John Lewis funeral to be held at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist
The funeral for the late civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis will be held Thursday at Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once led. Lewis’ family announced that the funeral will be private, but the public is invited to pay tribute over the coming days during a series of celebrations of Lewis’ life beginning Saturday in his hometown of Troy, Alabama. On Sunday morning, a processional will be held in which Lewis’ body will once more cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where he and other voting rights demonstrators were beaten 55 years ago on “Bloody Sunday.” Lewis’s body will also lie in state at the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, and the U.S. Capitol in Washington. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Thursday that the public will be allowed to pay their respects in Washington to the longtime Georgia congressman Monday night and all day Tuesday. Due to coronavirus precautions, Lewis will lie in state for public viewing at the top of the east front steps of the Capitol rather than in the Rotunda, and the public will file past on the East Plaza. Face masks will be required and social distancing will be enforced. Lewis’ family has asked members of the public not to travel from across the country to pay their respects. Instead, they suggested people pay virtual tribute online using the hashtags #BelovedCommunity or #HumanDignity. Lewis, 80, died last Friday, several months after he was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. He served 17 terms in the U.S. House. Following the funeral at the Ebenezer Baptist Church Horizon Sanctuary, he will be interred at South View Cemetery in Atlanta. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Steven Reed takes office as Montgomery’s first black mayor
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed was sworn in Tuesday as the capital city’s first African American leader. Reed took the oath of office after easily winning the mayoral runoff last month. He is the first black mayor of a city that was the first capital of the Confederacy and later the birthplace of the civil rights movement. “We are assembled here because we chose destiny over division. Today, we are assembled here because we chose the future over fear,” Reed said. In a nod to his history-making win, Reed said his inauguration was an event that the enslaved people once sold on the banks of the Alabama River just a few feet from his inauguration ceremony “could only have imagined.” “This is a culmination of those distant dreams,” Reed said. Reed replaced outgoing Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange, who has served since 2009 and did not seek reelection. Reed is the first black mayor of the city where Southern delegates voted to form the Confederacy in 1861. The city also played a critical role in the civil rights movement. Montgomery was a city that led the fight for change, he said. “This is why the son whose parents would not have been served in a local restaurant just up the street, and whose father led sit-in protests for equal treatment under the law can now take this oath and help write laws that apply equally to all,” Reed said. Reed said Montgomery is a city with a “complicated past” and ongoing challenges. The major said the city “must lay a new foundation for growth.” “We must lay more fiber, pay our teachers and first responders their worth, implement apprenticeship programs, reinvest in our neighborhoods, and show a stronger commitment to strengthen the ties that bind us together.” Reed was already the first black probate judge elected in Montgomery County and was one of the first to issue marriage licenses to gay couples in the state. His father, Joe Reed, is the longtime leader of the black caucus of the Alabama Democratic Party. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Montgomery City Council backs off jail time for helping panhandlers
The city council in Montgomery, Alabama, has rejected a proposal to punish people who give cash to panhandlers with jail time. The Montgomery Advertiser reports their vote was unanimous after protesters packed a city council meeting Tuesday night. Many wore stickers declaring “poverty is not a crime.” One man held a sign saying “Jesus was a panhandler.” The amendment would’ve criminalized passing money or objects through car windows to someone on a public road. It was tacked onto an ordinance that requires panhandlers be jailed for at least two days. That ordinance still stands. It was unanimously passed in July but has yet to be enforced or signed by Mayor Todd Strange, who’s in the final days of his term. Mayor-elect Steven Reed takes over the office on Nov. 12. Information from: Montgomery Advertiser, http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Montgomery city council to revisit law requiring panhandlers be jailed
