Regions Foundation, YMCA of Greater Birmingham break ground on transformative project
By: Jeremy King It’s not about meeting one need. This isn’t just delivering one service. It’s about serving the whole person … the whole family … the whole community. The Regions Foundation, a nonprofit funded primarily by Regions Bank, recently joined the YMCA of Greater Birmingham to break ground on a development designed to have a major, positive impact on northeast Birmingham. The YMCA is using a major grant from the Regions Foundation, plus funding from additional community partners that joined the initiative, to deliver affordable housing, provide more educational support, and address health care needs – all at the Northeast Y’s campus in Birmingham’s Roebuck community. How it’s happening Not only is the Northeast Y getting renovated to include a new community resource center and increased early-learning opportunities, the Y is also taking an innovative approach toward additional needs. For example: What they’re saying “This is about more than meeting a single need; it’s about creating real solutions, bringing together affordable housing, health care, educational opportunities and more,” said Marta Self, executive director of the Regions Foundation. “This type of impact does not happen in a vacuum. This type of transformation can only happen through collaboration and partnership,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin. “On behalf of this grateful city, I want to thank you all for making this a reality. You’re changing lives … You’re literally improving the quality of life of our citizens … of our residents,” Woodfin said. “It’s exciting to see this come to life. Our community, our partners, and major donors believed in the vision and came together to transform Roebuck for future generations,” said Terri Harvill, chief social impact officer of the YMCA of Greater Birmingham “We have to be the change that we want to see. The days of where we can talk – that’s no longer going to get it. We are going to have to invest. So, I want to thank everyone who has invested in this vision,” said Jefferson County Commissioner Lashunda Scales. “We’re not just rebuilding or renovating a building. We’re here to build a brighter future. Today is not just about brick and mortar and this land. Today is about the soul of a community; it’s about the countless lives that will be touched, the dreams that will be nurtured,” said Alicia Lumpkin-Whitfield, board chair for the Northeast YMCA. In summary Development and renovation work will begin immediately. The impact will last for generations. A version of this story originally appeared on the Regions Bank news site, Doing More Today.
Mayors of Birmingham, Mobile win re-election
The mayors of two of Alabama’s largest cities have won re-election by wide margins. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin outdistanced seven other candidates in balloting Tuesday to win a second four-year term with about 64% of the vote. The challengers included his predecessor as mayor, William Bell, and a Jefferson County commissioner, Lashunda Scales, who finished second. “You told us to invest in your neighborhoods and we did,” Woodfin told supporters after the votes were counted. “You told us to pave your streets and we did. …You told us to invest in the youngest generation and we did.” Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson won a third term by carrying 62% of the vote against two challengers who included a City Council member, Fred Richardson. Stimpson said he would concentrate on projects including the relocation of the city’s passenger airport to a site near downtown over the next four years. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Joe Biden backs Randall Woodfin in Birmingham mayoral race
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday endorsed Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin for reelection. “Mayor Woodfin is one of the great young leaders of our country,” Biden said in a statement. “From protecting the health and safety of the people of Birmingham to saving and creating jobs, to providing tuition-free higher education and fighting for voting rights, he sets the bar for making sure government works for the people.” Woodfin faces seven challengers in his bid for another term, including his predecessor in office. Former Mayor William Bell, Jefferson County Commissioner Lashunda Scales, former city worker Darryl Williams, sports agent and engineer Ervin Philemon Hill II, building contractor Chris Wood, businesswoman and mental health advocate Cerissa Brown, and Napoleon Gonzalez are seeking the office of mayor. The election is August 24. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Randall Woodfin in national spotlight for spectacular failure in crime reduction
Mayor Randall Woodfin ran his campaign in 2017 on the notion that he had the answers that could solve the issues of gun violence and crime in Birmingham. The young attorney promised that he would ensure public safety, fight for criminal justice reform and racial justice, and hold police accountable. He believed the root cause of violence and crime was disinvestment in low-income communities and persistent, generational poverty. However, many activist groups who supported Woodfin and his vision are now looking to elect a new mayor, hoping that they can do what he has been unable to: solve the issue of violent crime in Birmingham. In Birmingham, murders have increased 5 percent in the city in 2021, and 2020 was the deadliest since 1995. So far in 2021, the city has recorded 65 criminal homicides, putting it on pace to surpass last year’s record, and most victims are young, Black men. In a detailed article, Slate reported on how Birmingham’s crime rate has risen even while Woodfin has tried to attack this issue from all sides. Woodfin argues that simply making arrests