers that were working for hours, food needed to be provided. Arby's was there feeding folk, as was Jim & Nicks Barbecue. Several church groups were there cooking; Christ Way Church of God members grilled hamburgers for volunteers and residents, who shared tables set up near the grills.



You can volunteer for the Pratt City Resource Center through Hands on Birmingham.

Among the religious groups helping were people from Mennonite Disaster Services.



They were in Pratt City after storms in 1998, and are back again. "This will be a long-term project," Disaster Response Coordinator Jerry Klassen said.

ICNA Relief had volunteers there also.



Islamic Circle of North America is a Muslim organization that recognizes their call to help and support the needy as a religious responsibility. The man I spoke with was also an Auburn fan and an Obama supporter, but his work there had nothing to do with either of those choices. They were there to help, just like the rest of us.

Presbyterians were there. Catholic groups were there. There were Baptist and evangelical groups there. All were there to help a community get back on their feet again.

Reinventing Birmingham is sort of like reinventing the Black Belt region of Alabama. Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk...people easily tire of hearing about their problems and not seeing any action to make improvements. Things are slowly, and finally, changing in the Black Belt, thanks in part to Bob Riley's Black Belt Action Team and Congresswoman Terri Sewell. But change there is not happening there overnight, nor will it in Birmingham.

In fact, if won't happen at all if people don't leave behind the thing that divides us the most - religion.

I don't mean people need to give up their faith, far from it. Just don't let your faith get in the way of doing what is right for our community. Of course, your faith may dictate that you help your community by providing educational services or assisting in health care education or restoring neighborhoods.

But if your faith says you are better than someone else, or that you are closer to God than someone else, or that you have better access to God than somebody else, and you come in with that kind of attitude, then you are part of the problem that has been holding Birmingham back for decades.

We just ask that you get out of the way while we carry our city into the future.

Railroad Park

Yesterday I visited the new Railroad Park in Birmingham. There were quite a few people there, some with dogs, some with kids, some on bikes, some on roller blades and some with skateboards.

The park is a big expanse of green with a lake and a stream and trails around the perimeter and criss-crossing.

Here is an article from USA Today about the park.

In this picture you can see that there is a perimeter trail but also a meandering trail, and a stream in between. Joggers were making their way primarily on the flatter outer trail, while cyclists seemed to prefer the ups and down of the inner trails.

There were kids wading barefoot in the stream. Later I saw two middle-aged African American women wading gingerly in the water.

"How long since you've done that?" I asked them.

"I've never done it," one of them answered, laughing. "This is wonderful. This is the best thing," she said, indicating the park.

It was really refreshing to see people in Birmingham appreciating the beauty that has always been around them. I mean, sure the park didn't always look this way, but there are signs in the park that explain the history, and that the site was once natural, then industrial, and now (somewhat) natural again.

From the park you can see that Birmingham is a city on the move. Large cranes indicate construction at nearby Children's Hospital. Here is a construction webcam where you can see what's going on. There's a time-lapse video there where you can watch months of construction in about 30 seconds. Pretty neat.

Students were lounging in the grass, some were reading, some were talking on their phones, others were napping.

The buildings of downtown, including the Wells Fargo building with their new sign atop, provide a backdrop to the new park.

There are walls and barriers within the park made of bricks and stone that were found on the site. I don't have a picture, but the bricks and such are stacked and encased in wire cloth to hold them in place. Interesting.

Also, informational signs are placed though out the park to inform visitors of some history, or some nature, within and around the park.

And at the west end of the park you can smell the bread baking from the bread factory across the street.

Read more about your park at the Park website.

Discordant

Main Entry: dis·cor·dant
Pronunciation: \-dənt\
Function: adjective
Date: 14th century
1 a : being at variance : disagreeing b : quarrelsome : relating to a discord
— dis·cor·dant·ly adverb


It sure seems that we are living in discordant times. There are many examples, but certainly highlighted by the example of Joe Wilson's shout of "You lie," during the president's state of the union address, and Republican Tea Party candidate Sharron Angle urging supporters to use "second amendment remedies" if they don't get their way.

Immigrants are among the targeted. I heard someone on the local radio yesterday telling about watching a soccer game and stating that she "knew" that 95% of the young guys playing were "illegal."

First, there is this:

Second, where does she come up with the 95% figure?

As of 2008 there were 46,822,476 Hispanics in the United States (out of 304,059,728 people). Of these, it is estimated that 11,000,000 or around 23 %, are undocumented. Saying that 95% of the young men in a soccer game are illegal is not only plainly wrong, but it's also misleading and contributes to the discordance in our country.

