Race relations in Mobile:
Then and now
By Chip Drago
Mobile Bay Times
How have race relations in Mobile evolved over the past 50 years?
The Mobile Bay Times turned to a trove of Mobilians -- lifelong Mobilians, former Mobilians, returned Mobilians and nearly Mobilians, white and black, male and female -- for their thoughts. They were offered anonymity in exchange for candor, although some chose to own their views publicly. There was no science in their selection, simply an MBT hunch that the invitee might have something interesting to say.
"I would have to say race relations have improved over the last 40 years.
Of course, Mobile now has a black mayor and other blacks participating in municipal government. Still, the election of a black also speaks to the white flight from the city itself. A higher percentage of black voters pushed Sam Jones into office. He also, though, received a significant white vote.
By and large, Mobile isn't much different than other cities with sizable urban areas. You see the majority of the nation's black mayors elected in those cities. Mobile also has the same urban problems, higher minority unemployment, lack of health care, etc.
Socially, Mobile hasn't change much. Mardi Gras is for the most part segregated, although there are a few integrated mystic societies. Most blacks and whites over 40 are less likely to socialize together unless it is job related. And most churches remain segregated. However, there seems to be more respect for each other.
The main question now might be how well is the growing Hispanic population being accepted here?"
-- Robert Buchanan,
newspaper journalist
"If, by 'race relations' you mean 'the interaction of Black people of African ancestry with White people of European ancestry in the establishment of collaborative means to benefit some mutually beneficial, positive and progressive end/s,' then Mobile does not have 'race relations.'
The absence of overt, hostile, aggressive and destructive conflict does not mean that ‘race relations’ are positive, progressive or productive. Often the exact opposite is true. Where there is no friction, there is no movement.
Mobile’s elected, appointed and anointed leadership knows how to present a convincing cosmetic.
When the membership and make up of boards, commissions, panels, caucuses and task forces consist of the same few Black people of African ancestry yet varying individuals of European extraction, then overt representation of the races in any community, civic, social, political, educational or religious compact has been artfully staged.
We see this conundrum decade after decade and leadership generation after leadership generation.
At specific organizational levels, overt racial disparities and/or conflict is obtrusive and is demonstrated through empirical assessments. Courts of lesser prejudice and advocacy groups for human and civil rights have had considerable success in 'making a case' for the harm done when 'race-based power' depresses ingenuity and problem-solving input from those citizens who are harmed most by the 'definition of race relations.'
It pays to remember that ‘slavery was race relations.’ Cross-burning and lynching is race relations. Discrimination in housing, health care and education is race relations.
Test: Ask the following question of 10 different people of European extraction: “Who are the five most influential Black African Americans in Mobile?” That should produce 50 names. If the same name gets listed more than five times, then there is a problem.
Ask the same question of 10 different Black African Americans in Mobile. If they name the same people five times or more, then there is a problem."
-- FPW
"The race issue was devised to create a false notion that skin color has some impact on intellect and ability; that there exist multiple races of people, defined strictly by skin color.
In Mobile, this false notion of multiple races of people has successfully been refuted. We now know that skin color is incidental to who a person is and what a person can achieve. The true purpose of any color is to give a shape to matter.
The fact of the matter is, there is only one race among humans: the human race. It is almost impossible to confuse the race of humans with other beings. But what separates us in essence is not skin color, but our own unique ethnicity, which includes our history, language, religion, culture, politics, beliefs and socialization.
Any person running for office in Mobile, proclaiming race as an issue, is destined to fail. In years past, such a platform would have been a recipe for victory. We are getting along in Mobile because we are no longer divided over diversity (some call it race). We recognize the true value of diversity among our many citizens.
I say we have come a long way and there is no going back to divisive politics of the past where our great citizens are pitted against each other."
-- Fred Richardson,
Mobile city councilman
"One can not gainsay the tremendous positive changes in race relations that have occurred, but somehow so much remains the same.
From 1970 to date almost four decades have passed. If a young person started reading the newspaper at age 16 that person would now have 40 years of daily indoctrination and now, at age 56, how could one expect that person to be a progressive, middle of the road person bent toward a forward looking community. The (media) has not changed and neither have many employment practices across the spectrum.
