American schools teach students that slavery ended with Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. A PBS documentary explores the forced labor by newly freed black slaves between the Civil War and World War II.
“Slavery by Another Name,” based on the book by the same title, tells the story of the South through research into documents and interviews with scholars. The 90-minute film also features interviews with descendants of victims of forced labor.
Filming took place in Birmingham and Atlanta. It first aired on PBS in February 2012, a month after screening at Sundance.
Author Douglas A. Blackmon won the Pulitzer Prize for his book [Amazon aff. link] in 2009. Birmingham and Shelby County are featured prominently as centers for virtual re-enslavement of black citizens.
Hands on Birmingham volunteers (including me) set up
the A.G. Gaston Boys and Girls Club for an event
on today’s MLK Day of Service.
In honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, I want to turn the spotlight on one of my favorite Birmingham nonprofit organizations …
I’ve worked with Hands on Birmingham for 7 years, though it has been some time since I last volunteered with the agency.
This nonprofit group pairs volunteers with service projects in the metro area. Saturday, I spent some time helping with setup at the A.G. Gaston Boys and Girls Club in western Birmingham.
My debt to Hands on Birmingham is huge, having worked with their personnel on the Magic City Mission from 2006 to 2008. The United Way agency was instrumental in bringing together supplies and resources to aid the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina.
I realized that I could do more to help people in my own back yard. Fortunately, Hands on Birmingham makes it easy to jump in. The website offers service projects throughout the year, encouraging individuals, church groups, corporate departments and civic leagues to take an hour or a day to lend their assistance.
Volunteers can work on landscaping, office duties, emergency training and pet adoption. They can spend time with zoo animals. They can socialize with senior citizens. Then can bring support to homeless persons. They can spend time with schoolchildren.
This set of opportunities gives volunteers flexibility and variety. And it shows just how much help is needed in our community.
Hands on Birmingham not only works with numerous local agencies but also steps in during crises to deliver supplies, food, water and staffing for relief efforts. It mirrors the efforts of similar centers around the world as part of the Hands on Network.
The wide outreach makes it easier for those in need to connect with those who can help. I’m proud to lend a hand to a worthy organization.
The New Year’s Day “Today” featured travel picks for 2013, made by Jetsetter.com, a travel booking site. Birmingham made the list, along with Miami, Pittsburgh, Croatia, Nicaragua and Marseille, France.
Video: “Today” features Jetsetter.com picks for 2013,
including Birmingham. (See full segment.)
Editor Kate Maxwell mentioned Birmingham’s 50th anniversary of the 1963 civil rights movement events, along with the affordability of local hotels.
Sadly, if you visit Jetsetter.com and search for “Birmingham,” you get … nothing. Pittsburgh (“The Birmingham of the North”) also turns up nothing on the site.
Searching for Birmingham on Jetsetter
When asked about this oversight, Maxwell said by email, “We’re always looking for new destinations for Jetsetter and hope to add some properties down South in the near future — Birmingham is definitely on our radar.”
So when booking your vacation in Birmingham, listen to Jetsetter.com, but don’t use Jetsetter.com?!
Video: The official BCS rankings putting Alabama
and Notre Dame in the top game.
For those who enjoy the comforts of seeing the same teams again and again, this football post-season is for you …
• No. 2 Alabama capped another stellar season with an 11-1 record, a win over Georgia Saturday night for the SEC Championship and a BCS title fight against undefeated No. 1 Notre Dame next month.
The two storied programs haven’t faced each other in 25 years. Notre Dame leads the series 5-1, going back to New Year’s Eve 1973.
This marks the Tide’s third trip in 4 years, and the fourth consecutive year the state is represented in the national championship. The game takes place Jan. 7 in Miami and airs at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
• It wouldn’t be the BBVA Compass Bowl without Pitt. Literally.
Since the bank took over title sponsorship in late 2010, the 2011 and 2012 games invited Big East-but-soon-to-be-ACC member Pittsburgh to Birmingham’s bowl game.
Pitt (6-6) returns Jan. 5 to face the SEC’s representative, Ole Miss (6-6), making its first appearance in the game.
Kickoff is at noon at Legion Field, airing on ESPN. Tickets are $30 and $50 and can be purchased online or by calling (877) 464-9529.
• Hoover will play for the 6A state high school championship Friday. If that sounds familiar, it might be because this represents the Bucs’ 12th trip in the past 13 years. Dynasty much?
Undefeated Hoover plays Opelika (10-4) at 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, McAdory (14-0) makes its first trip to the big game on Thursday. The Yellow Jackets face Spanish Fort for the 5A title at 7 p.m.
All Super Six games take place Thursday and Friday at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, airing on My68. Tickets are $10 and available online.
Map: Recycle cooking oil at 27 locations in Jefferson County.