It results from the xenophobia in our community, and across the nation.

In Birmingham yesterday there was a pro-immigrant rally rally that cheered the judge's ruling on the Arizona law. Isabel Rubio, executive director of the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama said that officials in other cities in our state are interested in passing versions of the proclamation issued by Birmingham at the rally declaring the city as one that welcomes all.

But the Republican Tea Party loves the controversy. They want to keep us divided, hoping it will allow them to win a few races.

But I have this America-view that we are better than that. I grew up seeing the worst that America had to offer during the 20th century in the worst city be in during the 1960's. (Disclaimer - I lived in Vestavia, but I was close enough to Birmingham to know what was going on and to see it with my own eyes.)

And as a result I can recognize hatred when I see it, or hear it. The Republican Tea Party depends on hatred to survive. And what they want to do to the country is deplorable.

Their platform:

1. Repeal health insurance reform
2. Privatize social security or get rid of it.
3. End medicare.
4. Extend the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy and big oil.
5. Repeal Wall Street reform.
6. Protect those responsible for the oil spill.
7. Abolish the Department of Education
8. Abolish the Department of Energy.
9. Abolish the Environmental Protection Agency.
10. Repeal the 17th amendment (ending the direct election of U.S. Senators)

The Republican Tea Party Contract on America

A vote for a republican, any republican, is a vote for this agenda. Remember this in November.

Sitting at home is a vote for this agenda as well. Remember to vote in November.

A big FAT "F"

In a comparison of the 50 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the United States, Birmingham ranks near the bottom in an index of healthiness.

This was reported in the Birmingham News, and most of this post comes directly from that article.

We ranked 49th, just ahead of Oklahoma City.

In a year, we've dropped from 43rd to 49th. Either other cities are improving and leaving us behind (an Alabama staple in many areas, it seems) or we have just completely abandoned any thought of improving ourselves health wise.

The percentage of our population that is obese is 34.1%. That is more than one out of every three of the people around you. The national average among Metropolitan Statistical Areas is 25.6%, just over one out of every four people.

I think that a large number of people are in denial about their health. Be honest with yourselves, folks.

Your life expectancy, and even more important, your quality of life as you approach the end of it, depend on your attitudes and actions regarding your health.

When it comes to 14 personal health indicators and chronic health conditions, Birmingham ranked dead last.

A couple of statistics give Birmingham a glimmer of hope, though they are nothing to brag about. We are 35th out of 50 when it comes to community recreation, including the number of parks and recreation facilities and the level of state-required physical education programs.

Birmingham has considered closing rec centers, however, and Bessemer has none.

Birmingham ranks above average when it comes to the number of Farmer's Markets, park playgrounds, recreation centers, swimming pools and requirements for physical education in schools, but below average on the number of tennis courts (Birmingham MSA - 1.3%, MSA average - 2.1%), acres of park land per capita ( Birmingham MSA - 2.6%, Average - 10.3%) and percent of people walking or riding their bicycles to work (Birmingham - 1%, Average - 2.8%).

Birmingham spends $37 per capita on funding parks. The average is $102.

Jerri Haslem has taught exercise classes in Birmingham for 20 years. These are sad statistics, she said, calling it the "mindset" of the people and not a lack of opportunity.

If people would use the facilities we have more, then more would be built, she believes. She says a large fitness club might look at our area and say there aren't enough fitness minded people to build here. On the other hand she, says, a fast food company might take a look at our statistics and see a big opportunity. I'm not sure what she means by that.

An opportunity to exploit our "mindset" that propels us to fast food restaurants? Or an opportunity to improve their menus and the quality of food that they serve, so that they do not continue to adversely affect the health of our communities?

Because of $13.3 million in Federal Stimulus money given through the CDC and the Jefferson County Department of Health, many of the issues in the report will be addressed.

Included will be a push for smoke-free air policies in Jefferson County's cities and a requirement that restaurants post nutritional information a the point of purchase. Also included will be working with school nutrition and exercise policies and working with neighborhood development such as requiring sidewalks and building greenways to connect parks .

Other health indicators:

Death rate per 100,000 for cardiovascular disease - Birmingham MSA - 259.3, Average - 212.4

Diabetes - Birmingham MSA - 11%, Average 8.3%.

Here's a link to the full report.

Here's a community action guide that you or me or our group or agency can use to develop healthier communities.

