Wednesday 16th November - Wilcox County (am)

After a very early start we set off with our hosts from the MHRC on our journey to Wilcox County which is situated in in the South west of Alabama. The journey from Birmingham took approximately two hours but it was livened up by some terrible weather conditions which we later discovered was a tornado!

After some brilliant driving from Graydon, Dr Theresa Wynn and Amber Anderson we arrived in Camden, Wilcox County. The Wilcox County Project was a product of the Economic Development and Health Summit in 2010 (see previous blog post - UAB Business School Partnership) and we were visiting the area to see in practice the impact of the project.

Our first stop in Wilcox County was a visit to the County Court House where we met high school students, UAB interns and faculty members, local residents, representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and the City Mayor. After introductions, Graydon Yatabe gave a short presentation on the background of the exchange program followed by a few words by Cllr. Gwen Hassell on the past, present and future of Stoke-on-Trent.

The high school students (from Wilcox Central High School - a public school) were then invited to share their experiences of the project. Each student described their summer activities relating to the project and also what they had gained from taking part. We were very impressed with their attitude, application and enthusiasm. 

Here are some quotes taken from a presentation delivered by UAB interns;

The next stop on our tour of Camden, Wilcox County was a visit to the Historic Antioch Baptist Church. The Church became a cross-roads in the 1960's and it served as a site of mass meetings during the Civil Rights Movement and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the church in 1965. We were met at the Church by a lady called Rosetta Anderson;

Kenitra Robinson (CDC) - Left, Rosetta Anderson - Right

A historical panel with the display, titled, "Voting Rights Now!", describes how Rev Martin Luther King Jr. and others, in early 1965, led voting rights marches in Dallas, Perry, Lowndes and Wilcox Counties;

"On Monday, March 1, 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., arrived at Antioch Baptist church to speak to a nervous but determined crowd of 200 black citizens. In the crowd was an active member of Antioch Baptist Church, a 31 year old housewife and mother of 3 children. Rosetta Marsh Anderson listened intently as Dr. King’s powerful message of justice, non-violence, and love resonated, and when the march began, Rosetta stepped forward, head held high with pride and determination, that no matter how long, or how difficult the struggle would become, she would not turn back."

It was amazing to be in the company of individuals who had actively participated in the Civil Rights movement. Rosetta was able to point to herself in a photograph (top right, below) pinned to the wall listening to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. speech in 1965.

Tuesday 15th November - Five Points South, Surin West and Geocaching!

After our visit to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute we headed back to the hotel for a quick change before venturing out to explore more of Birmingham. Our wanderings took us to Five Points South, a neighbourhood lcoated in the southern section of downtown Birmingham where we met Graydon and Kenitra. After a vote we decided to frequent the Surin West Restaurant and try some of Birmingham's Thai Cuisine.

We would definitely recommend a visit to Surin West

This dinner provided us with the opportunity to get to know our colleagues from the CDC a little better and at the table we were introduced to one of Graydon's hobbies - Geocaching. Having no clue as to what he was talking about we decided to experience first hand what this Geocaching thing was. So, on the way back to the hotel, Graydon (and his phone) navigated us to what can only be described as a dimly lit alley-way where we were meant to find some treasure (aka a Geocache). Here are a few photos of our first attempt at geocaching;

Unfortunately (after 20 minutes of looking high and low) Graydon discovered that there were a number of online messages stating that the Geocache couldn't be found at this location!

Disappointed we headed back to the hotel....but, not wanting to give up, Graydon continued to track our location and announced "...there should be one just over the road!" 

 He was right!...we eventually found a Geocache! We also discovered that there were a number of Geocaches in and around Stoke-on-Trent. Definitely something to take back with us to the UK!

Tuesday 15th November – Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

After lunch at the UAB Business School we were able to have some free time to explore the City of Birmingham. As we were in the heart of the Civil Rights Movement we all wanted to visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute documents the struggle of African-American citizens in Birmingham to becoming full participants in the city's government and business community in the 1950s and 1960s. The Institute is an educational, cultural and research center that seeks to promote a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the significance of civil rights developments in the South, with particular emphasis on the national struggle of African-American citizens and minority participation in the democratic process and free enterprise system.The Institute was founded in 1990 and opened to the public on November 16, 1992.

The institute showcases a walking journey through the "living institution" which displays the lessons of the past as a positive way to chart new directions for the future. The permanent exhibitions are a self-directed journey through Birmingham's contributions to the Civil Rights Movement and human rights struggles.

