Compiled by Ryan Michaels
The Birmingham Times
Birmingham, known as a cradle of civil rights history, today still contains numerous strong voices pushing for change locally and across the country. Within the activist community are those fighting for environmental justice, justice system reform and better connectivity among communities, among other issues. But these individuals all have one thing in common—improved quality of life for all.
Here is one of those voices.
Name: Cara McClure
Age: 52
Organization: Faith & Works
Your passion: “Bridging the gap between the faith community and the activist community”
What does a better Birmingham look like: “I think a better Birmingham would just like more equity across the board, not just performance. I would imagine more investment in people in our community, rather than more policing. It would look like having mental health services and job resources and community centers across the city. It would look like lesser than—I can’t remember what percentage of poverty we have in Birmingham—but that number could be significantly lower. It would look like every community, when a child walks to school, the pathway to school will be an inspiring path, not a path where I leave my door to walk to school, and the whole wall I’m seeing needles on the ground, I’m seeing abandoned homes, I’m seeing a liquor store, but that child can wake up to a clean community and clean environment and a path to school that’s inspiring, just like if you look at them by the Civil Rights Institute. That whole area, you pass signs that tell you some history, and I imagine a child’s path the school could be signs that say, ‘You are great,’ ‘You’re excellent,’ ‘You can do whatever you put your mind to’ all the way to school.”
Favorite quote/Words you live by: “When you take your eyes off your long-term goals, you enslave yourself to your immediate.”