Here's a link to all of Birmingham's statistics in this report (click on the city you want to view).

Housekeeping. I have changed the Facebook share button that appears on each post. By clicking it, you should be able to easily share this or any post with your friends on Facebook.

Coming soon, Twitter share and others. What Share button would you like to see?

Also, Bessemer Opinions is now available in 9 languages other than English. Use the translator at the top of the left sidebar and click on the flag representing the language you want to view. Maybe you can then send the translated post (by copying the link) to your friends that spea that language. Play around with it. Let me know what you think.

Election hash

What do yesterday's election results tell us?

Let's start with Birmingham. Congratulations, first, to William Bell. While I supported his opponent (even though I don't vote in that city), Bell will be the new mayor, and it is up to him to lead us out of the funk we are in. Almost as bad an assignment as the one Barack Obama was handed when he assumed the presidency.



Bell can do this, I am confident. It just won't be in the same manner that Patrick Cooper would have.

As for the gay community, we should support Bell. William Bell has been our friend in the past. He is not responsible for the homophobia that disgraced his campaign. Frank Matthews is. Bell can show us how he feels by ignoring Matthews as he builds his team. Time will tell.

As for Scott Brown's win in Massachusetts, I could write about the failure of the democrats to select a decent candidate, or about the candidate herself and her gaffes, but let's be honest and look at the big picture.

In 2008 America made a statement when it elected Barack Obama. He campaigned on health care reform among other things, and most who voted for him supported it too.

So what happened? Did Americans since then decide they like having 40 million uninsured countrymen? Do they appreciate that people die every day because they lack health insurance?

I find that hard to believe. But I'm not going to answer the questions here. I don't have those answers.

Besides, here are my concerns. The teabaggers have the momentum now. Democrats in congress may be afraid to pass anything, health care related or other. Teabaggers will be giddy.

Teabaggers in this state will be energized. Sorry, Artur. Sorry, Ron.

If it were just Republicans I wouldn't worry. But the teabaggers are a different story. They are the modern KKK. White separatists. Seriously, listen to the radio. Read their blogs. Within the last week I have seen that they have selected a (battle) flag, heard them talk about secession, heard about commandeering the southern auto plants for munitions and weapons manufacture, speak of getting the guillotine ready, and more. Idle talk? Hardly, one of the people being interviewed was an elected official in our state. Sorry I don't know who, I was in the shower listening to the radio on Sunday when I heard it on 101.1 FM.

That is the concern I was alluding to the past few days on this blog. God help us.

But there are progressive people in this county, and this country, and we will continue to search for and support progressive candidates and promote progressive policies. Gays are already abandoning the Democratic Party (shutting down the GayTM).

The Democratic Party and the president and the state parties really need to pow-wow and get their act together. November comes quickly.

Drive-by Truckers explore the past, Birmingham votes on the future

This day is very important for the future of Birmingham and the future of our nation.

In Birmingham the voters have the choice of electing Patrick Cooper who has a fresh vision for the city, or William Bell, part of the establishment of the last 30 years.

The difference also is in the attitudes of the supporters of the candidates. Sure, Cooper has the support of many in the LGBT community and progressive whites, and these are some of the people he has surrounded himself with.

Bell, on the other hand, has the support of Frank Matthews, who has put out divisive and homophobic campaign materials in an attempt to promote hatred and fear and divide the people of Birmingham.

The future of the nation may depend on the results of the special election in Massachusetts, where Martha Coakley and Scott Brown are fighting for the senate seat formerly held by Teddy Kennedy. Brown's campaign is being promoted by teabaggers and it looks like he has a chance to win.

If he should win, teabaggers from the across the nation will feel emboldened and no telling what will happen. But whatever, we will have to deal with it.

That being said, I think Patrick Cooper will be the next mayor of Birmingham, and Martha Coakley will be the new senator from Massachusetts. But the elections will be close.



Check out this video featuring Drive-by Truckers.




It tells of story of the racist past in Alabama from the viewpoint of Patterson Hood, one of the band members. "The Three Great Alabama Icons" and "George Wallace" are from their album, "Southern Rock Opera." h/t to mooncat. And, h/t to Matt Osborne.







It's interesting how some people who grew up here had to leave the state to see what was really going on. Read a writeup about the album from Patterson Hood.


"We began writing the Southern Rock Opera some years ago. We wanted to examine people's misconceptions of the South, and study some modern-day southern mythology."