doesn’t solve the problem. During his time in office, he has helped establish many alternatives to simply policing and arresting criminals. He established the Mayor’s Office of Peace and Policy to target recidivism among Black men through social support and group therapy. The next year, he launched the Birmingham Promise Initiative, which gave students paid internships and covered the cost of their higher education. Many young progressives assume that all Black people want a smaller police force. But in Birmingham and many cities, that’s not the case. Woodfin has said that most of his constituents want more patrols, especially older people. Many still see police as the main way to combat violence. National surveys show that younger people are more likely to support defunding the police. “When I talk to the mommas and the big mommas in the neighborhoods, they want more police,” he said in 2018. “People my age and younger say more policing is wrong. As mayor, I’m in the middle.” Woodfin faces three main challengers in this election, and all of them are positioning themselves to be more “pro-police” than Woodfin himself. Mayor William Bell, businessman Chris Woods, and Jefferson County Commissioner Lashunda Scales are critical of how Woodfin has handled crime, saying he’s missed the mark. “People want to box me in and make me choose between reform and accountability measures, and policing and keeping the city safe,” Woodfin said in a June interview. “No, I reject your ultimatum. I can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can do both.” As the election draws near, Woodfin, activist groups, and previous Woodfin supporters continue to roll out new initiatives and ideas to address this complex problem. In April, Woodfin created the city’s first Civilian Review Board to investigate complaints of police misconduct. He pardoned 15,000 people for past misdemeanor marijuana convictions. In July, Woodfin banned the use of no-knock search warrants. Some groups have called for Woodfin to use American Rescue Plan money to help the issue. Many have pushed to fund alternative public safety strategies because they believe that relying primarily on law enforcement doesn’t work, and even that gets support from some law enforcement officials. Gregory Clarke argues that police are not the answer. “I’m not saying they don’t do their job—they do their job of responding to crime,” said Clarke, the founder of Birmingham Peacemakers and a leader of the local Fund Peace campaign. “The police had their budget increased. But the effect on crime didn’t match. Matter of fact, it went up.” Many groups who supported him in his last election have put their support behind other candidates. In January, the Birmingham chapter of Our Revolution publicly rescinded its endorsement. The local Black Lives Matter chapter called for his resignation after police shot and killed a 28-year-old Black man named Desmon Montez Ray Jr. “This family has been demanding that the leadership of this community, Mayor Randall Woodfin, council members, the police chief, anybody in leadership should have come to this family to offer their condolences,’’ BLM Birmingham co-founder Eric Hall stated. “That’s the right thing to do. That’s what leadership is.” “Birmingham voters believed that any work initiated by Mayor Woodfin to deter crime and violence would center root-cause analysis and comprehensive grassroots and community-based solutions,” several Black Lives Matter leaders wrote in an open letter at the time. “This is why it was a hard pill to swallow.” “I am sick and tired of people talking negative about our city,” City Councilor Crystal Smitherman said at a July summit in support of the Fund Peace campaign. “It’s time for the communities to step up and take charge of our neighborhoods.”
Steve Flowers: Politics never ends in Alabama
We are all looking forward to next year’s gigantic political cavalcade. The 2022 elections in Alabama will be momentous. We will have an open U.S. Senate seat along with seven congressional seats, all running under new district lines. We have a Governor’s race along with all the other Constitutional offices. All 105 state representatives and 35 state senators will be running for reelection under new district lines. All 67 sheriffs in the state will be on the ballot, as well as all 68 probate judges. All these races are on the cusp of beginning or have already begun. However, we will have a mayor’s race in Birmingham this summer. The August 24 mayoral race in the magic city is shaping up as a Donnybrook. It is shaping up to be a rematch from four years ago between former mayor William Bell and current mayor Randall Woodfin. Four years ago, young Randall Woodfin defeated then mayor William Bell, the old fashion way. He outworked him. Woodfin went door-to-door in one-on-one campaigning in every precinct in Birmingham. He appears to have done a good job as mayor. He will be tough to beat. However, if anyone would do it, William Bell would be the one. He looks very distinguished and mayoral. In fact, I have often thought that if Hollywood were scripting a movie of a mayor of a city like the movie “Boss” with Kelsey Grammar, who played a Chicago mayor, that Bell would be the perfect actor. There are at least two other significant candidates vying to be Birmingham’s mayor, LaShunda Scales and Chris Wood, which may place Bell and Woodfin into a runoff. We have already had several special legislative elections throughout the state this year. Former Alabama House Member, April Weaver, won the Republican State Senate Primary for Senate District 14 on March 30. This senate seat was vacated when Cam Ward departed the Senate to become Director of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. The district encompasses a good portion of Shelby County and all of Bibb and Chilton. It is a very Republican district. Therefore, Ms. Weaver’s victory is