The Montgomery, Alabama, City Council is revisiting an ordinance that requires panhandlers be jailed for at least two days. It has been amended to criminalize passing money or objects through car windows to someone on a public road, making such acts punishable with fines or jail. The council is set to vote again on the ordinance on Tuesday. The Montgomery Advertiser reports the initial ordinance unanimously passed in July but has yet to be enforced or signed by Mayor Todd Strange. Homeless advocate Patrick Aitken says the ordinance would make his job impossible, barring him from distributing water and even his business card from his car. The Southern Poverty Law Center has threatened to sue if the ordinance isn’t vetoed. Information from: Montgomery Advertiser, http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Steve Flowers: Hot political summer in the city of Montgomery
It has been a long hot summer in Montgomery, and I do not mean at the Capitol or Statehouse, but in the City of Montgomery itself. There is a heated and pivotal mayor’s race. It has been considered a foregone conclusion that Montgomery will elect their first African American mayor this year. It is probably about eight years later than expected. Montgomery has been a majority minority city for a decade. It is well over 60 percent today. A good many Montgomery citizens have moved to suburban enclaves, like Prattville, Wetumpka, Millbrook, and now Pike Road. Most of the young families with school age children have fled for a school system. However, there are still a significant number of older people living in the Capitol City. It is a tried and true fact that older folks vote. These older Montgomerians probably will not vote for a black person for anything, much less for the mayor of their beloved city. Essentially, a very weak school system is the main ingredient for the death of a city. It is the driving force for real estate values. Montgomery home values have dropped in the last decade as much as any city its size in America. The racial division in Montgomery is also more pronounced than other cities in Alabama because of the decades long feud between former mayor, Emory Folmar, and longtime African American and AEA/ADC and former City Councilman, Joe Reed. This daily racial media battle raged for years with both men feeding their popularity in their communities by the barrage of racist rhetoric. The demise of the school system has been enhanced by the abysmally low local property tax. They do not have the funds to have a decent school system if they even wanted one. Therefore, Montgomery is slowly dying. The mayoral candidates will all talk about the education and crime problems in the city, however, the problems are probably too pronounced to resolve. All of the candidates are well-qualified. They are all male. This is surprising since the largest group of voters in the city are black females. Artur Davis, the former congressman, is making his second run for mayor. He ran against current mayor, Todd Strange, four years ago. Veteran Montgomery County Commissioner, Elton Dean, is offering to move from Chairman of County Commission to Mayor. However, his campaign seems lackadaisical and he may be ambivalent about making an almost lateral move. J.C. Love is a young Montgomery attorney who is running a sophisticated modern-day social media campaign. He is attracting millennials. Unfortunately, young people do not vote. Retired General, Ed Crowell, is a distinguished erudite gentleman that the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce crowd would like to see lead Montgomery. They believe, and rightfully so, that Crowell would project a good image for Montgomery. The aforementioned Joe Reed’s son, Steven Reed, is the current Probate Judge of Montgomery County. He is quieter and more deliberative than his father. Most political observers point to young Steven Reed as the front runner in the race. Montgomery Businessman and television station owner, David Woods, is a white candidate who is giving the race his full commitment. He is spending a good amount of his personal money and as I said earlier, the older folks vote. This probably assures him a place in the runoff. My guess is that when the votes are counted on August 27, David Woods and Steven Reed will be pitted against each other in an October 8 runoff. Ironically, on the day of the August 27 Montgomery mayoral primary, there will be a runoff vote for the State Legislative seat in Montgomery held by the late Dimitri Polizos. House seat 74 in the City of Montgomery has been vacant since the death of the popular restaurateur, Polizos. Former school board member, Charlotte Meadows, and Montgomery attorney, Michael Fritz, are headed for a runoff on that same day. Charlotte Meadows led the six-person field in the first primary garnering 44 percent of the vote to Fritz’s 24 percent. She is expected to waltz to victory. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Martha Roby Weekly Column: A productive week of travel in the Second District