Bits and Pieces for $1000, Alex

Karma

Yesterday, NBC 13 could not receive the satellite feed for The 700 Club and had to air an older program. A blessing for Birmingham. No Pat Robertson. Well, no current Pat Robertson, anyway.

Unity

On Monday Bobby and I will be attending the 24th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Breakfast, where the overall theme is "Health Care: A Personal Responsibility and A Human Right." That is right up my alley. Dr. Ed LaMonte will be the keynote speaker.

Thanks to a generous donation we will be sitting at the Equality Alabama table.

Haiti

Yesterday I thought I might be going to Haiti to help in the relief effort, but the opportunity didn't come through. But I am prepared to go. I have all the necessary vaccinations and passport and Caribbean disaster experience (here, here, here and here and ICS and NIMS training.

So if you know of an organization that needs me let me know. I've contacted several to let them know I am available.

Birmingham mayor's race.

Will Birmingham elect a mayor who is having his wages garnished (William Bell) or one who says he will forgo his mayor's salary (or donate it or whatever) in order to save the city money (Patrick Cooper)?

Here are several videos where Cooper outlines his vision and plan for the city.

Dreams

You've heard this song as background music during a commercial for a new lawyer TV show The Deep End. Brandi Carlile and Dreams. Watch the official video, where she is singing from an Avatar-like tree (well the best we can do on planet earth) and in front of Mardi Gras like props and with great outfits and instruments for the band. Thanks Brandi for allowing us to embed this.



or a live version from Studio Q.




Carlile is a lesbian, by the way.

Western Tribune column December 9, 2009, Mayor here and there

I wrote this knowing that the paper would come out after the Birmingham mayoral election, so there is a bit of vagueness in the column. But, as expected, Patrick Cooper collected the most votes, it just wasn't enough to avoid a runoff. Let's hope he doesn't go into the runoff with 40% or so of the vote and then lose, like a certain Alabama house district candidate did in a recent special election.

As Cooper said on Fox6 this morning, this is now about the past vs the future. Atlanta's mayoral race was too, it's just that both of the candidates in the runoff there were about the future, since that city left the past long ago. Birmingham should be so lucky.

Langford/Bell v. Cooper. That kind of reminds me of Bush/McCain v. Obama. The same old versus the fresh new.

Western Tribune column

Atlanta elected a new mayor this month. We may not know who it is yet, because the results were so close, a mere 715 vote difference, that a recount is inevitable. Former state Senator Kasim Reed, who is black, leads white councilwoman Mary Norwood.

Atlanta billed itself as the “City Too Busy to Hate” during the civil rights struggles, and while cities like Birmingham suffered from hatred and violence that continues to influence our politics and impedes our progress, Atlanta grew and prospered.

Atlanta has a more racially balanced population than Birmingham, with 56 percent of their population being black and 38 percent white. Birmingham has almost 75 percent black and around 23 percent white residents.

Because Atlanta is what one may call a progressive city, their population has actually grown during this decade. More whites than blacks have recently moved into the city.

Political observers of Atlanta politics say that black political power is weakening there in part because blacks are shedding their civil rights-era sentimentality.

In Birmingham and in Bessemer as well, that mindset continues to hold us back. While we should continue to celebrate the advances made in the 1960’s and honor the heroes of the movement, we have to get past the idea that race is a more important characteristic than education or vision or experience when selecting our leaders.

Atlanta’s rejection of hatred is further evidenced by their embracement of the gay community, and in the mayoral runoff the candidates courted the gay vote with each trying to convince the voters that they were the greater friend to the GLBT community. More than 12 percent of Atlanta’s population self identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual, according a William’s Institute report.

Think of the talent that is accumulating in Atlanta as educated individuals flock to the city. Remember, their population is growing.

Birmingham’s mayoral hopefuls, at least the frontrunners, were gay friendly, in contrast to the recently convicted former mayor. But we didn’t see them trying to out-gay each other as happened in Atlanta.

In Bessemer, the contributions of the GLBT community have never been acknowledged by city leaders, and race most certainly plays a role in the selection of our leaders. We might say that Bessemer lags behind even Birmingham.

That’s pretty sad, considering the current state of Birmingham politics. The good news is, for both Birmingham and Bessemer, I guess there’s nowhere to go but up.

Mayoral stuff

Well Birmingham has another new mayor. Roderick Royal was elected City Council President so he is automatically the interim mayor until a new mayor is elected on December 8, or if there is a runoff, in January.

