Jefferson County Commissioner David Carrington with Commission President Jimmie Stephens
I wrote most of this piece about Commissioner Carrington a few months ago, but did not publish it for fear it would appear too political.
Now that the Jefferson County Commission election is over, I feel more comfortable making my comments. Commissioner Carrington has been reelected and Commissioner Jimmie Stephens has been elected President.
I’m not saying Commissioner Carrington is better or worse than any other commissioner–I just happen to know David better. I do feel strongly that our County Commission–though not perfect–did a credible job with the hand it was dealt. Continue reading David Carrington: “I don’t care!”→
I attended Gary Palmer’s victory celebration at the Birmingham Marriott and I was blinded by the “white.” There may have been an African-American there, but I didn’t see one. This should not be a surprise since Alabama’s 6th Congressional District is 88.8% white and 7.7% African-American. Continue reading The worst thing to happen to America and Birmingham→
If you do, your bejeebies will be obliterated when you see the one depressing statistic that best describes the economic health of metropolitan Birmingham.
Please note we’re nottalking about just the City of Birmingham or Jefferson County. We’re talking about the Birmingham Hoover Metropolitan area—defined by our seven counties: Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, and Walker.
So the folks in our suburbs are impacted by this number just as much as our local residents.
When you read some of the remarks by (I assume) white commenters on al.com, you almost have to come to the conclusion that Steven Hoyt is the devil—some kind of black racist. Councilor Hoyt is the City Council representative from Birmingham’s District 8.
Councilor Hoyt regularly seems to be in the headlines standing up for African-American inclusion when there are economic opportunities for individuals or businesses created by the City of Birmingham.
Some folks want me to take sides in the Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB) squabble, but that’s not my role. My role as publisher of ComebackTown is to place a spotlight on why we continue to put ourselves in such embarrassing situations.
A young business man sitting next to me on my flight from Atlanta to Philadelphia asked where I lived. I told him I was from Birmingham and he said he was from Philadelphia.
We in Birmingham join in mourning of the passing of the legendary South African leader, Nelson Mandela, who died last week at the age of 95.
It’s ironic that we are currently celebrating the 50th anniversary of our Civil Rights struggle the same year as Nelson Mandela’s death.
Many renowned speakers came to Birmingham this year and emphasized that Mandela was inspired by the Civil Rights struggle here in Birmingham. It’s clear that Birmingham played a key role in changing the world. Continue reading Why Birmingham can never have a Mandela→
