Join us for a public meeting regarding right-sizing parking requirements in Birmingham. Online webinar to be held on October 16th.
Upcoming Southside Community Framework Plan Meetings
City of Birmingham Awarded $8 million Rail Safety Improvement Grant to alleviate dangerous crossings at Harris Homes
City of Birmingham Awarded $8 million Rail Safety Improvement Grant to alleviate crossing hazards at Harris Homes
Press Release
September 25, 2023
The City of Birmingham has been awarded an $8 million federal Consolidated Rail and Infrastructure Safety and Improvements (CRISI) Grant, the first major step in helping to alleviate the dangerous rail hazards in the Harris Homes Public Housing Community.
Residents living in this area have, for the better part of a century, been forced to endure trains parked at both entrances, completely encircling their homes every 7-10 days for over fifty years.
Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, who represents the neighborhood and who has spearheaded the Council’s efforts to secure this grant funding, hailed this as a huge win for the residents who’ve had to live with these unsafe conditions for years.
“It’s hard not to get a little emotional thinking about what this will mean for the residents of this area. This is an opportunity to drastically improve the quality of life for so many of my neighbors,” Councilor O’Quinn said. “I’d like to take a moment and thank our partners at Norfolk Southern, who own the rail corridor in question. They have been a tremendous partner in moving this initiative forward and will be committing $1.5 million in funding to this initial planning and engineering grant. It’s the largest financial commitment they’ve made to a project of this type, ever. My office has remained in close contact with their representatives over the last several years and we could not have gotten to this point without their dedication to improve the lives of those living near their tracks.”
“Norfolk Southern is committed to our communities, through the businesses we serve and the towns we call home," said Norfolk Southern President and CEO Alan H. Shaw. "Together, with the Cities of Birmingham and Trussville, we are making transportation infrastructure safer for residents, through the State of Alabama’s R.E.D.E.S.I.G.N Alabama program. This announcement is indicative of how businesses, communities, and local, state, and federal leaders can collaborate to improve safety.”
This isn’t just an issue about blocked train crossings. This is a project that is going to have far-reaching impacts on our local economy and the ability to construct more affordable housing.
For the last several years there has been well-documented global supply chain issues. Rail infrastructure is a big part of that and this corridor that passes through Birmingham is the most heavily trafficked in the entire state – 50 to 60 trains a day. These improvements will help address that issue on a local level and improve our capacity to move cargo.
“Today marks a major step forward in our fight against blocked railroad crossings in Alabama’s 7th Congressional District,” U.S. Congresswoman Terri Sewell said. “This funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law represents a critical part of our long-term strategy to alleviate blocked railroad crossings and will go a long way in improving the quality of life for those living in and around Birmingham. Securing this funding was truly a team effort, and I want to thank the City of Birmingham and our local leaders for their hard work in developing such a strong proposal and Norfolk Southern for their significant financial commitment to this project. I was so proud to advocate for this funding at the federal level and will continue working with our state and local partners to address blocked railroad crossings.”
The proposed project involves two segments of Norfolk Southern’s railway line and will help develop plans for various track, bridge, signal and road realignments to prevent the blockage of the roads leading in and out of Harris Homes. This will include grade separations and the closure of multiple crossings and will also have a positive impact on the freight and passenger rail operations in the city.
This is a multi-jurisdictional project and would not have been possible without the coordinated efforts of multiple partners and agencies.
“This is a great example of the kind of impact that regional cooperation can yield, especially when you have multiple municipalities collaborating on a project of this size. Trussville City Councilor Lisa Bright has helped lead the way on their end. I’d like to thank all our partners who helped make this possible for our residents: Congresswoman Terri Sewell, HABD and their CEO Dontrelle Foster, FRA Administrator Amit Bose – who visited Harris Homes – my colleagues on the Birmingham City Council -- Councilor JT Moore for his ARPA contributions -- Mayor Randall Woodfin and Woodlawn United for their support,” Councilor O’Quinn said.
Federal noise abatement standards are a big factor when constructing new affordable housing. In addition to helping alleviate dangerous crossings and improving rail logistics in Birmingham, this grant will help bring the possibility for more revitalization efforts and affordable housing units in Woodlawn, a goal that Woodlawn United has been focused on in recent years.
Councilor O’Quinn and Councilor JT Moore both contributed American Rescue Plan Act Funding to assist with this project. This grant funding is the first major step in remediating this issue for Harris Homes. This is a developing story and more information will be presented when it’s available.
Community Arts Grant 2023: upcoming event w/ Barehands Inc.
One of the 2023 City of Birmingham Community Arts Grant recipients, Barehands Inc, is using the grant award to host free memorial alter box classes. Folks just have to register, so they can plan for supplies, before they attend.
More Info and Registration for Next Classes HERE:
Carver High School, Saturday, September 16
MAKEbhm - Saturday, September 23
Ensley Recreation Center, Saturday, September 30
Times for all classes are 1p.m. to 3p.m.
Making a memorial altar (ofrenda) for a lost loved one for the Day of the Dead is a creative and rewarding way to remember them. We recommend using a small box, like a cigar box or shoebox. Often a small altar box becomes the building block of A larger altar that you may want to create in the future.