Birmingham is fortunate. They get several new mayors within a period of 3 months. Bessemer is stuck with the one we have. I have some thoughts, but I think they will be in my next Western Tribune column.

In the meantime, a video supporting Patrick Cooper for Birmingham mayor has surfaced, but its not the kind of video he necessarily wants, and definitely approved by the candidate. NSFW




But Cooper is right. He can't control what people post. Jody Trautwein called it "inexcusable," and that it (vulgar jokes) are "detrimental to the hearts and minds, and therefore to the future of this generation. You remember Trautwein...in "Bruno."





Anyway, Trautwein is a believer and supporter of ex-gay ministries, which are all a fraud and in themselves are "detrimental to the hearts and minds" of the vulnerable kids and adults who fall for it. I'm glad he doesn't have a snowball's chance of being elected.


Recently an Ex-Gay conference was debunked here in Birmingham. Read here here and here.

Ridiculous notions of homosexuality

This video was made by one of the most confused, in denial, bisexual or gay human beings I have ever seen. via joemygod.

First she has a distorted view of where homosexuality comes from.

"The Lord spoke to me and he said that the enemy has released a giant spirit of homosexuality throughout the world."

As if that isn't enough, she encountered a lesbian and became homosexual for 45 minutes because it rubbed off on her!!! Seriously. but once she gets to her truck, she is able to cast the spirit off.




She says the feelings of homosexuality felt "natural"...because they are natural.

Read more about the upcoming protest here.

It was reported in the Birmingham News as well.

Police Chase Thoughts

I got to thinking about this car chase/police beating thing, and realized that whenever I begin to beat someone with a billy club, I usually know immediately whether they are unconscious or not. I mean, the five officers' attorney says they didn't know. I wonder if she would be willing to lie down, pretend to be unconscious, and let somebody take a swing at her with a billy club and see if she doesn't flinch.

Now I don't really beat people with billy clubs, I never have, but I'm just saying...



She also said the officers did not know the man had been thrown from the vehicle. Since the police cars stopped either behind or beside the overturned smashed vehicle, I don't believe that.

She said the officers were doing what they were trained to do. But on the news, a spokesperson from Virginia College said that is not what they are trained to do in the criminal justice program.




From The Birmingham News, in an interview on CNN mayor Larry Langford said, "Neither of us (he and Chief Roper) saw this. It was under the previous administration."

Of course Langford took office on November 13, 2007 and the incident took place on January 23, 2008.

Former mayor Bernard Kincaid spoke out, "Normally I don't make public comments involving the activities at City Hall, but this is so egregious that I feel I must. It did not happen on my watch and I wish anyone who made public comments to that effect would correct it publicly."

Former police chief Annetta Nunn said she too was shocked by the mayor's comments.

Langford later said it was immaterial who was in charge when the incident occurred.

Well, yeah, if you hadn't tried to blame someone else, maybe so.

Trying to blame this incident on the prior administration because some supervisors from that administration were still in place is like Republicans trying to blame 9-11 on Clinton even though W was in office when it happened.

We've almost gotten to the point where young people and outsiders don't think of police dogs and fire hoses when Birmingham is mentioned. Now we will have to spend the next 50 years trying to get this image of Birmingham out of people's minds.

Western Tribune Column April 15, 2009 Legion Field

Before the ink had dried on the contract that moves the high school Super 6 Championship games from Birmingham to Auburn and Tuscaloosa, Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford had the Old Gray Lady torn down and tennis courts and a lake built.

At least in that never idle imagination of his.

I believe he said he would wait until a new facility was built before calling in the wrecking ball, and that’s a good thing, considering the Magic City Classic, which features the Alabama A&M Bulldogs and the Alabama State Hornets, along with the SWAC Championship, still need a place to play. They might actually enjoy participating in a new domed facility.

But what about the most frequent user of the stadium each fall? UAB plays its home games at Legion Field, and might feel that a North Birmingham dome, even further from campus than the current venue, is not the ideal place for them.

Gene Hallman, CEO of the Alabama Sports Foundation, said, “The biggest problem with Legion Field these days is its age. In comparison to Bryant-Denny and Jordan-Hare, it clearly comes up short relative to modern conveniences.”

Right, Gene. Except its age is virtually the same as Bryant-Denny, and just twelve years older than Jordan-Hare. It’s not age, but upkeep. And the reason there has not been upkeep and modernization as with the other stadiums is that Birmingham has lacked the kind of leadership it needed over the last several decades to stay on top of things and move the city forward in all areas, including sports.

