Tag Archives: Commentary

Will we finally see The Promised Land soon?

Posted on April 4, 2008 by | Leave a comment

Today we honor one of the most important and influential men in the history of our country by remembering the occasion of his death, what it meant to nation in 1968, and how it still affects us today.

The bullet that ended Dr. King’s pursuit of equality and justice for all, whether fired by James Earl Ray or not, still reverberates around the world 40 years later. There are several things that would say that King’s dream is one that is deferred to this day for many, particularly African Americans.

We cannot however deny the continuous signs of hope that many would point to, most notably in a city that has come to symbolize the turning point in the American Civil Rights movement. Dr. King described this label best the night before he died, saying that we here in Birmingham, Alabama “aroused the consciousness of this nation.”

For nearly 30 years, the person that has served as the elected leader of the city of Birmingham has been an African American. There are several men and women of color holding prominent positions throughout city government and among our region’s organizations, with many continuing to reach for the dream “that is deeply rooted in the American Dream.”

While we may have forced the nation to take a good look at itself in the mirror from the heart of Dixie in 1963, it’s interesting to point out that while the African Americans account for more than 70% of the population of the city of Birmingham, they only account for less than 5% of the owners of businesses in the city. Are we able to provide the support that we need for these businesses to survive and thrive, allowing more dreams to be fulfilled? Are we

Have we realized the dream or will we ever see The Promised Land?

Dr. King seemed to think that it was possible. He felt that he’d seen progress in the fight for equality, most notably in the remarks made in his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech the night before he died.

When will Birmingham reach The Promised Land? When will we stop looking at the glass half empty and begin to clamor for the changes that will make King’s dream a reality. Perhaps we must unfortunately take the stance that he did on the night before he died. We may not see it come to reality, but we must continue to fight for it if only for the benefit of those that come after us. To only provide lip service to it twice a year without action leaves the dream unfulfilled for people of all color and economic background and the chance for true freedom out of reach.

André Natta is the publisher of The Terminal.

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A dream fulfilled?

Posted on April 4, 2008 by | Leave a comment

Editor’s note: This is the first of two editorials written today about 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  It was written by The Terminal’s editorial assistant for this spring, Leah Walcott. Ms. Walcott is currently a senior at Miles College in Fairfield, AL.

“I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullifications; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and girls as sisters and brothers…”

– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., March on Washington 1963.

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We would like to celebrate his life and the many achievements that he made in Birmingham. As I sit back to read the famous “I Have a Dream” speech given August 28, 1963, I ask myself is Dr. King’s dream actually fulfilled here in the birth place of Civil Rights. For the most part it is, but there still is much to be desired.

African Americans are allowed to vote, sit anywhere they want, drink from the same water fountain as Caucasians, and date outside their race without getting grief from the public. Young African Americans are able to attend schools with Caucasian children, and they are able to interact with them freely. However I believe, Dr. King would be disappointed to see the violence between African Americans here in our city. He would be disappointed to see that some of our fathers are not taking care of their responsibilities, and leaving mothers to raise their children on their own. It’s sad that so many people take for granted their right to vote, and they feel as though their vote does not count.

He would be shocked to see that schools in the city of Birmingham are infested with violence and teen pregnancy, and the teaching materials are sub-standard compared to other schools.

The neighborhoods on the western side of town are dead. Those places that were once places of refuge have become empty, unused, abandoned buildings.

Even though the racial problems have digressed, we still have other problems to face such as teen pregnancy, the high syphilis rate in Jefferson County, black on black crime and domestic violence.

So I ask you – do you feel Dr. King’s dream is fulfilled?

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Thanks for the ride, now shake the dust

Posted on March 14, 2008 by | Leave a comment

This evening those that are able to attend will stand in a room on the top floor of one of the most beautiful buildings in downtown Birmingham and take in a view of The Magic City that is not enjoyed as often as it once was. We will be able to look out, intermittently through rain clouds, and see sites of current and future development, those new achievements just on the horizon for a glorious city.

Last night as I prepared to write this piece, I decided to check on John’s A Look Back post for today. It was the first time that I’d realized that the first story-related post on Birmingham’s hub was on the birthday of the city’s newspaper of record. From what little I’ve figured out about Mr. Rhodes, I can only think that he would have a slight grin on his face thinking of the irony.

As we begin our second year, continuing with our slightly different style of telling the story of Alabama’s largest city and its people, we hope that people will continue to be willing to say what is on their mind, and begin to do so if they have not started to on the virtual time capsules that are the pages and posts and images of The Terminal.

We hope that our readers take the opportunity to shape the future of Birmingham and Alabama in whatever way they think is necessary and help us in our ongoing job to figure out how to best supply the stories and the resources to help this goal be reached (as well as to remind us that it’s fun).

We believe it is time to shake the dust and show the rest of the Southeastern United States and the country as a whole just how great Birmingham is – already – as well as what is yet to come. We must continue to find new ways to trumpet the good work being done throughout our community without blindly neglecting the issues that face us as we move forward. After all, as Dr. Volker once said, “we would do Birmingham a great disservice if we dreamed too little dreams.”