The problems with education: low achievement, drop-outs, discipline- stretch credulity. The dearth of non-pejorative, periodic assessment of the performance of both minority and non-minority officials by non-partisan, unbiased observers leaves citizens without a means to access except the shibboleths of conservative vs. liberal, white vs. black and Republican vs. Democrat.
When did the (media) or Randy McKinney care about Bishop State until they smelled blood in the water around a senior Black Democratic official? Did Gary Cooper care about how USA (the University of South Alabama) was treating Black people as long as USA had a million dollars in his bank?
The answer is that Cooper like a few dozen other black Republicans (read William Carroll, Juan Chastang etc.) keep their party affiliation secret from most blacks, while seeking black support for their business and political interests while simultaneously getting fellow Republicans who are white and so happy to have a few black fellow travelers that they are happy to enrich black Republicans while the black community is betrayed by the black Republican and hurt by the policies of the white Republicans."
-- BPM
(Editor's note: Cooper had no comment. Chastang, who is a Republican and has held office as such, did not respond to an opportunity to comment.
McKinney responded: "Bishop State Community College has never been about race with me in any of my decisions. It has always been about the quality of education that the students are receiving in the academic side or the career tech side of the programs.
I was prepared to fire Dr. (Yvonne) Kennedy (BSCC president) if the Chancellor made the recommendation to do so during the June 28 meeting. The recommendation from the Chancellor was to accept her letter of resignation. My options as a (state) School Board member were only two at that point (another section of the code that needs to be changed) 1) to approve the recommendation or 2) vote it down and leave her as president.
My public position from more than a year ago was that the leadership at BSCC needed to be changed. This vote would accomplish that objective. If there is any punishment to be handed out that will come from the Mobile County District Attorneys office or the U. S. Attorney's office. The salary and retirement amounts are set by state law (another interesting conflict of interest topic on 'double dippers').
I was also prepared to cast a vote to terminate the president of Shelton State in Tuscaloosa. That president is, by the way, a white male.
I have also expressed my views that Dr. Kennedy should immediately be removed from campus and not be allowed to stay. This is strictly management 101 where the old regime should be removed to allow the new leadership to lead without interference.
This has not been and never will be about race with me. This is about a higher level of expectation in our education system.
I have learned that progress and change is slow in government but I will continue with my efforts to move our state in the direction of higher expectations and delivery."
Carroll responded: “I’ve never had a party affiliation as a Republican. Someone is trying to lump me in a party, trying based on whatever they feel like saying. As a council person in city government, I’m non-partisan. I was elected to serve people whoever they are, no matter their race, color or creed. I do that job. There is no chance that I would not consider the needs of anyone. I just wouldn’t do that.
Someone seems interested in separating or segregating us by party affiliation. You cannot align people based on what you perceive to be a personal truth. You do not do that. You do not put people in a category without discussing it with whoever you’re talking about. The guy knows nothing about me personally or the other individuals he’s talking about. To me, that’s a personal no-no.”
"Economics
The article in the (7/13/07) Mobile Register, featuring J. Gary Cooper and President of the University of South Alabama, Gordon Moulton, is a prime example of how overt racism apparently currently exists in Mobile.
Education
There appears to be a failure altogether of the Brown (1954) decision. For instance, let's take a brief look at the schools that currently exist in Mobile. It appears that two public schools built in recent years, Calloway-Smith Middle (350 N. Lawrence St.) and Florence Howard Elementary (957 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr.), are both located in the central city, and serve children and adolescents of color.
According to the 2003-2004 academic year, the racial demographics at Calloway Smith academic year are as follows:
- Black, not Hispanic: 99.6%; and, White: Less than 0.4%.
- Florence Howard Elementary: Black, not Hispanic: 99.9%
- Bessie C. Fonvielle Elementary: Black, not Hispanic: 99.8%
Additionally, Ariel Holloway and Bessie C. Fonvielle, Booker T. Washington Middle School, Dunbar School of Creative Performing Arts, and the Continuous Learning Center, serve students who are primarily people of color. Other schools such as Lillie B. Williamson 99.1% Black; White: 0.5%; , B.C. Rain and LeFlore High Schools primarily serve students of color.
*References
Racial Demographics taken from MuniNetGuide (located on the web at www.muninetguide.com)
