The Magic City Advocate
Official Newsletter for the Office of Social Justice and Racial Equity
City of Birmingham, AL
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Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. Dr. MLK Jr. was a man of honor, courage, and equality. Refusing to allow violence, incarceration, and opposition to sway his decision of fighting for equal rights, Dr. King left behind a legacy that will never dissipate.
A perfect example of, the phrase coined by Michelle Obama, "When they go low, we go high," Dr. King never chose to retaliate with the same hatred and violence that he was met with. Instead, Dr. King believed that unity, peace, and love outweighed the hostility created by racial tensions in America. Dr. King hails as a major role in the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham. His words in his 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' still vibrate in the streets of the city. He believed that everyone should be judged by their character and not their color and that we can all live in harmony despite our differences. Fifty-two years after his passing, we continue to memorialize his legacy and commemorate the day a "King" was born.
Happy 92nd Birthday to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Letter from A Birmingham City Jail
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PARDONS FOR PROGRESS
By: Chotsani Holifield
Pardons for Progress is a strategic initiative that allows individuals previously convicted of a misdemeanor marijuana possession, in the City of Birmingham Municipal Court, to apply for a pardon. Mayor Randall L. Woodfin created the initiative to remove a potential barrier to employment for an individual who has a previous misdemeanor marijuana possession conviction. Many Birmingham residents are eligible for a pardon under the guidelines set forth by the program. We urge you to share the flyer and spread the word to help someone receive a second chance!
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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Kameryn Thigpen
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How do you define freedom?
Well to me freedom can be defined in many different ways. Nina Simone once said that freedom is “no fear” and I like to identify with this definition as freedom is the ability to be yourself without persecution or repercussion. I think this notion relates to social justice as well. I think freedom means for people to be able to have access to the basic human rights and civil rights without persecution or repercussion. Freedom is being a true American citizen and not being barred from opportunities because of one’s skin color, gender, or their class .So , freedom to me is just the ability to be a human being and live, not just survive, but to live without political, and socio-economic oppression.
Community members have nominated you for this spotlight; how would you describe your work with the community?
I want to first thank these community members for this nomination, as they have inspired me to do this work and I stand on the shoulders of them. When I was in college at UAB, I did a lot of social justice work with college students and with the education around voting and finding and using their voice. My work with the community goes into voting education and social justice education. I have been blessed to be a part of different non-profits that work around social justice for their communities, and I hope to continue this work in the city of Birmingham and then hopefully branch out to other areas.
How would you define the social issue that you are working to address?
Well, now that I have graduated from college, I want to shift my focus onto other issues that continue to plague our community. I am very passionate about the rights of incarcerated people. I have done a lot of research on different issues of the prison industrial complex such as the War on Drugs and the abolition of solitary confinement. I am also a very big fan of Birmingham native Angela Davis and she serves as a huge inspiration to me as she is a tireless advocate for prison abolition. I have some projects in mind surrounding this issue that I plan to launch soon so the issue of the human and rights of prisoners is the one that I am currently working on addressing.
How can we, the greater community, contribute to addressing this issue?
I think every contribution starts with education and educating ourselves on this issue. There can be conversations with our city leaders about the state of prisons within our communities. There are many organizations that members of the community can be a part of to help with this issue. But I really think that knowledge is really important, there is a countless amount of content on this issue for people to obtain. I think that once people have the knowledge on this issue, then organizing should be the next step.
What is one thing that you would like the community to know?
I love being a part of the Birmingham community, I was raised here and was raised on the rich history of this city. We are living in desperate times that call for desperate social change. The city of Birmingham has always served as a prototype and catalyst for social change and we would really be doing our ancestors a disservice by not continuing the fight in social justice for our people. I am always going to be an advocate for human and civil rights. I honestly think that’s what I was called by God to do, and I plan on doing this for the rest of my life until my dying days. This is why every day is another day to fight for freedom and I must make every day count.
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A TALE OF TWO STORIES
By: Sierra McCammon
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As a young girl, history was one of my favorite subjects. In my mind, it was an entire class dedicated to listening to an array of different stories from the non-fiction section at the library. The most interesting part about history is that while the authors may have changed and the times may have changed, the stories still remained the same.
Karl Marx once said, "History repeats itself first as tragedy, second a farce."
Breonna Taylor.
However, Divine Chikobvu said, "History never repeats itself as most people fear. People usually repeat history."
Bonita Carter.
By now, Breonna Taylor should be a household name. Breonna was a young black woman murdered by plainclothes officers, while in the progress of a 'no-knock search warrant'. Civil unrest filled the streets of Louisville, Kentucky following her murder. Her death, along with other black lives lost to police violence created a bitter and necessary narrative. Except this isn’t new, at least to Birmingham. This same story was already written by the City of Birmingham over forty years ago.
Bonita Beatrice Carter would be 62 years old on January 26th. Bonita was an alumna of the infamous Hayes High School and a native resident of the Stockholm neighborhood in the Kingston community. She was shot and killed by a plainclothes officer, who mistook her for an assailant during an altercation at a gas station. Although Bonita and Breonna’s stories are identical they both were needed for different reasons. Bonita Carter’s story sparked an outcry, a movement, and a change in Birmingham. Her death led to the election of Birmingham’s first black mayor, Dr. Richard Arrington. This year we celebrate her life, her legacy, and her story.
Happy Birthday Bonita Carter!
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City of Birmingham Blood Drive
Boutwell Auditorium
1930 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd., Birmingham, AL 35203
Wednesday, January 20th, 2021 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Donors will automatically be entered for a chance to win a trip for 2 to Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles & a VISA gift card
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MLK Word From the Mountaintop Oratory Contest
Saturday January 23, 3:00 PM
The purpose of the contest is to recognize and give students the opportunity to reflect on the words of Dr. King while connecting his message to issues facing our nation in the 21st century. In addition, participants are provided an opportunity to display and enhance their own writing and communication skills through oration.
Click link below to register:
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Martin Luther King Week Virtual Trivia Night
Join us for free pub-style trivia celebrating King Week and the history of Civil Rights.
Thursday, January 21 at 7:00pm
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Implicit Bias Training
Thursday January 28, 6:00 PM
This session delves into participants' experiences and understanding of themselves and how they interact with others. This training aims to unpack systems of power and oppression, how our identities fall within those categories and how our actions are affected.
Register with the link below:
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For more information about the City of Birmingham and COVID updates visit: https://www.birminghamal.gov/coronavirus
Text BHMCOVID to 888777 to receive alerts in English and BHMCOVID19 to 888777 en Espanol.
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