Deep-frying the Thanksgiving turkey has grown in popularity over the years, and so has the oil needed to cook those birds. The average fryer requires 2 to 3 gallons of peanut or vegetable oil.
Rather than toss it — and pollute our water supply — home cooks have another option: recycling.
Jefferson County set up 17 stations (shown in blue) for residents to pick up containers and drop off used cooking oil and grease. Donors are asked to allow oil to cool first and use either the provided containers or non-glass containers.
Hoover collects close to 10,000 gallons annually for recycling into bio-diesel fuel.
For more information on Jefferson County’s program, call (205) 238-3876. For more information on Hoover’s program, contact (205) 444-7655 or fire@ci.hoover.al.us.
To aid your trip to the polls, we have the sample ballots for Jefferson and Shelby Counties for the general election. (The 180-page Jefferson County ballot has a version for every district.)
Know the candidates. Study the 11 state amendments. Be an informed voter.
Also, check out the Alabama Voter Guide, with voting procedures and frequently asked questions.
For easier viewing, you can print, download or zoom to full screen with each ballot.
Video: A look at Birmingham’s $150 million bond referendum
on Tuesday
Birmingham-area residents won’t have to wait till November to visit the polls. August had municipal races, September had a state referendum, and October …
This month is special, with two dates and three different elections. It’s like Christmas for voters. A horrible, horrible out-of-season Christmas.
Tuesday: Suburban residents will choose mayors in these runoff races:
Alabaster: David Frings and Marty Handlon
Brighton: Eddie Cooper and Barbara Watkins
Fairfield: Kenneth Coachman and Fredrick “Rev. F.D.” Scott
Helena: Mark Hall and Charles “Sonny” Penhale
Irondale: Tommy Alexander and James Stewart Jr.
Montevallo: Hollie Cost and Ben McCrory
Tarrant: Joe Matthews and Loxcil Tuck
Trafford: Clint Daniels and Robert Niblett
Also, city council runoff elections will take place in various suburbs.
Oct. 23: Another trip to the polls for Birminghamians to pick officers for the 99 neighborhood associations. The officers serve 2-year terms.
For more information on polling places, call the Mayor’s Office of Citizen’s Assistance, at (205) 254-2806. Or contact your neighborhood association president.
Polls will be open on both days from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voters cast ballots today despite some heavy rain from the approaching Hurricane Isaac.
Mayoral race winners from today for cities in Jefferson and Shelby Counties:
•
Adamsville: Pam Cairns-Palmer Calera: Jon Graham Chelsea: Earl Niven Clay: Charles Webster Columbiana: Stanley Handley County Line: Arthur “Buddy” Self Fultondale: Jim Lowery Gardendale: Othell Phillips Graysville: Mary Sue Morgan Harpersville: Theoangelo Perkins Hueytown: Delor Baumann Lipscomb: Lance McDade
Midfield: Gary Richardson Morris: Joe Pylant Mulga: Dennis McCrary North Johns: Kenneth Lindsey Pelham: Gary Waters Pinson: Hoyt Sanders Pleasant Grove: Jerry Brasseale Trussville: Gene Melton Vincent: Ray McAllister Warrior: Johnny Ragland Wilsonville: Lee McCarty Wilton: Joe Fancher
•
Runoffs:
Alabaster: David Frings and Marty Handlon
Brighton: Eddie Cooper and Barbara Watkins
Fairfield: Kenneth Coachman and Fredrick “Rev. F.D.” Scott
Helena: Mark Hall and Charles “Sonny” Penhale
Irondale: Tommy Alexander and James Stewart Jr.
Leeds: David Miller and Eric Patterson (corrected Oct. 9)
It wouldn’t be an election year without a lot of Election Days, and maybe a tropical storm coming in from the Gulf of Mexico.
Polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday in 46 towns in Jefferson and Shelby Counties. Voters will select mayors and council members in these municipal races.
The precincts close at 7 p.m. Runoff races, if needed, will be held on Oct. 9.
Cities in Jefferson and Shelby Counties holding elections on Tuesday:
Adamsville
Alabaster
Brighton
Brookside
Calera
Cardiff
Center Point
Chelsea
Clay
Columbiana
County Line
Fairfield
Fultondale
Gardendale
Graysville
Harpersville
Helena
Homewood
Hoover
Hueytown
Indian Springs Village
Irondale
Kimberly
Leeds
Lipscomb
Maytown
Midfield
Montevallo
Morris
Mountain Brook
Mulga
North Johns
Pelham
Pinson
Pleasant Grove
Sylvan Springs
Tarrant
Trafford
Trussville
Vestavia Hills
Vincent
Warrior
West Jefferson
Westover
Wilsonville
Wilton
And for those still interested, the general election takes place Nov. 6.