For the last week of May, Congress was out of session for a district work period, and I had the opportunity to travel around the Second District. Throughout the week, I visited with constituents and local leaders, toured businesses and industries, and spent time with some of our servicemembers at Dannelly Field in Montgomery. During my week of district travel, I made several stops in Brundidge, Ozark, Montgomery, Eufaula, and Dothan. I cannot express enough how truly valuable it is for me to spend quality time with the people I represent here in Southeast Alabama. My candid conversations with constituents enable me to be a stronger representative for our shared views in Washington, and I am grateful for every opportunity I get to interact directly with you. In Brundidge, I paid a visit to City Hall where I talked with Mayor Isabell Boyd and a group of constituents. I really learned a lot during our time together, and I thank those who showed up to make our conversation productive. In Ozark, I stopped by Bell Helicopter to visit with leadership and employees and toured their impressive facility. Bell currently employs 76 people, and they perform incredibly important work supporting our military. I was glad to see their work firsthand, and I am eager to see the company continue to thrive and grow right here in the Second District. After visiting Bell Helicopter, I spoke to the Ozark Kiwanis Club during their weekly lunch meeting. I gave the group an update from Washington, perhaps most importantly about our efforts to deliver a disaster relief bill. Since the Senate recently passed their version of a bill, the House will act on this legislation very soon. I am optimistic we will send it to the President’s desk shortly. Farmers in the Wiregrass and throughout the country desperately need help recovering, and I remain committed to pushing this over the finish line. Next, I visited Chris and Monica Carroll, fifth-generation owners of a beautiful farm in Dale County. The Carrolls produce cattle, poultry, soybeans, and wheat, and I toured their extensive operation and was able to see firsthand the very hard work they do. I appreciate the Carrolls for graciously hosting me and sharing their insight and experience. Since agriculture is the backbone of our district’s economy, it is vitally important for me to spend time on the ground with our farmers to hear directly from them. I also spent a fantastic day in Eufaula. During my time there, I stopped by Humminbird Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics where I was given a very engaging and informative site tour. I enjoyed visiting with employees, and I was especially glad to learn more about the innovative work they perform. Johnson Outdoors currently employs 240 people in Eufaula, and we are fortunate to have these job opportunities in our district. While in Eufaula, I also visited American Buildings Company for a meeting with company leadership to learn more about their legislative priorities. I enjoyed our time together and appreciated the conversation about ways we should improve our country’s infrastructure. For my last visit in Eufaula, I stopped by the airport with Mayor Jack Tibbs for a briefing on tornado recovery efforts. That area of town was badly damaged earlier this year when a tornado made landfall, and my office remains engaged and ready to assist where we are able. I am grateful for my strong relationship with Mayor Tibbs and for his dedication to keeping me informed about all developments in Eufaula. In Dothan, I attended a ceremony at Glasstream Powerboats celebrating their business’ expansion. I was glad to have the opportunity to give congratulatory remarks alongside local leaders, including Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba. I’m always thrilled any time I have the chance to celebrate the creation of new jobs here in our communities. Glasstream Powerboats’ hard work has delivered an additional 40 jobs for the Dothan area, and that is an accomplishment we should all be proud of. Next in Dothan, I attended the grand opening of a new Five Star Credit Union location. It was wonderful to meet employees and tour their brand new facility. This was another fantastic opportunity to celebrate new jobs in the Wiregrass, and I was glad to be involved in the festivities. Last, but certainly not least, in Montgomery, I spent time at the 187th Fighter Wing for Col. William Sparrow’s Change of Command ceremony. Col. Sparrow has led the 187th with distinction, and I am tremendously grateful for his service to our country and to the River Region. I congratulate the new commander, Col. Edward Casey, for his achievement and look forward to working with him as we strive to strengthen our district’s military footprint together. I share all this information to let you know that the May district work period was informative and very productive. I welcome every opportunity to engage with the people who live and work in Alabama’s Second District, and I extend my thanks to each person who made these meetings meaningful. It is a tremendous honor to serve you in Congress. Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama, with her husband Riley and their two children.
