Miles College embarks on $25 million fundraising campaign to celebrate 125th anniversary
In celebration of its 125th anniversary, Miles College has kicked off phase two of a $125 million fundraising campaign. Over the past five years, President Bobbie Knight has secured $100 million for the campaign during a “silent” phase. The $25 million “public” phase of the comprehensive fundraising campaign and community development was announced today (Sept. 12) at the Clyde Williams Welcome Center on campus. The theme is “Come Grow with Us.” Mike Suco, president of Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United, and Leroy Abraham, executive vice president and head of Community Affairs for Regions Bank, will serve as co-chairs. “It is our moral and spiritual responsibility to provide guidance and funding that will ensure the next 125 years of Miles College,” said Bishop Clarence Kelby Heath, chair of the board of trustees for Miles College. “We understand the pivotal role that our graduates have played in the social, economic, and business undertakings across our region and our country.” Miles was founded in 1898 by members of the Colored (now Christian) Methodist Episcopalian (CME) Church. In recognition of the anniversary, the campaign will seek investments in scholarships, buildings renovations, academic programs and community development, Knight said. “We are laser-focused on improving the student experience and executing an efficient growth strategy that positions Miles College for the future … and how we impact the growth of the region,” said Knight, a former executive at Alabama Power. Bobbie Knight is president of Miles College. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr. / The Birmingham Times) Knight said the “Come Grow with Us” theme has multiple meanings. “Grow our student enrollment; grow our scholarship funds; grow our endowment; grow offerings that we’re providing, not just to students, but to the community. We want to grow Fairfield.” The growth goes beyond the immediate campus, she said. “We have 40-plus acres where Lloyd Noland Hospital used to be that we want to develop,” Knight said. “And one of the things I want to do is ensure that I kickstart that, because in my mind, developing that property helps the city of Fairfield. I need some type of public-private partnerships over there. “I’ve talked to a charter school that is interested in building up there. We’re not taking anything off the table. We’re just looking for what makes the best sense for Miles College and for Fairfield.” Knight said the same kind of focus has been on the institution’s educational offerings. “I look to see what we’re teaching, what we’re offering and … what we should be offering,” she said, with an eye toward “increasing some areas where we know it makes sense for our students. For instance, we had insurance companies present us with an opportunity because they were having trouble finding African American students who majored in actuarial science. “Well, it’s hard to find people, period, who major in actuarial science, but what we said to them is, ‘we will find students, but you’ve got to help us. You teach our faculty, and then come in and teach our students. And then we’ll find the best students, because they’re already probably math or accounting majors,’ and now we’ve had our first actuarial science graduate.” Those kinds of partnerships help with workforce development, Knight said. “We want the business world; we want other entities to tell us what their needs are. So we’re looking at developing a certificate program. We applied for and received a sizable grant to pay someone to go out in the workforce and tell us what’s cutting edge. “The governor has been talking about … workforce development initiatives; she’s been talking about certifications. …One of those certificate programs is going to be a certificate in social justice, and it is framed around (former Birmingham Mayor) Richard Arrington and (retired federal Judge) U.W. Clemon.” The leadership at Miles College is eying growth plans. (Miles College) Knight said the school remains “relentless, looking for and examining what makes sense for Miles and what makes sense for our students.” The mission of 125 years ago hasn’t changed, she said. “We’re (looking to) give our students a top-notch experience here at Miles College. I am always committed to Miles College, our students and the historical mission bestowed upon this institution … to motivate and prepare students to seek knowledge that leads to intellectual and civic empowerment.” This story originally was published by The Birmingham Times. Republished with the permission of The Alabama NewsCenter.
Libertarian candidate for Governor, Jimmy Blake, discusses issues
On Wednesday, Libertarian nominee for Governor, Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake, addressed voters online in a forum hosted by the Jefferson County Libertarian Party at the Mountain Brook Library. Blake said he had recently attended the “Break the Chains” rally organized by the families of prisoners of the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC). Blake said that he was moved “When you heard the stories and saw the videos that the families brought in there.” “The people of Alabama are a very decent bunch of people, and I don’t know whether politicians think they will be seen as soft on crime or they think that people just don’t care,” Blake said, urging the state to care for its prisoners better. According to a report by the Trump Department of Justice, the Alabama prison system is the most dangerous in the country. The state is facing a DOJ lawsuit alleging that incarceration with ADOC is an unconstitutional “cruel and unusual punishment,” banned by the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Blake chastised legislators and the Ivey administration for not focusing on the problem. “I think we are focused on sending money to favored contractors,” Blake said, criticizing the state for “Spending $400 million that was supposed to go to the people for COVID relief” to build new mega prisons. Blake said that he favored housing the prisoners in a more humane environment. “They want people to be rehabilitated and not more dangerous than when they went in there,” Blake explained. Even though Blake is running for governor, he still weighed in on the U.S. Senate race to chastise Republicans. “They had a guy who was a small government conservative in Mo Brooks,” Blake said. “They said so many outrageous things about him that were untrue and then chose a BCA lobbyist (referring to Katie Britt). We have a guy who knows what the government is supposed to be doing in John Sophocleus.” Blake said that the Libertarian Party was created 50 years ago when Republican President Richard Nixon devalued the currency by getting off of the gold standard. “A 1964 dime is 95% silver,” Blake said. “It is worth over two dollars today. A 2022 Biden dime is worth ten cents, and in a year, it will be worth nine cents a year from now due to inflation.” Blake chastised incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey for rejecting structural tax changes and what he called the corrupt duopoly of the two major political parties. Blake argued against laws banning marijuana, saying that Prohibition only creates “black markets,” detailing how Prohibition in the 1920s increased crime and violence while also leading to harder alcohol and alcohol poisoning. “You wouldn’t have fentanyl” if drugs were legal, Blake said. “Your liability would be too high.” Blake is a former U.S. Air Force flight surgeon who flew nuclear strike F4 Phantom fighters in Europe during the Cold War. He graduated from Auburn University and went to medical school at UAB on an Air Force scholarship. Blake served eight years on the Birmingham City Council. He also led the RAPS group that opposed the MAPS effort by then Birmingham Mayor Richard Arrington to build a domed stadium and other projects by raising taxes across Jefferson County. Blake is a former chairman of the Libertarian Party of Alabama. He started the first free-standing “urgent care” healthcare clinic in Alabama – American Family Care. After leaving that business, Blake practiced medicine in the Hoover area. More recently, Blake has practiced emergency medicine at rural hospitals. Blake’s wife was killed in a tragic car accident. This is the first time Libertarians have had ballot access in Alabama in twenty years. Blake is challenging incumbent Gov. Ivey. Ivey has led the state since 2017. Yolanda Flowers is the Democratic Party nominee for Governor of Alabama. There are also two write-in candidates campaigning for governor. The general election is on November 8. Voters must have a valid photo ID to participate in any Alabama election. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
