The most admired man whoever lived
by Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.

Nelson Mandela, the man I’m referring to, is a person who is admired by more people than any other single individual. Here’s a man who went to prison because he advocated equal rights for all human beings.
In 1994, at a speech celebrating his inauguration as the first Black president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela glanced over to Coretta Scott King and echoed the word of her slain husband’s address at the March on Washington more then 30 years earlier: “Free at last, free at last.”
After his release from prison in 1990 and rise to the presidency, Mandela would often pay homage to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Civil Rights Movement, which he said were an inspiration to him and to other anti-apartheid activists in South Africa.
But the influence went both ways: Mandela and the anti-apartheid struggle were also an inspiration to civil-rights activists in the South, especially African-American organizers who, in the course of the 1960s, sought to link their fight against Jim Crow with liberation movements unfolding in Africa and around the world.
One other thing Mandela did. Every time he visited the United States, for whatever reason, he made sure the Black newspapers were invited.

The greatest football game ever

Some time in the future, there may be another football game as great as the one Auburn/Alabama played for the Iron Bowl. But I must add, it is almost impossible that this will ever happen. The State of Alabama will receive a billion dollars worth of free advertising. The reason is because Auburn won. Had Alabama won, they would have received $500 million worth of advertising because everybody expected Alabama to win.
Everybody in Alabama, which includes The University of Alabama, all the faculty, football players and students, should pull for Auburn to win the National Championship. This would give the State of Alabama an additional $500 million of free advertising.
I’ve stated this before that I am an Alabama fan first. I wrote last week quoting Joel Osteen.I still contend and firmly believe if Alabama played Auburn nine times, they will in eight.
If Alabama can’t win, let Auburn win. In the event Auburn can’t win, let some team in the Southeastern Conference win.
Speaking of the Southeastern Conference, its going to be very difficult for any team in 2014 because there are so many great teams. Alabama is going to be great; Auburn is going to be great; LSU is going to be great; Georgia is going to be almost great; Missouri is going to be great, Texas A&M is going to be almost great; South Carolina is going to be great; Ole Miss is going to almost great; Mississippi is going to be almost great; Tennessee is going to be good; Vanderbilt is going to be decent. The two worst teams in the SEC are Arkansas and Kentucky.
The National Championship game will be won by Auburn; score Auburn 27, Florida State 14.

email: jjlewis@birminghamtimes.com

  I have always believed in letting the people of Alabama decide the fate of gambling and whether we should have a state lottery to help fund education. You can never go wrong when you trust the voters and let the people settle these kinds of issues.
And though we sometimes disagree on political issues, this is one issue where Gov. Bentley and I are in complete agreement.
During the 2010 campaigns, Gov. Bentley said, “I believe the people of Alabama need to decide at the ballot box on a YES or NO vote whether to allow gambling or abolish all forms of gambling.”
Creating a state lottery has been an issue in Alabama for decades, but the voters have not been allowed to vote on the issue since 1999. A lot has changed since then, and we can draft a better lottery proposal than the one we put before the voters almost 15 years ago.
Today, Alabama is one of only seven states that does not have a state lottery. And every day, Alabamians are driving to stores and gas stations in Tennessee, Georgia and Florida to buy lottery tickets. But instead of their money going towards schools in Alabama, their money is paying for kids in Tennessee, Georgia and Florida to get an education.
The reality is that people who want to play the lottery or gamble are going to do so. That is why you will see so many cars with Alabama license plates parked at these gas stations, at the casinos in Philadelphia, Mississippi, at VictoryLand or at the facilities owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.
By not having a state lottery, we are not stopping or even slowing down gambling in Alabama. All we are doing is sending our money to other states to help pay for their children’s education while year after year our schools continue to struggle to get by.
A report provided by the Legislative Fiscal office during last year’s legislative session estimated that a state lottery could generate as much as $250 million per year for our schools. And news articles in neighboring state’s have shown that those states brought in much more.
Instead of giving that $250 million to other states every year, we need to be using that money for our own children’s education.
That is why I plan to propose another lottery bill during the 2014 legislative session, and I am asking Gov. Bentley to stand with me and keep his campaign promise to finally let the people of Alabama vote on a state lottery.
The lottery bill that I will sponsor will set aside $50 million to provide every school in Alabama with one resource officer. For school systems that do not have a resource officer, this will give them a new sense of security and help maintain discipline in their schools. In the school systems that already pay for a resource officer, this will allow them to use that money for other educational needs.
The rest of the revenue generated from the lottery will go towards providing scholarships to students who make the AB Honor Roll. This money will help them to pay for tuition and books at either a four-year university or at a two-year college or vocational school of their choice.
Every year, the costs of higher education are increasing. At the same time, more and more jobs are requiring a higher level of education or training. In this economy, it is extremely difficult to get a job with just a high school diploma, alone.
Our children need and deserve a chance to get their degree or certificate in a vocation so that they can get a good job and make their dreams a reality. A state lottery can open the doors of opportunity for thousands of children in Alabama and lighten the burden on thousands more.
The time is right. Let’s keep Gov. Bentley’s promise to the voters and finally allow the people to decide the fate of a state lottery in Alabama.
Rep. Craig Ford is a Democrat from Gadsden and the Minority Leader in the Alabama House of Representatives.