The fastest growing and shrinking cities in Alabama
Alabama’s list of largest cities is due for another shakeup. In 2016, Huntsville passed Mobile to become the state’s third-largest city. Next year the Rocket City will likely pass Montgomery to become the second-largest.If population trends hold true over the next few years, it won’t be long until Huntsville stands at the top of the list. The U.S. Census Bureau released new city population estimates Thursday. According to the estimates, Birmingham, the largest city in the state, is losing population. The Magic City’s population has been mostly stagnant – no growth or major loss – since 2010. But for the first time in nearly 100 years, its population is now below 210,000. And Montgomery continues to steadily lose people. The state’s capital started the decade with a healthy 15,000 population lead over Huntsville. Now that lead has dwindled to fewer than 1,000 people. Huntsville, meanwhile, has been adding population at a substantial rate since the start of the decade. In those eight years the city has added more than 17,000 people. If those trends continue at their current pace, Huntsville could pass Birmingham in population in just six years.Huntsville was one of only three Alabama cities to grow its population by 10,000 people or more since 2010. The other two are notably college towns. Auburn added around 12,300 people and Tuscaloosa added around 10,600 people since 2010. Auburn’s growth is impressive. The city is also in the top 10 in terms of percentage growth in the state. Among Alabama cities with at least 10,000 people, only five grew at a faster rate than Auburn. Three of those are in Baldwin County, which continues to grow like a weed. Tuscaloosa’s growth has been a bit slower than Auburn’s, but it remains a significantly larger city. According to the estimates, Tuscaloosa passed the 100,000 population mark in 2017, and had 101,113 people in 2018. Auburn sat at 65,738 people in 2018. Montgomery isn’t the only large city that’s shrinking. Mobile has lost more than 5,000 people since 2010. Birmingham, Anniston and Gadsden have all lost significant population, as have Decatur, Eufaula and Prichard. But perhaps the most alarming population loss has come from Selma, a historic civil rights town that AL.com reported last year was the fastest shrinking city in the state. That’s still true, according to the new estimates. Selma has lost nearly 14 percent of its population since 2010, the worst rate in the state over that span, according to the Census. It’s the only city in the state to lose more than 10 percent of its population over that time. By Ramsey Archibald, Al.com. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
‘No gas tax’ rally brings dozens to State House
Opponents of Gov. Kay Ivey‘s gas tax proposal rallied against the $300 million tax increase bill on Saturday that they say breaks the promises candidates just made to their constituents this past election cycle Dozens of Alabamians showed up in protest on the steps of the State House in Montgomery including Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler who says one of the problems with the proposed gas tax increase is that it, “Has no expiration date.” “It will be in perpetuity. If gas prices go up to $2.50 or $3.00 a gallon we still have to pay the tax or when Trump goes up after President Trump is gone it goes up to $5 a gallon we still have to pay it,” Zeigler explained according to the Alabama Political Reporter. In January, Zeigler proposed a gas tax increase alternative dubbed “Plan Z,” which stands for “zero tax increases and zero congestion on our roads. Zeigler says Plan Z can provide about $900 million in new road construction funds from present revenues. Conservative’s for Better Leadership President Apryl Marie Fogel* “We need to call all of our elected officials and tell them that we don’t want this,” Fogel said according to APR. “66 percent of the gas tax will go to the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT). Fogel explained further that 25 percent of the taxes raised will go to counties, and only 8.5 will go to towns and cities. “We need you. We need your neighbors. We need your Sunday school class” to call their legislators and the Speakers office and the Governor’s office and tell them to vote NO,” Fogel added. Other speakers included North Alabama Tea Party Chairman Charles Orr, Retired Air Force Colonel Mike Parsons, Frank Dillman on behalf of the Alabama Libertarian Party. Watch footage of the rally below: The gas tax increase proposal Last week, Ivey introduced the gas tax increase proposal as part of her Rebuild Alabama Infrastructure Plan as a means to pay for infrastructure improvements. “My Rebuild Alabama Infrastructure Plan is a comprehensive approach to a glaring issue affecting citizens in every corner of the state,” Ivey said announcing her plan. “After 27 years of stagnation, adequate funding is imperative to fixing our many roads and bridges in dire need of repair. By increasing our investment in infrastructure, we are also making a direct investment in public safety, economic development, and the prosperity of our state.” Editor’s note: Apryl Marie Fogel is also the publisher of Alabama Today.
