INTERVIEW: Tanner Colby, Some of My Best Friends are Black
Birmingham– Sometimes world events make people look inward. As Barack Obama campaigned his way to the presidency, self-described lily-white writer Tanner Colby began pondering — and then tenaciously researching — exactly why he and other white people didn’t have black friends. The reasons are complex, ranging from school policy to real estate practices to media image-making to church politics. But the former Vestavia Hills resident dives right in from the springboard of his own life, recognizing his ignorance the whole way. The result: “Some of My Best Friends are Black: The Strange Story of Integration in America.” Our Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen caught up with Colby not long after the author appeared on MSNBC to discuss America’s persistent racial separation. A partial index of subjects and time markers is below.
8:02 — A discussion of how federal government policies contributed to urban blight.
10:07 — Colby explains “redlining,” which cut blacks off from mortgage capital.
11:00 — The advertising industry (and media stereotypes) as a window into our culture.
12:35 — Colby’s thoughts on racial separation in church, past and future.
13:30 — Overblown fears of a “majority-minority” country?
14:56 — Where the solution starts…
UAB building among Alabama’s first to feature ‘bird safe’ glass
Advocates hope the new glass will prevent window collisions, a leading causes of bird mortality.
Researchers look into community health impact of wood pellet production in rural Mississippi
Brown University and Tougaloo College students are testing for potential air and noise pollution near the Drax wood pellet plant in Gloster, Mississippi.
Alabama coal company sued for a home explosion is delinquent on dozens of penalties
Crimson Oak Grove Resources has been cited for 204 safety violations since the March 8 blast, many involving “significant and substantial” safety violations.
The United Auto Workers faces a key test in the South with upcoming vote at Alabama Mercedes plant
The United Auto Workers is aiming for a key victory at Mercedes-Benz in Alabama. More than 5,000 workers at the facility in Vance and nearby battery plant will vote this week on whether to join the UAW.
Gambling, ethics bills fall short as legislative session ends
Alabama lawmakers closed the books on this year’s regular legislative session Thursday. While Republican leaders passed many of their priority bills, perhaps the most talked about issue – gambling – died.
A look at what passed and failed in the 2024 legislative session
Alabama lawmakers have ended a 2024 legislative session that saw the Republican majority win approval for a number of their top priorities.