tantamount to election. She will face a token Democrat in the July 13 general election. Her triumph was extremely impressive. She garnered 82% of the vote against two opponents. She will be an effective senator for Central Alabama. In an open state House seat in Shelby County, U.S. Army Veteran Kenneth Paschal won the GOP Primary for House District 73, winning the Republican primary for a State Legislative district in a special election in Shelby County. Paschal won a close race over Leigh Hulsey, 51% to 49%. There is a special election for state House District 78 in Montgomery to fill the seat being left vacant with Kirk Hatcher moved up from the House to the Senate. There are several low-profile constitutional offices beginning to percolate for 2022. State Representative, Wes Allen, has announced and is running hard for Secretary of State. He is perfectly suited and qualified for that office. He is in his first term as a State Representative from Pike and Dale Counties. However, prior to that, he served 10 years as Probate Judge of Pike County, where he successfully oversaw elections. Wes is a native of Tuscaloosa, where his daddy serves as a State Senator. A successful Birmingham businesswoman, Laura Johnston Clark, is eyeing the State Auditor’s race. She was born and raised in Dothan and began her business there. She has deep and extensive family roots in the Wiregrass. Her father and mother and older brother are legendary and revered. She has been extensively involved civically in Birmingham for close to two decades. She is an integral part of next year’s World Games, which will be held in Birmingham. The current occupants of the Secretary of State and State Auditor’s offices, John Merrill and Jim Ziegler, are term-limited. So, these two offices are wide open. 2022 is going to be an exciting election year. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His column appears in over 60 Alabama Newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislative. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Randall Woodfin picks up 2 challengers: Lashunda Scales and Chris Woods
Mayor Randall Woodfin now has two candidates running against him this August. During an event to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jefferson County Commissioner Lashunda Scales threw her hat in the ring and is the second person to announce their intention to run for mayor of Birmingham. Chris Woods is the other mayoral candidate. Al.com reported Scales wants to reduce crime, improve education, and support Birmingham workers. Scales stated, “I’m not into being in a fight with anyone because that doesn’t serve the City of Birmingham well. But I will tell you this: If you give me the opportunity to serve as your mayor, not just the first woman mayor, but to serve as your mayor, you will have a seat at the table. That is what I can guarantee.” Scales was a Birmingham City Council member from 2009-2018 when she was unseated by George Bowman. Scales emphasized that the commission is not about just one person. “That’s one of the things I learned about service when I first got there as a city council member in 2009,” she said. “It’s all about everyone that is a stakeholder being at the table, having the necessary conversations, be willing to put aside our differences to recognize that we’re there to serve people and not our own interest. So today I offer myself as a solution.” Scales didn’t answer questions after her announcement but directed people to her campaign website. Mayor Randall Woodfin is expected to run for re-election. Woods announced his campaign earlier in January at The Clubhouse on Highland, WVTM reported. He is running his campaign on education, crime, and neighborhood revitalization. Woods stated, “I want to transform this city so that people are coming here, not fleeing here. I want Birmingham to be a place where all people come to live, work, and learn. “At one time, Birmingham was the conscience of the Movement, and we can make it that way again. We can make Birmingham the conscience of the Nation. It’s time to join together and turn the tragic back to magic. Together, we can bring the magic back to the Magic City.” The filing deadline for candidates to run for mayor is July 10. The election is Aug. 24, with a runoff on Oct. 5 if needed.
Protected or Prisoners Part 7: 3 steps to exploitation
The 7th of our series examining the process used to gain control of elders and their estates and the ways in which they’re exploited afterwards.
Birmingham City Council unanimously approves $436 million budget
The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the city’s 2019 operating budget with an 8-0 vote. District 1 Councilwoman Lashunda Scales was not present for the vote. The City Council unanimously passes the FY 2018-2019 City Budget. — Bham City Council (@citycouncilbham) June 19, 2018 The $436 million budget will go into effect July 1. The budget comes in $8 million bigger than last year’s budget, due to revenue growth from the use and occupational taxes. “Passing a budget on time is important not just to our citizens, but also for all the city departments that provide services to the public,” Council President Valerie Abbott said. “I think this budget was a good compromise. In government, you have limited resources and unlimited needs. By passing this budget unanimously today it shows that the Council and Mayor recognize we are in this together and we want to get things done.” Following the budget’s approval, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said he was encouraged by the cooperation of the Council throughout the budget process. “For me it is about taking the time to understand each Councilor’s request,” Woodfin said. “We wanted to make sure we incorporated a majority of wants and needs. We’re not able to get everything for everyone, but for the most part I think we accomplished that.”
