Tag Archives: Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham

How to turn around a shrinking Jefferson County

Jefferson County

A graph of Jefferson County’s population over the past 50 years looks eerily like the EKG of a dead man.

It’s a straight line that goes neither up nor down. It lays dormant like a dead body.

Unfortunately that flat line now appears to represent the good ‘ole’ days. Continue reading How to turn around a shrinking Jefferson County

Everyone thought this Jewish man crazy for moving to Birmingham

Danny Cohn
Danny Cohn

Today’s guest columnist is Danny Cohn.

If you’d like to be a guest columnist, please click here.

Just about everyone told us we were crazy to move to Birmingham.

Then right when I moved, family yet to come, the world was hit with the Coronavirus.

So I’m new to Birmingham—starting a new job and a new life—all alone. Continue reading Everyone thought this Jewish man crazy for moving to Birmingham

Look out divided Birmingham: Here come the Millennials!

BirminghamI live in two different worlds.

The world of my contemporaries—folks 50, 60, 70 years old who are generally happy with the status quo.

And the world of 20, 30, and 40 year olds—who are desperate for change.

I make some of my contemporary friends nervous. Continue reading Look out divided Birmingham: Here come the Millennials!

There’s the guy who wants to get rid of Mountain Brook

Shades Creek along Jemison Trail in Mountain Brook
Shades Creek along Jemison Trail in Mountain Brook

“There’s the guy who wants to get rid of Mountain Brook.”

It’s a bit unsettling, but that’s what a prominent Mountain Brook man says to me every time he sees me.

If you follow his logic, then you would assume I also would be the guy who would like to get rid of Vestavia Hills, Homewood, Trussville, and every other Jefferson County municipality. Continue reading There’s the guy who wants to get rid of Mountain Brook

Nashville Mayor has advice for Birmingham

Nashville Mayor Megan Berry speaking to Kiwanis Club of Birmingham
Nashville Mayor Megan Barry speaking to Kiwanis Club of Birmingham

If you think you’re good looking, but few people ask you for a date, you might suspect you have a problem.

You may think you’re ‘cool,’ but if all your friends give you the same advice, then maybe they see something you’re unable to recognize in yourself. Continue reading Nashville Mayor has advice for Birmingham

What if we could dramatically cut the number of homicides in Birmingham?

Christopher Nanni President & CEO Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham
Christopher Nanni, Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham.
Chief A.C. Roper Birmingham Police Department
Chief A.C. Roper
Birmingham Police Department

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

Today’s guest bloggers are Christopher Nanni and Chief A.C. Roper.

If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

If you could prevent people from killing others, would you do something about it?

This is the question that the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham asked itself in 2014. The Foundation encountered a strategy being implemented around the country with dramatic results:  reducing homicides by up to 40% while at the same time decreasing incarceration, building police legitimacy, and offering those deemed the most likely to kill or be killed a way out.

Sound too good to be to be true? Continue reading What if we could dramatically cut the number of homicides in Birmingham?