An Observation

Subject: Local media errors in the 11/27/13 printed article vs the Online account, “Maxine Parker’s son voted to the Council.”, and failed to make corrections.

The printed article grossly differed from the Online account.
The printed article omitted the reasons given for Councilors Shelia Tyson and Steven Hoyt’s “No” vote, unlike the full account given in the online version. This grave error of omitted facts was not corrected causing wide spread misunderstanding throughout the Birmingham Community. This is extremely unfair to the two elected officials.
The Online article clearly annunciated the reasons for their ‘No’ votes.
In the Online version, Councilor Tyson stated that callers from the community wanted to be a part of the selection process… meaning some wanted to apply for the position, get interviewed, etc. Most readers will recall that she, herself, was chosen by the same process that took weeks to complete the interviews of prospective applicants.
Councilors Tyson and Hoyt agreed this to be a fair way to make the selection to include all that would apply.
Further, the online article stated that others on the council voted the process down, saying it was “a waste of time” and they were ready to vote.
After the Council voted favorably for the son, Mr. William Parker, Councilor Hoyt requested to go on record voting for Parker because he was not against him, and Councilor Tyson obviously felt the same.
In fairness, the newspaper should have honored requests by this writer and others to make the necessary corrections.

Heager L. Hill, LHD (Dist. 6)
Birmingham, AL. 35209

 by Senator Hank Sanders

“Hank, I am  in the Dallas County Jail.”  Those were the words that my dear wife, Faya Rose Toure’ spoke on the phone. It was the beginning of a very eventful and intense time. Our lives are always jam packed, but this intensified everything. It’s alright because sometimes we have to take a stand!
It began in deception. It ended in jail. The Selma City Council was scheduled to consider a resolution giving an acre of public land in the Live Oak Cemetery to the Friends of Forrest, a group trying to immortalize Nathan Bedford Forrest by constructing a large monument of him on public property in Selma.
Forrest was the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. He built the Klan into a powerful national organization that killed or hurt thousands of African Americans while terrorizing millions. He was also a Confederate General who, on two occasions, led his troops in slaughtering Black Union soldiers, along with women and children, after they had surrendered.  Prior to the Civil War, he was one of the biggest slave traders in the country. Sometimes we have to take a stand.
Selma City Council President Corey Bowie told Faya Rose and others that they were not voting on the proposed land give-away at the council meting that Tuesday night. However, after the media and many citizens had left, some two-and-a-half hours into the Council meeting, Council members commenced considering the resolution. Faya Rose repeatedly asked to speak, but Council President Bowie repeatedly denied her request. He asked the Mayor to remove her from the Council Chambers. The Mayor of Selma, George Evans, had a policeman remove her.  He handcuffed her and took her to the Selma City Jail. She was quickly transferred from the Selma City Jail to the Dallas County Jail several miles away.
No reservations or limitations were placed in the deed of land. Three African American Council persons voted against the land give-away. Two others voted with the three White Councilpersons. One African American was absent.
“Hank, I refused to make bail. Bail is a thousand dollars, but I was arrested wrongly. I am staying in jail. Please do not make bail for me.” I agreed and immediately headed for the Dallas County Jail. I understand that sometimes we have to take a stand.
When I got to the jail, several others were present in fervent support. I did not try to persuade her to leave jail because I agreed with her position. It’s a shame to have a monument on public lands to Nathan Bedford Forrest, the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. It’s a shame that the Selma City Council President said the Council would not consider the land give-away to Friends of Forrest that night when that was clearly their plan. It’s a shame they resorted to deception in the darkness of night. It’s a shame for the Council to give an acre of land in a crowded public cemetery for a monument of a man who slaughtered civilians and Union soldiers in cold blood after they had surrendered.
A monument to a person says that this person lived a life such that he/she should be lifted up as an example to be followed. A monument on public lands says that all people should follow this example. If the Friends of Forrest want a monument to Nathan Bedford Forrest, they should build it on private lands. It’s a crying shame for the City of Selma, an international symbol of struggle for freedom, to give public lands for a monument to a murderer, a terrorist, a traitor, a slave trader. Sometimes we have to take a stand.
Live Oak Cemetery is located smack in the middle of an African American neighborhood.  With Alabama’s new gun laws that allow folk to carry guns in public and the potential appearance of KKK types, there is bound to be trouble, deadly trouble. I do not want further killing, and neither should the Selma City Council.
Faya spent the night in jail. She says the jail personnel were very professional and considerate.  That night, I had a message sent out on the internet. The next morning, I was on the Faya’s Fire Radio Program to share the injustice. I drafted a statement to be widely distributed. I took many calls of concern from around the country. This is a terrible injustice so I was going all out. Sometimes we have to take a stand, and I appreciate Faya Rose taking a stand.
Among others, the Mayor of Selma called me. He said that he did not have Faya Rose handcuffed and arrested. He only asked the policeman to escort her from the Council Chamber and he did not know that she had been arrested until the next morning. He said he was on his way to the Dallas County Jail. I headed for the jail myself.
Faya Rose refused to make bail on principle. The next day the charges were dropped. She could not stay in jail without trespassing. I took her to my office to get her van and other things. A few hours later, we left for Bay Minette to spend Thanksgiving with nine of the 11 living Sanders’ siblings. However, struggle was still on our minds. We cannot allow this matter to rest. We must take a stand.
Now on to the Daily Diary.
EPILOGUE – Sometimes we have to take a stand. Even if we stand by ourselves. Even if standing costs us dearly. Even if those refusing to stand do not understand. We just have to stand.