Woman of Influence: Birmingham City Councilor Lashunda Scales
“Above all, you must remain humble; know when you’ve been blessed to have an opportunity and always share your gift.” Lashunda Scales has been serving her community in Birmingham for over 20 years. An entrepreneur, Birmingham City Councilor, Chair of the Governmental Affairs/Public Information Committee and a member of the Economic Development and Transportation Committees, it’s safe to say Scales is a very influential woman. She was born and raised in Birmingham, Ala. where graduated from the Birmingham City School System. She went on to attend Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Ala. and married her husband Michael in 1991, at 20 years old. Scales took a bit of an “untraditional” path, never graduating from Stillman College; but becoming a homemaker, holding several jobs for family members until 2000 when she started her own Public Relations firm. “My PR skills are completely self taught,” said Scales. “I had no formal education in it. One day while working for my fathers national promoting business I called news stations and newspapers to get the word out about a new promotion and realized I really enjoyed what I was doing. I had found my niche.” Scales has spent the past 18 years building her business while serving her community. In 2003 she returned to college, and graduated from Jefferson State Community College in 2005. She was first elected to the Birmingham City Council, District 1 seat in 2009, a position that she has held since then. As a city councilor she coordinated the Birmingham City Council’s 50th Anniversary Swearing-In Ceremony and Music Festival, the Council’s Neighborhood Small Business Economic Development Summit, and host’s regular informative town hall meetings. Scales completed Harvard’s Leading Economic Growth program from the Harvard University Kennedy School in 2015, and completed the 21st Century Leadership program through the same school in 2016. She also graduated from Leadership Birmingham’s program in 2016. She and her husband Michael live in Birmingham, and have two adult children. Scales is an ambitious woman with a story that many young women can relate to and was kind enough to answer some of Alabama Today’s questions about her life, work and influences: How have other women influenced your success? There are three women who have influenced my personal life – my mother, who was a single parented and worked very hard as a nurse to raise four children on her own; my grandmother (my mother’s mother) who was an advid homemaker; and my father’s mother, who was a highly recognized entrepreneur until her death in 2012. Politically, Shirley Chisholm, Elizabeth Warren and First Lady Michelle Obama. Chisholm for her courageous stance against powerful political machines and special interest groups seeking to overpower the will of the people’ through the use of their influence. Senator Warren for her strong stance on issues affecting ‘blue collar’ workers and our country’s most vulnerable citizens. Obama for her ability to assume the role of first lady while savvy enough to use this role to impact the lives of citizens who are often overlooked and underserved. I am inspired by these women because they used their political positions to effectively change the lives of others. What shaped your desire to serve Birmingham through the city council? For me, it was divine inspiration. 14 years ago, I partnered with 10 Birmingham City Schools on Birmingham’s east side with the intent to make a transformative difference in the community where I live. I believe students, if given proper exposure and opportunities can change the world. To to help senior citizens by providing a better quality of life is very rewarding. That is by using my position to change laws, policies and by being apart of the legislative process that directly impacts citizens lifestyle is what brought me to public service. What has been your favorite area of service, and what is your favorite thing about that position? I’ve always enjoyed working with youth and senior citizens. I love being able to impart the life lessons and education that I have received, to students so they can not only achieve great things, but be better than myself at a much younger age. I also enjoy working with senior citizens, because I cherish the mutual trust that we have in one another. My constituents trust me to make decisions on their behalf and being a voice for the underserved, or a voice for the voiceless; is what I enjoy the most. How has being a small-business owner impacted your view of community service? Being a business owner has helped me to take the personalities out of politics. We are called to serve, yes, but as a business owner I look at budgets and public infrastructure from a business perspective. I look at it from the lens of ‘how would I spend money as a business owner to best meet the needs of citizens.’ Needs always come first and ‘wants’ come at a later time. It’s important to understand that in order to make a successful city, you must first make the people, and the neighborhoods they live in successful. What advice would you give to young women who want to start their own business or politicians? If you want to start your own business, you have to be able to count the cost of your endeavor. There has to be a need for your product or service and you have to have realistic goals both short term and long term to be successful. Even in business you should think of how you’re providing a service that no one else has. You have to be committed to your craft and understand that you will have ups and downs, but commitment equals success. You have to commit not only the initial product, but to reinventing that product to guarantee your long-term success. My company is ever evolving, because I stay on The cutting edge of my company’s presentation to potential clients and by creating innovative ways to keep my company relevant. If you want to serve in a public office, again count the cost of your endeavor. Your public