Certainly we’ve had big sporting events here such as the 1996 Olympic Soccer matches and SEC Football Championships prior to 1994. But the successes of the past were because of business people like Hallman, not elected officials who could really make a difference in upgrading the facility.

I have some good memories of Legion Field, the best of which is without a doubt the 1972 Iron Bowl when as a college freshman I watched Auburn defeat Alabama 17-16. Punt, Bama, Punt.
And Olympic soccer ranks up there, too.

You know how I feel about preservation, and you know that I would rather see the Old Gray Lady given more than the “facelift” that the mayor says he gave. A “Nip/Tuck” style complete overhaul and the stadium could compete with the two aged contemporaries that have overtaken her.

And then let’s bring the Iron Bowl back.

Racism Still Hanging On in Birmingham

Racism is still a presence in the Birmingham area (see the picture below).

We spent Saturday at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the 16th Street Baptist Church at "Celebrate Unity," the New Baptist Covenant event, where we heard Wayne Flynt speak and lead a discussion on the origins of poverty in Alabama and in the world. Later we heard President Jimmy Carter speak and remind us that if we, as individuals, would just love God, and love the person standing in front (or beside) us, then the world would be a much better place.

The New Baptist Covenant is all about bringing black Baptists and white Baptists together to address the problems that face our country today. Poverty, for instance. As an example of working together, 16th Street Baptist has paired up with Vestavia Hills Baptist and share in worship and ministries.



You cannot go into the 16th Street Baptist Church without being reminded of the history of the place. Even if the four girls were not killed there the building would still be a historic site, being the oldest black church in the city and a place where numerous meetings occurred during the civil rights struggle.

Here is a picture of the stained glass window, which, had the face of Jesus blown out during the bombing.

So in Birmingham the Baptists are promoting unity, but a day of celebration cannot hide the fact that racists are still among us. This was photographed recently where it could be seen from I-65 near Green Springs Avenue.

One person's comment in the email that I received this in was "Some of these idiots still show their cowardice ignorance by hiding behind sheets and cloaks of darkness....."

There is still so much work to be done. One thing we can rely on, though, is that the old racists are slowly dying off. The young people, for the most part, reject the hatred of the previous generations. The world is becoming a better place.

Birmingham Interstates

A couple of weeks ago I posted this about Inaugural Festivities and in the comments, in defense of Birmingham's $50,000 party, I wrote this:

"Since taxpayer money went toward spraying fire hoses at Birmingham residents, and toward police dogs attacking children who wanted their rights, and taxpayer money went to build an interstate that was designed to break up neighborhoods and destroy as many black churches as possible, don't you think we can use a little taxpayer money to show how far Birmingham has come? "

Another comment followed by a retired Highway Department employee who wrote this (and more...go read):

"I am retired from the Ala Dept of Transportation (Highway Dept). The comment above about the interstate system targeting black communities and trying to break up black churches is a complete myth..."

I responded with some quotes from some research done by Raymond Mohl, a UAB professor who has studied the situation extensively, including (from this document ):

"In Birmingham, Alabama, where three interstates intersected, a black citizen's committee complained to the Alabama state highway department and the BPR in 1960 that proposed interstate freeways "would almost completely wipe out two old Negro communities [in] eastern Birmingham with their 13 churches and three schools." "

and

"The route had been chosen by the Alabama state highway department and approved by the Bureau of Public Roads, Whitton wrote, "based on a thorough evaluation of all engineering, economic, and sociological factors involved." If that was the case, then it would seem that the destruction of the Birmingham black community was indeed a planned event." "

Now it doesn't take a genius to understand what "sociological factors" means in reference to 1950's and 60's Birmingham.

But I knew there was another reference, and I found it in "The Most Segregated City in America" City Planning and Civil Rights in Birmingham, 1920-1980, by Charles E. Connerly, a professor at Florida State University. (The book can be found at the Birmingham Public Library , several branches have copies, and you can have one delivered to the branch near you by going to the library web site and pasting the book name in the search engine and just follow the directions.)

This book explains the racial zoning regulations that we had to live with since the 1920's. African Americans were greatly restricted in where they could live in Birmingham. The book has maps that show the areas zoned for blacks.

The book also shows show show the original interstate plan for I-59 through Birmingham took a straight route, bypassing black neighborhoods, but how curves were added which allowed the interstate to bisect several black communities, and form a barrier between black and white neighborhoods in other areas. Oddly enough, these interstate "barriers," on I-65 as well as I-59, fall along the same racial zoning lines that had been declared unconstitutional.