By Dr. Richard M. Cooper
What happens when a film combines a talented ensemble cast of ebony actors bearing resplendent skin tones, a solid storyline, superb direction, a banging subliminal soundtrack and a production budget of 17 million dollars? You get an upscale BUPPIE narrative that explores latent intrinsic desires of African Americans nationwide recapitulating a grand communal theme of “brotherly-sisterly love” delivered via the medium of the “Big Screen.” Best Man Holiday (BMH) is an aptly crafted and updated sequel to a “back-in-the-day classic” homeboy-flavored romantic comedy, “The Best Man” circa 1999 directed and solidly written by Malcolm Lee.
Simply attend any regional movie theater within a 15-mile radius of a critical mass of Black folks, as I did this past Saturday morning for the film’s debut, and bear witness to high doses of agape healing being dispensed to brothers and sisters in attendance. During the “sunrise secular movie service” I took an observant pause, and then I watched, and listened as multigenerational audience members inhaled and absorbed all that they were experiencing right before their very eyes. My circular gaze intensified during this movie-church service as I heard the varied tones of rhythmic laughter-tears-claps, whispers and adulations from this approving audience. Outsiders might confuse these spontaneous eruptions of seemingly disruptive sounds as a new form of lower class Black cacophony. As an insider however, these muted noises are better interpreted as indigenous call and response cultural patterns of cosigning and jubilation to the shared communal experience. Let the church say, “Amen!”
BMH glows with warm opening visual arrays of marriage photographs and other gleaming images of Harper, Robin, Lance, Jordan, Que, Julian, Shelby and Mia. Previous old-school audiences are reconnected to the cast and newer audiences are simultaneously introduced to these beloved characters. Best Man is as familiar as any film narrative as the story has been carried via every visual medium possible over the past 14 years; thus it sets the stage for BMH to attract a wider cohort of Black viewers. There’s always a new back-story of the struggle of Black filmmakers taking their idea to market and needing to persuade-beg-implore a new group of unenlightened corporate drones as to why their story ideas will sell to the masses. BHM successfully aborts the Eurocentric romantic comedy formula by daring to offer a plot deviation that also explores existential meanings of life. Writer director Malcolm Lee should earn props for taking such risks. The newly resurrected Arsenio Hall show recently hit some season high rating notes by featuring the main male and female cast members of BMH over two consecutive nights on the show. Hall producers were likely attempting to regain their historic “street cred” with hipper and historically Black viewers. Although Hall didn’t dance with the brothers of BMH on the show as they lip-synced and glided to the rhythms of former boy band New Edition’s,” Can You Stand the Rain”, the show likely scored high marks with viewers.
After this weekend’s successful nationwide opening, many reviewers will simplistically critique BMH for its box office cache and the cheddar that it grossed this weekend for the good folks at Universal Films. The tallying of its weekend receipts will buttress Malcolm Lee’s persuasive arguments as to why he always knew BMH would be a successful film. Other writers will feel compelled to analyze how BMH competed well against the nation’s current testosterone Norse classic “Thor 2.” As if a tired oft-studied western mythology recapitulated as “Thor: The Dark World” produced for $55 million and opening on roughly 3,841 screens compared to BMH’s largely African American audiences on much fewer screens. Once again, it feels like Rocky Balboa taking on Apollo Creed in a metaphoric reversal of roles.
It’s far better to compare BMH to its predecessor film, Best Man as BMH during its three-day opener grossed 31 million dollars and made more money than its predecessor did for its entire theatrical run. Films featuring all Black casts typically suffer undue mainstream criticism historically as did early artistic expressions of other African American productions. Directors Spike Lee, Robert Townsend, Julie Dash and Lee Daniels can certainly validate this experience. Initially hating and scorning Black culture is such a really old habit told via rock-n-roll, jazz, Hip Hop, tap dance, banjo music, and race record sensibilities. Just hark back to MTV’s initial dismissal of both Rick James’ Super Freak video and the story of their initial refusal to air the late King of Pop Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean video on its then new MTV video show to underscore the point.
Finally, please don’t make the mistake made by several so-called media experts who state that BMH is largely a movie constructed as pure visual candy for the sisters; I say not at all. I view the Best Man Holiday as another form of Afrocentric synergy as I do other aspects of Black cultural life like for example as found in big mamma’s gumbo, potato salad, collard greens and corn bread – the sum of the individual ingredients is far greater than its parts. And it’s refreshing that some movies being made today still do really matter.