Birmingham residents question necessity of new downtown stadium
Earlier this month, the Birmingham City Council approved supporting the renovation of the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) including construction of a new downtown stadium. The 7-0-1 vote — Councilor Lashunda Scales abstained and Councilor Sheila Tyson was not present — followed lengthy debate over the development. On one side, Mayor Randall Woodfin, a proponent of the new development argued it would bring much-needed revenue to the Magic City. Meanwhile, on the other side, opponents questioned the necessity of the 30-year, $90 million project. Councilor Scales abstained from the vote, but not before questioning the project and speaking out against it. “You said the expansion has been talked about for years, and you’re absolutely right,” Scales directed to Woodfin. “But we’ve also been talking about dilapidated homes for years, we’ve been talking about overgrown lots for years, we’ve been talking about how we don’t have money for schools for years. So when are we going to get to the meat and potatoes of talking about people. People in Birmingham, Mr. Mayor, are hurting.” Scales is among the growing opposition for the downtown stadium. She and other opponents, believe the city should invest 91-year old Legion Field located to the west of the city instead. “I wanted to be on a team that was for everybody,” Scales said before the Council’s Feb. 6 vote. “Mr. Mayor, if you build this stadium where you have Legion Field, I will be your best cheerleader… But if we’re not going to do that, I think it’s a disservice to the poor people.” Scales made it clear in her questioning, she believes the BJCC project is another example of the City of Birmingham ignoring the poorer neighborhoods in favor of the downtown area. On Thursday, Birmingham-Democrat, State Rep. Juandalynn Givan hosted a community meeting at Parker High School to discuss the proposed six-percent tax on automobile leases and rentals in Jefferson County, which has yet to be introduced, to fund the new stadium. “We want the world to know that Legion Field is just as iconic for us as Vulcan is for (others) in another neighborhood,” Smithfield resident Pat Davis told AL.com. “Stop the stadium. Build up our neighborhoods. Keep campaign promises,” posted Birmingham-resident Michael Jones on Facebook.
Birmingham Councilor Lashunda Scales to host town hall on violent crime
In an effort to garner information and hear concerns from local residents, Birmingham City Councilor Lashunda Scales is hosting town hall meeting next week in the northeast Birmingham-suburb of Roebuck. The District 1 Councilor is hosting a Crime and Economics Town Hall meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 13 at the Northeast YMCA located at 628 Red Lane Road in Roebuck. Scales confirms panelists at the event will include Birmingham Police Department officials; Interim Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr; The Dannon Project, which provides services to at-risk populations; and former Birmingham police Chief and current outreach coordinator at the YWCA, Annetta Nunn.
Uber stoking support in Birmingham with new in-app “future view”
The ride-hailing app Uber has gotten creative in its months-long push to open up shop in Birmingham. Starting Friday, when you open up the app in the Magic City, instead of a car-less road map symbolizing the lack of progress in the City Council users will see a view of the future as supporters see it, in which Ubers are zipping up and down Second Avenue North. You’ll also get a little background on the firm’s regulatory battle with city officials and an option to help out the cause. “Make Uber a reality in B’ham!” a new dialogue in the app implores Birmingham. “This is how easy getting a safe ride could be if City Council pass draft regulations proposed at the meeting on Nov. 17 Committee of the Whole meeting. “Email City Council, urge them to PASS these smart ridesharing regulations this Tuesday,” reads the appeal, along with an option email your councilor. Earlier City Council meetings scheduled to take up the pro-ridesharing rules didn’t exactly live up to expectations. Five councilors failed to show up for a meeting in November, where Uber’s favored ordinance was on the docket. Council President Johnathan Austin, Councilman Steven Hoyt, Councilwoman Sheila Tyson, Councilwoman Lashunda Scales and Councilman Marcus Lundy did not attend the meeting, requiring members to adjourn for lack of a quorum. “There was no quorum. There was no consideration. There was no class,” said one AL.com editorial. “It’s all about petty politics, about fights over contractors and lobbyists.” Austin ascribed the absences to the meeting’s close proximity to the Thanksgiving holiday. Either way, Uber state General Manager Tom Maguire said Friday he is hopeful Tuesday’s meeting will be more productive. “Since August, Birmingham City Council has been working to revise regulations so that Uber can operate in the Magic City, and there’s no reason to delay any further,” said Maguire. “With this app view, Birmingham residents and visitors can see for themselves how easy it could be to get a ride in Birmingham, and what reality could look like in just a few weeks if the City Council passes the draft regulations from the November 17 Committee of the Whole meeting,” Maguire said. See below for screenshots of the new appeal:
