News
Plaintiff in Landmark Civil Rights Montgomery Bus Case Shares Her Story
Most people know the story of Rosa Parks' resounding 'no' when she was asked to give up her seat on a Montgomery city bus. Sixty years ago this month, Parks's refusal prompted the Montgomery Bus boycott. But before her actions made history, there were other women and men were arrested for protesting segregation on public transportation.
The Debate Around Guns Has to Change
San Bernardino, California, is the latest place to experience a tragic mass shooting and joins a list that includes Charleston, South Carolina, Sandy Hook, Aurora, Colorado, and may other places. After such incidents, the issue of gun violence inevitably follows, but the discussion seems stagnant with the various voices involved arguing their positions with little change. One of the most powerful voices is the National Rifle Association and Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald says "to hell with the NRA." He shares his thoughts and explains why the process around Birmingham's approval of Uber and other ride-hailing companies was flawed.
Protesters Show Solidarity for Hunger-Striking Etowah County Detainees
Protesters in Birmingham today clanged forks and spoons against empty plates and marched in a show of solidarity for the 40 detainees currently on a hunger strike at a U.S. Immigration and Customs detention center in Etowah County.
U.S. Department of Transportation Investigating Rural Driver’s License Offices
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Wednesday it’s investigating the closure or reduction in services at part-time driver’s license offices in Alabama for civil rights violations.
City Council Makes Way for Ride-hailing Companies in Birmingham
The Birmingham City Council voted today on revisions to the city’s transportation code which would allow ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft to operate in the city. The council voted 7 to 1 in favor of the changes. Councilwoman Valerie Abbott voted against them. Councilwoman Kim Rafferty abstained.
Birmingham LGBTQ Community Leader Honored by White House
Steven Romeo is founder of the Change Project here in Birmingham. It highlights the lives of LGBTQ people in Alabama and other areas of the South. Recently, Romeo received the White House “Champions of Change” recognition, given to just a handful of LGBT community leaders in the U.S. He stopped by to talk to WBHM […]
Teaching Tough Topics: NPT Reports
What should school children be taught about Islam, the Confederacy and other topics that are sensitive to some in our society? NPT Reports looks at how curriculum standards are set in Tennessee and why state officials are implementing new procedures to address public concerns as part of the Southern Education Desk's series, "Teaching Tough Topics."
What Expanded Gambling Could Mean for Alabama
State lawmakers took three legislative sessions to craft a bare-bones budget this year. Next year’s budget picture isn’t any rosier so calls are increasing for Alabama to expand gambling or start a lottery. Such a move would certainly mean revenue for the state, but just as with a roll of the dice, there’s risk. We start with that in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
UAB Student, Iraq Vet Hopes to Help Feed Black Belt with Aquaponics
Ramon Jeter was raised by a single mother on the west side of Birmingham. Right out of Ramsay High School he joined the Navy. He eventually served as a field medic in Iraq. Now the married new father is studying public health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and he’s been accepted to Clinton […]
Teaching Tough Topics: Teaching Beyond The Test
Civil Rights, Voter ID laws, Felon Rights. These topics aren’t foreign for teachers and students in Southern classrooms. But what happens when pressure to teach to the test prevents challenging conversations?
More than a Quarter of Alabama’s Children Live in Poverty, Report Finds
A new study shows that more than 26% of Alabama’s children are living at or below the poverty level. The 2015 Kids Count Data Book released this week by VOICES for Alabama’s Children provides a snapshot of well-being across several indicators including education, health and safety. “Well I think any time you’re talking about the […]
Transit Authority Board Under Fire for Meeting
When former Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority executive director Ann August left her post in October, transit board members said they held an emergency meeting to accept her resignation. Transit advocates say she was clearly fired. That distinction could mean the difference between a legal move by the board and something illegal. The Jefferson County District Attorney's office appears to be investigating. We hear about it from Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald and also hear about the Birmingham City Council, which canceled a meeting for lack of a quorum.
Teaching Tough Topics: Teaching Civil War History In Mississippi As Symbols Fall
In Mississippi, the Civil War still stirs emotions. It’s not so much that teachers disagree on how it should be taught, but that ongoing attempts by the University of Mississippi and several cities across the South to shed Confederate symbols have called up old ghosts. Sandra Knispel reports for the Southern Education Desk.
Kyle Whitmire: Donald Trump, Alan Harper and “Safe Spaces” on College Campuses
An Alabama state legislator asks constituents on Facebook to avoid shopping at stores that aren’t owned by “God-fearing Christians;” College students around the country are demanding their schools provide “safe spaces,” on campus and Alabama’s fascination with Donald Trump. A look at these issues in this week’s conversation with Kyle Whitmire.
Marco Rubio Makes First Campaign Stop in Alabama
Florida Senator Marco Rubio made his first Alabama campaign stop in Guntersville yesterday. Despite heavy rain, more than 800 people crowded into a gymnasium to hear what the presidential hopeful had to say.
Buses may be Integrated, but Problems Plague Transit System
With yesterday’s 60th anniversary of the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute hosted a panel to mark Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat to a white man. But the talk didn’t stay focused on history. It quickly turned to the present, particularly the problems plaguing Birmingham's buses.
Teaching Tough Topics: Textbook Fight Riles Tennessee
What should school children be taught about Islam? In Florida and North Carolina, parents claim students are being "indoctrinated" with a sanitized version of the Muslim faith. One of the fiercest fights so far is happening right now in Tennessee. As Chas Sisk of WPLN reports for the Southern Education Desk, it could reveal the playbook for future battles.
Teaching Tough Topics: The South’s Real History
Teaching subjects that trigger strong emotions and political divides is challenging. In the South, many of those fault-lines — racial, religious and otherwise — are intimately tied to its history. This week the Southern Education Desk is exploring how teachers tackle tough topics. WBHM’s Dan Carsen starts with an overview of some the major challenges, and […]
NPR’s Michel Martin on the Montgomery Bus Boycott 60 Years Later
2015 has been a year of racial turmoil in America. The deaths of African-Americans by police ignited protests and riots, and the killing of nine worshippers at a church in South Carolina sparked national debate about the polarizing representation of the Confederate flag. These events reignited discussions about civil rights in the U.S., 60 years […]
StoryCorps: “There’s a little piece of you that’s still shining through.”
Amanda: So how does your queerness impact you on a day-to-day basis? Steven: My queerness operates in very different ways when I’m in a professional setting. I’m expected to be in slacks and things that are not form-fitting. Three months into the job, I was told if I wanted to fit in, I needed to […]
Uncertain Future for State’s Historic Building Tax Credit
It’s a busy day inside the McWane Science Center downtown. Kids play around a brightly colored Rube Goldberg machine in the center’s pristine lobby. But look out the window across Second Avenue North, and there's something very different: the eight-story building that once housed the Pizitz department store, closed now for almost 30 years. Windows are missing, and the façade shows 92 years’ worth of cracks and stains. You’ll also see construction crews working to rejuvenate the building.
StoryCorps: “I’m not complicated…”
Lacey: I identify as bisexual so that means that I am attracted to people of multiple genders. I used to feel like, in queer spaces, that I wasn’t queer enough to be there. I was constantly having this fear that other people were sort of assessing my queerness. It constantly felt like it was insufficient […]
Feds Say New IDs Needed to Fly…Just Not Yet
As travelers take to the skies during this Thanksgiving travel period, they’ll be required to show ID. Many people use a driver’s license, but in future years that may not be good enough. A federal law that's been on the books 10 years means new ID requirements for those who fly domestically.
Republican Presidential Hopeful Donald Trump Draws Crowd in Birmingham
Donald Trump held his second campaign rally in Alabama on Saturday. It was well-attended and a bit of a rollercoaster ride. The Republican presidential front-runner shared his views on tracking Muslims, immigration, and at one point during his speech, threw out a protester in the crowd.
University of Alabama Student Government Association President Talks About Diversity
Elliot Spillers, who is black, talks with Sherrel Wheeler Stewart about the announcement of the hiring of a chief diversity officer & culture at Alabama.
StoryCorps: “You’re a person of value…”
Kristye: I feel like I loved you before our first date, but I didn’t think that was possible. And when I pulled up to meet you, I got out of my car and you got out of your car, and I’ll never forget the look on your face because you … your eyes were real wide, […]
Gas Smells Worry Avondale Residents
It’s been almost two years since a gas-leak fueled explosion destroyed an apartment building at a public housing complex in Gate City. The explosion killed one woman and injured seven others. As infrastructure deteriorates across the country, citizens in Birmingham are worried a tragedy like what happened at Gate City could happen again. We hear more on this and other stories from Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper WELD. He joins us most Thursdays during All Things Considered.
The Great Thanksgiving Listen
WBHM is proud to partner with StoryCorps for the Great Thanksgiving Listen. This Thanksgiving weekend, StoryCorps will work with teachers and high school students across the country to preserve the voices and stories of an entire generation of Americans over a single holiday weekend. Open to everyone, The Great Thanksgiving Listen is a national assignment […]
Arc Stories: November 2015 Edition
Stories about people trying to navigate through major dilemmas. A young man tires to discover a family secret; a girl comes to grips with the loss of her mom; and a woman finds herself completely exposed outside of a stranger’s house. (Originally aired November 19, 2015 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.)
Fear Shouldn’t Define Us After Terror Attacks
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley is standing by his opposition to Syrian refugees settling in the state following last week's terror attacks in Paris. Authorities say one of the suspects in those attacks may have entered Europe with refugees feeling Syria. More than half of governors, mostly Republicans, have made similar moves to Bentley. But it's also prompted plenty of criticism. We talk about it with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
Three Ways Alabama’s Medicaid Is Set to Change in 2016
On Wednesday, Governor Robert Bentley’s Alabama Health Care Improvement Task Force voted to recommend Medicaid expansion for the state. This comes years after Governor Bentley decided against expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Instead, Bentley and the Alabama legislature agreed to rebuild the state’s Medicaid structure. And the clock is ticking on that plan. Eleven months from now, Alabama's new Medicaid system launches. Details about the overhaul have been fuzzy. But WBHM’s Gigi Douban gives us three ways the new plan will change health care for the one million Alabamians on Medicaid.
Kyle Whitmire: Gov. Bentley and Syrian Refugees
Governor Robert Bentley orders state agencies to turn away Syrian refugees in Alabama, but does he have the authority to do this? WBHM’s Esther Ciammachilli talks with Kyle Whitmire, state political colmnist for the The Birmingham News and AL.com.
