For Trudy Hunter, a law school grad and a social worker from southwest Birmingham, this run for the city’s top job has been 10 years in the making. She says she wrestled with God about whether to step out on faith and run.
“I was like, I can’t run against these people. I said people aren’t going to listen to me. And then I was like, ‘Lord OK.’ I said ‘I trust you and I have faith in you.'”
Concerns about the city
Hunter says she was propelled to run because of what she observed in education and crime in the city.
“The education curriculum is not geared towards children of color,” she says. Hunter also wants to bring more business opportunities to Birmingham neighborhoods.
Greatest challenge: Poverty
Hunter is concerned about poverty in the city. “The economic inequality and the instability of the housing market is a big issue. We have to deal with the past and the racial relationship has to heal the structural racism within our laws that are codified in the traditions and customs here in Alabama in order to break through those barriers,” she says.
One of the first steps to dealing with urban poverty is first holding accountable the businesses that are already in the neighborhoods, Hunter says. She says many of the businesses in the inner city are not maintained to the same standards as businesses in other areas. She also wants to see police officers more involved in the community.
Revitalizing communities
Hunter, who says she also has experience as a grant writer, says she wants to look to foundations and philanthropic organizations for funds to help stabilize communities. She says, “we need environmental-friendly buildings, solar buildings built for clean air for our children. It’s going to take a lot of hard work. It’s something that’s not going to happen overnight.”