Visiting the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham was a very humbling experience and the information which we digested helped us to understand further how history has shaped the health of local communities. Throughout this exchange it has been apparent that history is ever present and that heritage has an important role in supporting community change.

Tuesday 15th November - UAB Business School Partnership

After a much need rest on Monday evening we travelled back to the University of Alabama at Birmingham to visit the Business school. One of the many impressive aspects of the MHRC is the way they form interdisciplinary partnerships within the University. They seem to make health 'everybody's business'. This visit to the University's business school highlighted this partnership. We were met by the Dean of the Business School, David Klock, who guided discussions around the relationship between economic development and health and well-being.

Health and Economic Development Summit, 2010.
In August 2010, REACH US organised a health and economic development summit which brought together a think tank of more than 100 hand-picked researchers, policy makers, elected officials, health and economic development specialists, community leaders, and residents from Alabama’s Black Belt and inner-city neighbourhoods joined forces to identify three priorities for improving health and economic opportunity in Alabama.

Representing important government, private, and nonprofit groups as well as numerous UAB schools and divisions, the panelists and attendees agreed that improvements in education, transportation, and equity are fundamental keys to healthier communities and economies throughout the state. They also encouraged communities to organize and partner with government and business leaders to be a part of the solution.

"Until recently, economic growth was seen as a precondition for real improvements in health. Today, improvements in health are important for economic growth. Where people have poor health and the level of education is low it is more difficult to achieve sustainable economic growth." (World Health Organisation (WHO) commission on Macroeconomics and Health)


Following discussions about the key relationship between economic development and health Judy Kurth presented about Stoke-on-Trent and the current Health reforms in the UK with Public Health moving into the Local Authority. In addition, the UK team presented Stoke-on-Trent's mandate for change.

Stoke-on-Trent is facing a challenging economic period and needs a clear plan focusing on a "working city". The mandate for change sets out a plan for developing the city over the next four years, based on four strategic aims all underpinned by an effective and confident council. The four strategic aims include;

More details about Stoke-on-Trent's Mandate for Change can be found by clicking here

After a short break we were introduced to a number of UAB Business school interns who had taken part in a project which worked with a community in Wilcox County in South West of Alabama. As previously mentioned in this blog, we were very impressed by the way in which the MHRC made health 'everybody's business' across the University. It was inspiring to see the enthusiasm of members of the business school in their acknowledgement of the relationship between economic development and health. The Wilcox County project demonstrates the value of such partnerships across University faculties for the benefit of local communities.

The interns gave a presentation of their project which had been conducted over the summer of 2011;

The Mission Statement of the project was;

"To enhance the economic development of the Wilcox County communities by partnering with the Chamber of Commerce to provide training to local high school students and assisting businesses with detailed planning expertise".

The main aims of the Wilcox County project were for UAB interns and local high students, in collaboration, to;

1. Promote and market the Black Belt Treasures, a local tourism business that displays and sells many artifacts that are indigenous to the county;

2. Collaborate with the Wilcox Area Chamber of Commerce to develop a county-wide tourism and marketing plan; and

3. Develop in-roads to broaden future employment opportunities within the county through networking, collaboration, and infrastructure building.

We were extremely impressed with the enthusiasm and application of the UAB business school interns. The project addressed issues of cohesion and integration as well as economic development by bringing groups of young people from the private and public schools together to work on a specific project in collaboration. The project used an assets-based approach with the students, young people and community members by conducting a SWOT analysis of the economic development potential of Wilcox County. Another impressive aspect of this project was that a sustainability plan was developed from the very beginning. The UAB Business School committed to sustaining the student-service learning concept by providing seed funding for the project and incorporating it into their school curriculum.

The Wilcox County project is definitely something that we would like to see happen in Stoke-on-Trent!

More information about the Wilcox County project can be found on;

- One Tank Treasures Blog

A blog dedicated to the Wilcox County Project 
(developed by UAB interns and High school students)

- One Tank Treasures Facebook Page 

A Facebook page dedicated to the project

- Black Belt Treasures 
- Wilcox Area Chamber of Commerce 

Monday 14th November - Norwood

The final destination of our first day with the MHRC was a resource centre in the neighbourhood of Norwood. We were introduced to the director of the Norwood Research Centre, Melodie Echols. This resource centre is located in the heart of the community and provides a number of services to local residents, including a computer learning centre, volunteer income tax assistance, nurse wellness visits, chronic disease management courses, health talking circles, financial conselling, neighbourhood clean-ups, REACH US (Breast and Cervical Cancer Awareness) and many more.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Norwood-Resource-Center/116157115085577

 The motto for this research centre is "Neigbors Helping Neighbors" which leads on to Norwood's mission statement "...to strive to improve the quality of life for each and every resident of Norwood and to make our neighborhood a model community in the City of Birmingham and the State of Alabama".