Richard M. Cooper, Ph.D. MSW is social work clinical professor at Widener University and hosts/produces a weekly talk radio show on the only independently owned Black talk radio station in Pennsylvania, 900AMWURD.COM. He can be contacted at drrichardcooper@gmail.com.

By Steve Flowers

The year 2013 could be called the year of the quitter in Alabama politics. We have seen some high profile and significant political resignations during the year.

The parade of departures began with 1st District Congressman Jo Bonner. He served 10 years as the coastal Mobile/Baldwin Counties’ representative in Washington. He left Congress and doubled his congressional pay to take a position with the University of Alabama system.

Next comes Secretary of State Beth Chapman. She resigned her post with 17 months remaining on her term. Her reason for leaving was to make more money being a political consultant to the Alabama Farmers Federation.

During the summer, two of the most powerful men in the Alabama House of Representatives left with a year remaining in their prestigious positions. Rep. Jay Love of Montgomery was Chairman of the House Ways and Means Education Budget Committee. His counterpart, Rep. Jim Barton of Mobile, chaired the House General Fund Budget Committee. In the State House of Representatives there are 105 members. However, only about five are major players by virtue of their positions. As budget chairmen, Love and Barton were among the five. I guess handling the State’s budgets was too stressful for them.

Bonner, Chapman and Barton left early to feather their own nests as lobbyists or consultants. Love always let it be known that he was more interested in being a businessman than a politician. These rash resignations in the midst of their reign are hard to contemplate. It seems like they could have waited another year and served out their terms and simply not run for reelection in 2014.

Sarah Palin is the classic case of the quitter. The good people of Alaska elected her their governor. John McCain’s think tank and polling data revealed that the best choice for a running mate in the 2008 election would be a female governor from the west. The computer spit out the name of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. McCain rolled the dice and picked her. Some believe his gamble hurt him. Most times the choice of vice president has no affect on the presidential race. However, exit polling revealed that Palin for the first time in history was a detriment to the GOP ticket that year. Nevertheless, she rose to prominence by McCain plucking her out of obscurity. She then chose to abandon Alaska and pursue fame and fortune as a commentator on Fox News and on the speaking circuit. As she so adroitly alluded to in her vice presidential race, you can see Russia from Alaska. She was right. Alaska is a long way from mainland USA and an especially long trip to New York the nation’s media center.

My observation is that voters tend to resent quitting the job you were elected to, especially when you leave to make money. However, the other obvious observation is that these folks have no intention of ever reentering the arena, otherwise they would not have left abruptly.

It is doubtful that you will ever see the names of Jay Love, Jim Barton, Jo Bonner or Beth Chapman on your ballot again.

You may see Sarah Palin, although her day in the sun has probably set and her efforts would be to no avail.

The departure of Jay Love as the House Budget Chairman paved the way for Tuscaloosa to further enhance their power in Alabama politics. Speaker Mike Hubbard chose freshman Tuscaloosa Representative Bill Poole to chair the House Education Budget Committee. This gives the Druid City the Governor, the Chairman of the House Education Budget Committee, as well as the most powerful member of our congressional delegation, Congressman Aderholt, who sits on Appropriations. Not to mention Alabama’s most prominent and powerful political figure, our senior U.S. Senator Richard Shelby.

Speaking of Tuscaloosa, the Mercedes plant located in Tuscaloosa County stands out as the most important economic development coup for Alabama in the last three decades. Mercedes continues to expand exponentially. Its expansion buoys the state’s positive economic forecast.

The Mercedes plant was the crucible and impetus for the other two major auto manufacturing plants locating in the state. Mercedes along with the Honda plant in Talladega County and Hyundai in Montgomery have propelled Alabama into the number two state in the nation for automotive production.

See you next week.

Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His column appears weekly in more than 70 Alabama newspapers. Steve served 16 years in the state legislature. He may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.