So in that vein we pledge to you that we will dream big dreams and serve our readership as best we can. We need you to dream and to take up the reins of change yourselves. We are so grateful for you and what you bring to the conversation. Despite what I’ve been told by some, if I did this for myself, we wouldn’t be trying to celebrate with all of you tonight, now would we? We already have some plans in the works that we’ll talk about tonight…

So, what can you do? We’ve never quite been sure how to answer that question – until now. There’s a big one coming up on Monday that we’re interested in getting your feedback about, but until then, we’ll start with these suggestions:

… and enjoy the ride!

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A new sense of community, shown through XOs

Posted on January 28, 2008 by | Leave a comment

The first part of a series of posts about solutions outside of The Magic City shows that Mayor Langford’s vision for a wireless Birmingham is not that far off base. The main issue may be the fact that few are really looking at just how much of that solution may already exist.

There are approximately 83 free wireless hotspots in Birmingham, AL proper according to AnchorFree, a website that maintains lists for cities across the country. There are 58 hotspots listed in Washington, DC on the website. Take a closer look in the metro area, and the number jumps significantly, courtesy of this list maintained by IPSA and TechBirmingham. As we prepare to introduce 15,000 laptops into the daily local lives of Birmingham’s youth, we made need to reexamine just what we really need to be doing to embrace wireless technology.

Perhaps the main issue involves expanding where the hotspots are, as well as providing more information about what it actually means to have that access. It will do no good to claim that the access points are not where they’re needed. We simply need to find more ways to provide that service there. Providing access in area churches is a start, perhaps with the hope that it will encourage families in our community to take advantage of the service at home if possible. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. If we are going to provide that edge to our youth that this program is supposed to provide in terms of the digital divide, we will have to drastically expand just what it means to be wireless.

We don’t have to go as far as Philadelphia did with their attempt at a citywide wireless cloud, but we need to at least be leaning in that general direction. We need to not be ashamed to provide the service in areas that may not think it’s that cool to do so. As many of us have said before, maybe changing how we think about us can change how others view us. Let’s expand Internet access in several area parks and encouraging more access in some of our restaurants that may not currently see it as something that they need to offer. Encouraging students to frequent their libraries, where access is already available, may also be quite useful in this instance.

Something I discovered during the trip (and on other trips around the country in the last year) was just how much a WiFi hotspot encourages community (at least among those that need their access). It is still too early in the history of this site to rely on a built in mobile broadband card, though if we keep it up, it will become necessary. Even if that’s the case, it still means something to work in a space with others, allowing you to learn more about wherever you are. One of the biggest concerns surrounding our continuing reliance on the Internet is how much we may not talk with others. It’s becoming less and less of a realistic argument. WiFi access can, many times, open those lines of communication.

We all look towards creating a greater sense of community and opportunity in The Magic City. It may be time to also stop looking to tired excuses as to why we don’t move forward. That said, we must also always take a look at all sides of an issue before jumping in with both feet. The long term benefit to the city in terms of how productive we are and what it means to companies looking to move here is too important to not look at a holistic approach to the divide.

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Editorial: Birmingham votes to withdraw from SWMA

Posted on January 11, 2008 by | 2 comments

Editor’s note: The following letter was submitted to by Nelson Brooke, Riverkeeeper and executive director of Black Warrior Riverkeeper. It was originally published on their website. Click here to view it there. – ACN.

On Tuesday the Birmingham City Council voted to withdraw from the Storm Water Management Authority (SWMA) http://www.swma.com/.  The council has until October to decide whether or not to rejoin SWMA.  It will cost the city more to go it alone than through participation in SWMA’s regional program.  Mayor Kincaid’s administration considered withdrawing, but concluded such a move wasn’t in the city’s best interest.   Jefferson County withdrew only to rejoin after realizing they made a bad decision.

The city council is currently considering a Malcolm Pirnie proposal to do the work for the city.  Going it alone means more comprehensive and stringent permit requirements for the city, which includes having to test many more sites.  I encourage you to contact the city council and Mayor Langford [at] http://www.birminghamal.gov/ to let them know you do not support their withdrawal.  SWMA is doing a good job and there is no need to reinvent the wheel.

At the council meeting on Tuesday both Councilman Joel Montgomery and Mayor Langford said SWMA was not out there monitoring streams for pollution.  What do they think SWMA does?  I can personally attest to the fact that SWMA inspectors are very active in monitoring Birmingham’s streams.  The two local authorities in charge of enforcing pollution found by SWMA and Black Warrior Riverkeeper are Birmingham’s own engineering department and the state Department of Environmental Management (ADEM).  They are not doing their job of keeping pollution from entering area streams.  Why would one think a consulting firm hired by the city would do a better job than an already established county agency?

Let’s not be fooled here.  Mayor Langford and some of the city council are paving the way for relaxed restrictions on and regulation of those who make money by putting their pollution burden on the public.  A lot of powerful interests ( i.e. those who support BARD – see article below for more info) externalize their costs on the greater public by refusing to pay for necessary pollution controls.  The result for us is polluted water resources.  The result for them is fatter pockets.  Without SWMA, the fox will be guarding the hen house in Jefferson County and pollution will continue unabated just like it always has.  Rest assured, ADEM is a toothless fox.

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