We were very impressed with the amount of services available in the resource centre and also the community's abilities to attract funding. In addition, the community had produced a neighbourhood plan in a very professional manner which emphasised environment and economic impacts on health and community safety. It was clear that there were strong coalitions between residents and community partners who had a clear mission - renovation, innovation, diversity and community partnership. The coalitions strength was also demonstrated in their ability to stand up to any industries which may go against their mission statement. 

Monday 14th November - West End

The second coalition that we were introduced to was in the West End Neighbourhood of Birmingham.

This garden has only been established for one-year and the community were experimenting with the possibility of growing fresh produce on waste land. Community members were advised that nothing would grow in the area due to poor soil quality and being on the site of a demolished house. However, they were not deterred and the garden has surpassed all expectations and they are now looking to expand. The community are fully responsible for the maintenance of the garden and there is very much a sense of ownership, respect and pride.

Monday 14th November - Dunbar Abrams, Bessemer

After a fulfilling lunch we were given a tour of three 'Building Healthy Communities' Coalitions.

Our first local coalition was located in Bessemer and was called Dunbar Abrams.

Miss Pippins - member of the Bessemer Building Healthy Communities Committee 

This coalition brought back into use a community building which was originally a school. This was the first school in the area which taught black children. The history of this area is ever present and celebrated with the Civil Rights movement at the heart of this and most other initiatives.

The centre houses a cervical and breast cancer resource library and also holds regular health talking circles and screening programmes.

Monday 14th November - Lunch

The Bright Star Restaurant, Bessemer.

En route to visiting some local coalitions we stopped off at Alabama's oldest restaurant 'The Bright Star', although we weren't as famous as some of the previous guests.

We also experienced a delicacy of the deep south - fried green tomatoes along with some fried (what else!) snapper. This lunch also provided us with the opportunity to get to know our hosts and learn more about our respective communities. 

Monday 14th November - am

Setting the scene; Birmingham, AL, was built on an railway intersection which is represented in the state flag (left) . This mirrors sections of the Union Jack and is symbolic of the cross roads of our coalition between Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham, Alabama.

Bright and early on Monday morning we travelled to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to meet members of the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center (MHRC).

(http://www.uabmhrc.com/)

We were warmly welcomed by Dr Mona Fouad, Dr Theresa Wynn, Maria Norena, Amber Anderson and Joanice Thompson and introduced to a number of leaders of REACH US community-based programmes.

We were given a presentation on the history of Birmingham, which was known as the 'Magic City', as it appeared as if by magic after the abolition of slavery. 

In exchange, the team shared information about Stoke-on-Trent and set the context by showing a short video called Miniature Stoke [please click link to see video]. The purpose of mini Stoke is to bring to life a number of important ‘facts’ about peoples health and well-being in Stoke-on-Trent. It describes a moment in time, and aims to tell the story of what Stoke-on-Trent would be like if it was made up of one hundred people.

When Academia, Politics and Public Health Met

Day 1/2 - Manchester, UK to Birminhgam, AL via Atlanta, GA

We met up at Manchester Airport on the morning of the12th November excited about the 10 days ahead.  This was the first time that we had met as a team, but any apprehension was soon gone as we got to know other quickly and seamlessly. Early on we adopted different roles and responsibilities that have successfully seen us through as a team to date. As the theme of our time in Alabama has centred around building coalitions it has been fascinating to reflect on how we have built our own coalition throughout this time!

Arriving in our hotel in Atlanta late Saturday evening, we had an overnight stay before meeting colleagues from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Graydon Yatabe and Kenitra Robinson. In addition to  his many talents Graydon acted as our very own chauffeur as we travelled the 2 hours south-west to Birmingham, Alabama.

Before we arrived at our Birmingham destination we stopped at a local eatery to show our support for the owner. The owner of Max's delicatessen on Colonnade Parkway [http://maxsdelionline.com/index.html] says he is fearful of losing his entire nine-member kitchen crew due to Alabama's new immigration law. 

[12th / 13th November]