Areas in particular where black neighborhoods were destroyed include Ensley where the interstate cuts off part of Tuxedo Junction and separates that area from Ensley Highlands, the white neighborhood (of the time) to the south.

Also, in east Birmingham, a ridiculous curve was added to I-59 in order to bypass (white) Woodlawn (a route favored by the Woodlawn Chamber of Commerce). This created a dangerous sharp turn in the interstate that requires slowing. I'm sure you have driven that stretch. Your lives are jeopardized because of targeting black neighborhoods to save white neighborhoods.

"In 1960, Mrs. Lala Palmer, a resident of eastern Birmingham and spokesperson for a community organization there, publicly decried the "many curves and twists" of the proposed interstate that resulted in the bisection of the East Birmingham and East Lake black neighborhoods. Her preferred alternative, she noted "is practically straight, yet both routes begin at essentially the same point and end at the same point." According to a telegram Mrs. Palmer sent to the Alabama Highway Department, the impact of the "curves and twists" was that the interstate "would almost completely wipe out two old Negro communities [in] eastern Birmingham with their 13 churches and three schools." (Connerly page 159)

It is worth noting that her suggested route approximates the original Alabama Highway Department and U. S. Bureau of Public Roads planned routes.

While the book repeatedly states that "no evidence" has been uncovered that these things were purposely done, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that with the racial climate in Birmingham at the time and an Alabama Highway Department director who was a known KKK* member, that racial issues were part of these decision.

*"A notorious racist, Alabama's state highway director Samuel Englehardt served simultaneously as a high level officer of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan and of the White Citizen's Council, which organized against school integration." (Mohl)

We have to live with the decisions of leaders of the past, whether we like it or not. Bringing this up is not to incite but rather to educate and learn. We can learn from our history...in this case we should learn that creating barriers and divisions, whether physical (such as zoning laws and interstates) or psychological (such as policies that create second class citizens out of GLBT persons) is wrong. Like unjust, un-Christian, unconstitutional and unfair. Fortunately, we have a leader now in Washington that understands that.

Central Alabama Pride Sues Mayor Langford

Central Alabama Pride has filed a federal lawsuit against Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford, citing his refusal to allow city workers to hang banners in honor of Gay Pride this year.

Here is a copy of the suit. Lawsuit


The suit claims discrimination based on the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U. S. Constitution.


Langford says this is a "frivolous publicity stunt."






He should know.

This suit, along with the great success of Pride this year, and the passage last year of the Birmingham Resolution of being an inclusive city, tells me that Birmingham is light years ahead of where we are perceived in the realm of GLBT equality.

Bring the Games to Birmingham

Birmingham mayor Larry Langford wants to bring the Olympics to the Magic City.

Enough has been said about that on the other blogs, but I have an idea.

Let’s bring the Gay Games to Birmingham.

Built upon the principles of Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best™, for more than 25 years the Gay Games have empowered tens of thousands of LGBT artists and athletes through fellowship and friendly competition.

From the first Gay Games in San Francisco in 1982, the ’86 games in San Fran, Vancouver 1990, New York 1994, Amsterdam 1998, Sydney 2002, Chicago 2006, and coming up in Cologne in 2010. How about Birmingham, 2014 or 2018?

Just as the mayor said, and more, “If we don’t believe in this product that we’re selling called {an inclusive} Birmingham, we have no business expecting any one else to believe in us."

It would be a money maker. Remember Show me the money - Gays ?

• Gay men and lesbians go out more, buy more, have more disposable income and are extremely loyal consumers
• Gay and lesbian consumers purchase from companies/brands that advertise in gay media, deliver product messages in gay-specific advertising, support gay and lesbian community causes and are good to their own gay and lesbian employees
• 60 percent took a foreign trip in the last three years
• 59 percent buy themselves whatever they want

That is money to spend, Birmingham!

Each Gay Games since 1994 has drawn over 12,000 athletes, which compares to the Olympics.
Add to that tens of thousands of spectators and you have a world class event.

How about it, Mayor? And I will volunteer to be on the committee!

Bush in Africa vs Obama's Roots in Africa

Today is the one year anniversary of Bessemer Opinions!!!

President Bush is in Africa, visiting a country that seems to like him. While he promotes PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) in Tanzania, republican strategists have other goals for his trip. Kenneth Walsh of U.S. News and World Report surmises that GOP leaders are hoping the trip will soften opposition to Bush among African Americans and help the GOP nominee (McCain) make “inroads into the black vote this fall.”