Protesters remembered on anniversary of 1960 Alabama sit-in
Joseph Peterson was a college student on Feb. 25, 1960 when he and other African-American students walked to the whites-only lunch counter at the Montgomery County Courthouse, sat down and asked to be served. He and eight other students at what is now Alabama State University were later expelled for leading the state’s first known sit-in protest against segregation. Fifty-nine years after the protest, Peterson and other students were honored in the city. Montgomery city and county leaders presented resolutions to ASU President Quinton Ross expressing sorrow for the “wrongs from the past.” “I feel good about it,” Peterson, now 83, said at the ceremony. “I never really thought it would happen and this is just an opportunity for Montgomery to do the right thing and for the state of Alabama to do the right thing” Peterson said. Civil rights attorney Fred Gray said the students were not arrested but were suspended or expelled from the university at the behest of the state’s white governor. The resolutions expressed sorrow for the actions against the students. Asked if the resolutions were an apology, Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange noted the punishments against the students were taken by the state. “What we want to say is it is wrong,” Strange said. Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton Dean called it an apology. “I’m not going to try to be politically correct at all. We are sorry. We apologize,” Dean said. Peterson said he learned from the newspaper that he was expelled and lost his GI Bill benefits. But he has no regrets about participating. “The whole South needed to change,” Peterson said. He later graduated from New York University and worked for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Joe Reed, who participated in the sit-in and was suspended, said local officials shut down the cafe after the students walked inside. Reed recalled that when he sat down that day, a white woman who was eating at the cafe looked up, saw him and quickly scurried away. State academic officials announced last year that they had expunged the students’ academic records. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Sit-in anniversary to be marked in Montgomery
An event next week will honor university students who led a 1960 sit-in at a whites-only courthouse lunch counter. Alabama State University said in a news release that resolutions by the Montgomery City Council and Montgomery County Commission that acknowledge the “wrongs from the past” will be presented Monday to the university president. The students from the historically black university on Feb. 25, 1960 staged a sit-in at the whites-only lunch counter at the Montgomery County Courthouse. It was the first known sit-in in Alabama to defy segregation laws. The students were arrested and prosecuted. The event is being held on the 59th anniversary of the protest. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Alabama church removes pew honoring Confederate president
An Alabama church has removed a pew honoring Confederate President Jefferson Davis, saying the memorial had no place at a time when rebel symbols have been adopted by white supremacists. The pastor of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Robert C. Wisnewski Jr., posted a message on the church website last week saying the wooden pew was dedicated more than 90 years ago at a service featuring a pro-lynching segregationist. After learning of the pew’s history at a recent planning retreat, church leaders discussed it and then voted to remove the pew from the sanctuary and place it in the church archive, he wrote. “Confederate monuments and symbols have increasingly been used by groups that promote white supremacy and are now, to many people of all races, seen to represent insensitivity, hatred, and even evil,” Wisnewski wrote. “The mission of our parish is diametrically opposed to what these symbols have come to mean.” The mostly white church is in Montgomery, where Davis lived briefly before the Confederacy moved its national capital to Richmond, Virginia, in 1861. Church lore maintained that a pew marked with a bronze plaque honoring Davis dated to the start of the Civil War, the pastor wrote. The pew actually wasn’t installed until decades after the war, when whites were trying to maintain control in the South, Wisnewski wrote. Tennessee writer John Trotwood Moore, who supported segregation and opposed an anti-lynching law, spoke at the dedication service in 1925. “Davis was a political figure, not a church figure, nor even a member of the parish. Acting to remove the pew and plaque is the correction of a political act,” the pastor’s message said. A St. John’s Episcopal online history says the congregation dates to the 1830s. Southern churches that supported secession by the slave-holding states met at the congregation’s former building in 1861, and the current church was built after the war ended. A star marks the spot on the steps of Alabama’s Capitol were Davis took the oath as Confederate president. Across the street from the Capitol stands the “First White House of the Confederacy,” where Davis lived for about three months in Montgomery. Republished with permission from the Associated Press
Montgomery Co. Probate Judge Steven Reed announces run for Montgomery mayor
Another candidate has thrown their hat in the ring for Montgomery mayor. Montgomery Co. Probate Judge Steven Reed made the announcement on Wednesday. “I have decided to run for mayor of Montgomery,” Reed announced in an email. “I reached this decision after much prayer and many discussions with family, friends, and members of the community.” Reed continued, “We have to be proactive and seek out new ideas on economic development, education and public safety. As a city, our goal must be to thrive and not merely survive. We’ve done that in the Probate Court, and the Mayor’s office will give me the opportunity to formulate and drive a positive agenda to move Montgomery forward.” Reed joins a growing field of candidates who have publicly announced that they are running including former U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton Dean, along with first-time candidate Marcus McNeal. About Reed Reed was elected Montgomery County Probate Judge in November 2012, the first African American in that position. In February 2015, he was the first probate judge in the state of Alabama to begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses, defying former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore. Born and raised in Montgomery, Ala. he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Morehouse College and a Master of Business Administration from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. Reed began his professional career as a financial analyst in the Marketing Performance department at American Airlines corporate headquarters in Ft. Worth, Texas. After making the decision to enter politics, Judge Reed started a government relations firm to advocate issues before the Alabama legislature. He then went on to serve as Senior Aide to Lieutenant Governor Jim Folsom, Jr. Judge Reed and his wife, Tamika, are the proud parents of three children.
