Partnership Aims to Make Birmingham’s Economic Growth More Equitable

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/07/GY0025-e1554836039505.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1008;s:6:"height";i:672;s:4:"file";s:33:"2015/07/GY0025-e1554836039505.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:12:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"GY0025-e1554836039505-336x224.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:224;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"GY0025-e1554836039505-771x514.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:514;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"GY0025-e1554836039505-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"GY0025-e1554836039505-768x512.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:512;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"GY0025-e1554836039505-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"GY0025-e1554836039505-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"GY0025-e1554836039505-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"GY0025-e1554836039505-467x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:467;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"GY0025-e1554836039505-398x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:398;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"GY0025-e1554836039505-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"GY0025-e1554836039505-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"GY0025-e1554836039505-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Gina Yu
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] =>  WBHM
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_edit_lock] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1437088306:4
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:10:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:1008;s:6:"height";i:672;s:4:"file";s:10:"GY0025.jpg";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"GY0025-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"GY0025-336x224.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:224;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"GY0025-771x514.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:514;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"wbhm-icon-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:16:"GY0025-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"GY0025-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"wbhm-featured-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"GY0025-300x300.jpg";s:5:"width";i:300;s:6:"height";i:300;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"GY0025-467x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:467;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"GY0025-398x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:398;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"GY0025-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"sizes";a:1:{s:4:"full";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:37:"The backup directory is not writable.";}}s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:0;s:14:"optimized_size";i:0;s:7:"percent";i:0;}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => error
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

)
1656330742 
1562928774

Birmingham has gained attention for its downtown rebirth. But the Birmingham area economy still falls behind similar cities, particularly when it comes to job growth. A partnership announced in December between the city and the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C. think tank, aims to boost the Birmingham economy with an eye toward making those gains more equitable. Brookings fellow Andre Perry, one of the researchers advising the city, says about half of Jefferson County residents are doing well, but the other half, many of whom are minorities, struggle. Perry says racism and structural inequality drags on the economy and that hurts the entire community.

WBHM’s Andrew Yeager spoke with Perry about the project.

Interview Highlights

What the partnership consists of:

“We’ve already engaged in a market scan and in that market scan we’ve found gaps in the economy, areas that we should improve upon. So our job now is to look at those gaps and identify potential solutions. Now the city and the county, there’s a lot of things going on. We want them to have the analytics to really navigate current projects but also to identify other opportunities out there.”

How to make growth inclusive and not just enrich those already in positions of wealth and influence:

“At some point city leaders must take chances in hiring people, in investing in black and brown people and the folks of Birmingham, Alabama, know too well that the tradition of not supporting one another oftentimes reigns supreme. At some point people who have resources must extend them to people who have not been trusted with resources in the past. So, I’m talking about the places like Ensley. I’m talking about black entrepreneurs. I’m talking about other areas in the city that folks just don’t feel those resources are going to be used for growth.”

What’s success for this partnership:

“Obviously we want to see growth in the economy. We want to see more jobs. We would like to see the infrastructure to make that happen. So obviously you need support systems. You need new revenue streams. But more importantly we want a group of civil actors to demand change that will not uphold [the] status quo, that’s willing to take risk that other generations have not. If we can get that mindset change, oh, growth will come.”

 

 

The new film ‘Tatami’ reveals an Iranian judoka’s fight beyond the mat

In the first feature film co-directed by an Israeli and an Iranian, Tatami, an Iranian judoka must choose between her country and a run for the gold at the World Judo Championships.

U.S. uninsured rates could resurge if Trump’s budget bill passes

Millions could lose health insurance as the Trump administration and GOP-controlled Congress weigh major changes to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. "The effects could be catastrophic," one policy analyst predicts.

Several countries have privatized air traffic control. Should the U.S.?

An effort to privatize U.S. air traffic control in 2017 never took off. Now the aviation industry is uniting behind the Trump administration's plan to overhaul the system.

Whose lavish wedding is sparking protests this week? Find out in the quiz

From British royalty and billionaire antics to the latest in U.S. news, this week's quiz will make you feel smart and savvy at the dinner table.

Trump says the U.S. has signed a deal with China on trade, without giving details

The U.S. and China have signed an agreement on trade, President Donald Trump said, adding he expects to soon have a deal with India.

Japan executes man convicted of murder for killing and dismembering 9 people

Takahiro Shiraishi, known as the "Twitter killer," was sentenced to death in 2020 for the killings in 2017 of the nine victims, most of whom had posted suicidal thoughts on social media.

More Economy Coverage