Well I am not African American but let’s just pretend for a moment. On the one hand we have the president, dilly dallying around the Continent continuing his commitment to spend millions of dollars fighting AIDS. On the other hand we have Barack Obama, who has actual roots in Kenya and realizes that Africa is more than just a photo op stop.

Well, sort of. A photo op doesn’t hurt. Here’s Obama in 2006 speaking at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. Hear a little from his sister, Auma Obama, and Barack about their father and Obama’s views of Africa today (2006).



I don’t think there is any chance the GOP candidate would get more than a handful of black votes if Barack is the Dem’s candidate. Same for Clinton if she is the candidate, actually.

In Birmingham the City Council will begin voting electronically, but the real news out of this story is that there will be live web streaming of council meetings with time stamps added so the public can later watch particular agenda items, according to this article in the Bham News.

Can you imagine if the Bessemer Council acquired this type of system? The public could actually watch council meetings, either live or archived. And for only $96,000. That is what it cost Birmingham. Surely the council can find a hundred grand here or there to do this.

An Alabama Quiz and Birmingham on "The Edge"

Gary left link in a comment yesterday to this site. Talk about the future of transportation! Thanks, Gary. I don't see any problems with a system like this, other than the transition from the current system. That is addressed on the web site, however.

And Kathy at Birmingham Blues had an interesting link to an article in The Edge about Birmingham and its progress in the gay community by Cody Lyon. Here is a quote:

"There is a large, visible, albeit loosely organized gay community in Alabama’s largest city. There are 24-hour gay bars, social, religious and political organizations, annual events, even entire neighborhoods that gays have transformed into friendly enclaves.

In fact, according to the 2000 United State Census, the city of Birmingham was home to a higher per capita concentration of same-sex couples than cities of comparable or larger sizes like Memphis, Charlotte and even more liberal northern cities like Columbus, Ohio."

The article is a couple of pages long and worth reading if you are interested in Birmingham's progress. Progress is progress, so you should all be interested.

Cody is from Wilsonville, Alabama and now lives in New York as a writer and such.

OK here is a quiz from the Hartselle Enquirer. Test your knowledge of Alabama. Answers on tomorrow. I scored a lowly 12 out of 30.

1. When was Alabama's great seal adopted?
2. What does Alabama's flag look like?
3. What is our state bird?
4. What is our state song?
5. What is our state motto?
6. What is our state tree?
7. What is our state amphibian?
8. What is our state fruit?
9. What is our state spirit (liquor)?
10. What is our state mammal?
11. What is our state tree fruit?
12. What is our state saltwater fish?
13. What is our state flower?
14. What is our state mineral?
15. What is our state rock?
16. What is our state horse?
17. What is our state saltwater fish?
18. What is our state game bird?
19. What is our official American Folk Dance?
20. What is our state nut? (Clue, it is not Roy Moore)
21. What is our state fossil?
22. What is our official mascot?
23. What is our official state butterfly?
24. What is our state reptile?
25. What is our state gemstone?
26. What is our state shell?
27. What is our official State Barbecue Championship?
28. What is our official Horseshoe Tournament?
29. What is our official State Historic Theater?
30. What is our offical State Quilt?

Birmingham, Bessemer and Republicans

Taking the lead from Bessemer Opinions, the Birmingham News yesterday endorsed Patrick Cooper for mayor of Birmigham, and Howard Bayless for School Board. Vote tomorrow.

I'm not advocating people sleeping in on Sundays, but here is another reason to skip church . But when the pastors bring guns, and maybe you aren't putting enough in the plate...

And the latest shooting in Bessemer was about a half a block away, on 19th Street yesterday afternoon. Not many details, but Fox 6 was there and reported victims being hospitalized. No word this morning. But you can be sure this will be brought up at tonight's Bessemer Neighborhood Association. Live in Bessemer? Come to the meeting. 7:00 Broken Vessel Church.

It was pretty much glossed over when Republican lawmaker Tom Davis mentioned the GOP going the way of the Whigs, and he quickly added it isn't going to happen. But it's something to think about when the Birmingham News has side by side editorials today titled Christians Bent on Self Defeat by Kathleen Parker and Collapse of the GOP by David Brooks.

The links are from the Orlando Sentinal and NY Times, because you just can't find things on the Birmingham News web site (al.com).

But let's just sit back and watch. It should be fun.