3 Comments so far ↓

• Jeane Goforth // May 11, 2009 at 4:55 pm

  I dream of a music education programsimilar to Venezuela’s El Sistema for Birmingham’s youth–and the consequent social transformation. Working hard to make it happen.

• Todd // Jun 8, 2009 at 12:46 pm

  I would second that! Also, consistent, dedicated funding for the arts in Birmingham’s K-12 schools.
  Culturally grounded, learned, creatively trained thinkers is what Birmingham needs to transform itself from the inside out. What better tool than the schools? However, the Birmingham Board of Education needs to refocus the emphasis on cookie-cutter diplomas. Our society is too complex & multi-faceted to keep doing education via the 1950’s models. So, a music education program like J. Goforth mentioned, a City school system patterned (not copied) after Indian Springs Village & Montessori Schools (but geared towards our unique needs and goals as a community), and a commitment to environmental awareness. How Birmingham addresses Village, Valley & Five Mile Creeks, its parks and its infrastructure, will determine whether we collapse like Detroit & Atlantic City, or surge ahead like Asheville & Oakland.

  I have a separate wish-list of structures I’d like to see here, but will save that for later. Address the education issue, and our crime and civil/domestic problems will shrink greatly. BIRMINGHAM CAN BE A HOPEFUL PLACE!!!

• Alarob // Jun 15, 2009 at 6:23 pm

  What a great question. Wish I’d found it earlier.

  I dream of a city that no longer assumes that people must be kept apart for the sake of security and prosperity. It’s like a residue of legal racial segregation. Everyone around us must be just like us, or else we fear we’ll wind up either destitute (“property values”) or dead (“violent crime”).

  I’m just sayin’.