On our first full day in Birmingham, we had the opportunity to meet with groups who are intimately aware of the issues their communities face and working to address them. We started our day at Build UP, a nonprofit designed to to address the failings of Memphis schools by providing low-income youth in the Ensley and Titusville communities career ready skills and education. The area BuildUP established was the first place in Alabama where African Americans could own land, but at Build UP’s founding, only 82% of residents were renters. Home ownership is one of the best ways to build equity and wealth, but intergenerational poverty, a history of racist policies, and income inequality has prevented many African Americans from entering the housing market. Build UP empowers youth by teaching them financial literacy and hands-on skills, while providing a robust education and paycheck. They learn practical skills by working on abandoned homes that Build UP acquires and turns into like-new duplexes that students take ownership of when they graduate with a zero percent interest loan.
When we arrived, we were greeted by Build UP’s founder Mark Martin and toured the space. The school was just moved into this new location where they have a full workshop, many classrooms, and a shared space with another nonprofit, providing an athletic program. The building was still being finished, so we had the chance to help with projects needing to be done. The group split up to work on different projects around the building and we helped paint, garden, and hang ceiling tiles. I relished the chance to do some hands-on work and was glad to contribute, albeit only a little. After a few hours of work, we had lunch with the students and teachers who were working on a new community garden.
After lunch, we went to City Hall and met with the Division of Social Justice and Racial Equity. This small but mighty team was established by Birmingham’s Mayor Randall Woodfin to ensure that the city’s operations, policies, and decision-making are equitable and just. This conversation was by far my favorite experience so far because we got to hear about the current efforts being made at the governmental level to address the lasting legacy of racism in Alabama. One of the most impressive pregrams they’ve established is called ACE, the Academy of Civic Engagement. The central goal of the initiative is getting residents directly involved and engaged with their local municipal government. They aim to bring everyday citizens together for a deeper understanding of how the City is working for them and prepare residents to go out into their communities to act, serve, and lead. Getting people aware and involved in local government is so important. Learning about the role that they have played in getting the people of Birmingham engaged has given me ideas for how we can implement similar efforts in Portland and other cities.
-Nicole Rooney