When you think of Minority politics you think of those who are the minority of the mass population. But, what happens when a city is mostly a minority? Does the fact that 74% of Birmingham’s population is African American change the politics there? Most would say no but, the major political issues of the city are listed below, you be the judge.

Homelessness: 

         In a recent study commissioned by the city of Birmingham, it was estimated that there are over 2,600 people living on the streets at any one time.  However, the need for a greater number of homeless shelters seems to still be ignored.

Affordable  Housing:

Although there are several locations that are suitable for relocation, many people are hesitant to move given the condition of the school system. But, recently several different nonprofit organizations such as Neighborhood services Inc., with helpful funding from HUD (Housing and Urban Development) have been working diligently to provide the  needed affordable housing. 

Fair Housing:

         The North Alabama Fair Housing center is located in Birmingham. This organization is for anyone who feels that they have been a victim of housing discrimination. The most popular would be that of a large suburban landlords unwillingness to rent to a Section 8 tenant. A section 8 tenant is one that receives an amount of money from the government for housing then has to pay a nominal partial rent. Yet, most landlords are skeptical to rent to lower income tenants, and in return may have a clause on their lease that states there is a minimum income required to rent the property. However, once again if they feel that you don’t make enough money you may be out of luck. Nonetheless, if you do make a fair amount of money they may charge you more than the property is actually worth. Unfortunately, as flawed of a program as this is, many consider it to be the best one available.

A Government Divided:

         In July of 1999 the city of Birmingham received a shock when protest candidate Bernard Kincaid won the mayoral election. Kincaid (pictured right) entered the race as a statement for the dismantlement of the powerful political machine that former mayor Richard Arrington had created. Many feel that Kincaid has no business in the position of mayor and, that he is responsible for the slow down of new business development.

         The Relationship between Mayor Bernard Kincaid and the City Council is one of the most talked about political issues in Birmingham- particularly that of Kincaid and Council President William Bell. It seems that a fair number of Birmingham citizens who had their hearts set on electing Bell to mayor were rather upset upon Kincaid’s victory.

         Bell and Kincaid seem to be taking things rather personally. After several heated debates on how to handle certain funding Kincaid decided to sue the City Council. Since then a flurry of articles have been written about these strange politics. The Birmingham Free Press went as far as to slightly embellish a recent argument between the two men which left them fist fighting over who’s coffee mug was who’s. Needless to say their behavior has left the city a bit of a running joke.

             The hardest thing for the general public is that they don’t remain consistent with their issues. There is very little correlation between one and the other, leaving most unable to pick sides easily. This has become such a problem because the city was already a jumble of political affiliation. Now there are talks that Richard Arrington may be coming out of retirement for one last term, just to try and fix the damage. One would think that with as many issues as Birmingham has on it’s plate; it’s leaders wouldn’t spend their time bickering to the point were nothing gets resolved.

Hispanic Population:

         With a population that has increased over 200% in the past ten years, the Hispanic population is the most rapidly growing in Birmingham. Now nearing the ten thousand mark their voice is one that needs to be heard. 

         However, since much of the population is Spanish-speaking, they have been met with some resistance. Yet, they are taking steps to insure quality living for their population. Several organizations have been formed with that goal. En Espanol would be one such organization. It was founded in the fall of 2001 by The Valencia Group. The specific role that it plays is to offer the Spanish-speaking patients better access to health care professionals. It seemed that much of the Spanish-speaking population didn't know who to contact if they became ill. As a result quite a few of them would not see a doctor, and then would end up in the emergency room. Although the organization has just recently gotten off of the ground , it shows  promise towards being effective.

Inadequate Schools:

In any state the quality of the school system is an area of concern, but in Alabama, it is an area of heated debate. A lawsuit filed in 1990, stating that the state had a constitutional responsibility to provide an adequate education for all Alabama children, started the debate. It didn’t take long until the news had spread, and in 1991 the ACLU joined the case. They are representing “all children receiving inadequate educational opportunities.”  In 1993 the Supreme Court ruled that the entire state’s public education system was inadequate. The ruling stated that the state should create an adequate public school system “within a reasonable time." So far no official action to improve the schools has taken place.

            Although this issue runs statewide it has particular importance to the African American population of Birmingham. The simple fact of the matter is that African Americans make up 96% of the city’s public-school students. This is an issue that has infuriated most of the states parents, particularly those who are African American.

The issue now isn’t whether or not the schools need work but where to get the money. Superintendent Ed Richardson stated that the revival of the state’s public schools would be likely to carry a price tag in excess of $1 billion per year (yes, that is billion, with a “b”). Birmingham’s chamber of commerce  has formed a special task force to study the state’s effort to define adequacy.

This Page was created for Dr. Rodd Freitag's

Group and Minority Politics Class at