BCRI Gets Emergency Funding From City Of Birmingham
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute will receive $250,000 in emergency funding from the city of Birmingham to continue operating for the next four months.
The museum and educational research center has been closed since March due to COVID-19, but its financial problems predate the pandemic. In February, the BCRI revealed it was facing a $600,000 budget shortfall; its yearly operating costs are an estimated $3 million.
The council unanimously approved the funding but told BCRI board Chairman Isaac Cooper that the institute should begin looking for other ways to raise money. As District 8 Councilor Steven Hoyt put it, city funding “may or may not be there” in the future, thanks to a severe drop in city revenue due to the pandemic.
Hoyt suggested that the BCRI sell a coffee table book or other commemorative items. Councilor Wardine Alexander said the institute should consider virtual tours and a more aggressive marketing plan.
Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, meanwhile, called on the private sector to fund the BCRI. “It’s an organization that’s been in existence for 28 years, yet it has no endowments. That is appalling, in my opinion,” he said.
“Over recent months, we have seen corporate organizations one after the other issue statements about diversity and antiracism. That is the work of the Civil Rights Institute. If you really want to show that you are committed to those statements … rise to the occasion and support the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.”
Trump to raise global tariffs. And, most say the state of the union is weak, poll says
President Trump says he is raising global tariffs to 15%. And ahead of the president's address tomorrow, most Americans say the state of the union is not strong, according to an NPR poll.
U.S. has a quarter fewer immigration judges than it did a year ago. Here’s why
The continued drain of personnel from the already strained immigration court system has contributed to depleted staff morale, mounting case backlogs — and floundering due process.
Poll: Most say the state of the union is not strong and the U.S. is worse off
Ahead of the State of the Union address on Tuesday, evidence continues to mount that President Trump is facing political headwinds.
The owners want to close this Colorado coal plant. The Trump administration says no
The Trump administration has ordered several coal plants to keep operating past their planned retirement, part of a larger effort to boost the coal industry. Two Colorado utilities are pushing back.
Influencers are promoting peptides for better health. What’s the science say?
The latest wellness craze involves injecting these molecules for athletic performance, longevity and more. Scientists say the research isn't keeping pace with the health claims.
Mexico fears more violence after army kills leader of powerful Jalisco cartel
School was canceled in several Mexican states and local and foreign governments alike warned their citizens to stay inside following the army's killing of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, "El Mencho," and the violence it spurred