2023 FHCNA Newsletter
If you have any calls or concerns regarding fair housing rights within Northern Alabama, please call our office at (205) 324-0111 or come see us at 1820 7th Avenue N., Suite 110 Birmingham, AL 35203
A Note from the Executive Director
Greetings!
The Fair Housing Center of Northern Alabama (FHCNA) has been very busy. In addition to assisting victims of housing discrimination, we have provided training to a number of housing authorities in our service area and multi-family management companies. To highlight a few other activities, we provide fair housing information to participants of Neighborhood Housing Services and the Birmingham Urban League’s first-time homebuyers monthly seminars. FHCNA presented on a panel sponsored by the Huntsville Board of Realtors during Fair Housing Month. I was interviewed on WBRC-Chanel 6 News and have also participated in radio interviews. FHCNA was a contributor to the Turkey Classic Give-away sponsored by Cumulus Media. We have continued our fair housing billboard displays in most of our 29 counties service area. The Latino News continues to reach more than 75% of our service area.
April is National Fair Housing Month, and the center sponsored its Annual Fair Housing Month Seminar and Luncheon at the beautiful Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Sessions relative to issues such as appraisal bias, reasonable accommodations, affirmatively furthering fair housing and other general fair housing topics were covered. Our speakers represented the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, Governor’s Office on Disability Rights, Department of Community Development, Huntsville, Alabama, the National Fair Housing Alliance and two experts on appraisal bias, Ira Goldstein from Policy Solutions at Reinvestment Fund and Rachel Meadows, Director of Policy and Legislation, City of Philadelphia. The Fair Housing Education and Outreach Specialist presented awards to the top three students who participated in our fair housing poster contest. They attended Hatton High School in Town Creek, Alabama, and Meek High School in Arley, Alabama. There was a total of 51 virtual poster entries, just under 4,000 votes, and over 40,000 views of the online contest.
Additional activities have included a presentation to One Roof members, attendance at the Birmingham Realtist Association activities, and the Building Alabama Reinvestment Conference. FHCNA is represented on several local boards ensuring we take an active part in community activities. I am privileged to serve on the Board of Trustees for the Alabama Center for Real Estate at the University of Alabama, and also serve on the board of the Consumer Financial Education Foundation of America. I am pleased to say that I have also been elected to serve another term on the Board of Directors of the National Fair Housing Alliance, Washington, DC.
We take pride in our community services in our efforts to affirmatively further fair housing, however, we accomplish our goals when we resolve acts of housing discrimination. Keeping families in their homes despite the efforts of landlords to illegally evict them based upon discrimination, informing landlords of their discriminatory acts when they deny reasonable accommodation requests to qualified persons, denying occupancy to families with children that are otherwise qualified, denying occupancy to persons with criminal backgrounds regardless of type of crime and number of years since incarceration, evicting women who have been impacted by domestic violence regardless of the circumstances, refusing to change policies that would address source of income, these are all examples of discriminatory acts that negatively impact our communities. We work to resolve these issues daily.
To support our work, we conduct tests to uncover acts of discrimination. Our testers conducted 58 race-based tests, 2 disability and 1 familial status test. Of that total, 20 were rental, 21 sales, 7 lending and 10 design and construction tests. 2 tests were based on rental complaints and 2 on reasonable accommodation complaints. We investigated 39 complaints by Blacks or African Americans, 12 by whites, 1 Hispanic, 2 who identified as other and 19 disability complaints. These numbers only reflect individual complaints and do not include the numbers of people or households impacted. This also does not include the hundreds of landlord/tenant calls and complaints we have received and the numerous referrals we make to other agencies.
This has been a busy year and a successful one. Several of our complainants received monetary settlements, housing units were opened, company policies changed, reasonable accommodation requests granted, evictions stopped, and numerous other solutions achieved.
If you are interested in assisting us in the eradication of housing discrimination and would like more information about our program, please visit us or call the center. We will provide printed materials or speak with you. We distributed more than 10,000 fair housing brochures in English and Spanish and will provide Braille upon request. If your organization or company is interested in a fair housing presentation or training, give us a call. Our services to the general public are free.
Fair Housing in the News
HUD Issues Memo Clarifying
Recommended Practices Regarding
Persons with Criminal Backgrounds
In the summer of 2022, HUD issued a memo authored by Demetria McCain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, which gives guidance about best practices for applying Fair Housing protections to people with criminal backgrounds.
Although people with conviction histories are not considered a 'protected class,' the disproportionate impact of the legal system on Black and Latino people and people with disabilities means that HUD recognizes criminal background screenings may violate the Fair Housing Act. Using an overly broad or unfair screening process to people with a criminal history is often a major impediment to them obtaining housing - a critical step to successful reentry.
The number of people in this category is staggering. According to FBI statistics, 70 million people in our country have criminal backgrounds - that's roughly 1 in 3 people. For clarity, not all of that number have been convicted of a crime. That distinction is an example of how people might be unfairly excluded from housing options since people are often automatically disqualified because of their experience with the carceral system even if their arrest did not result in a conviction.
To make matters worse, according to the DOJ, "More than 650,000 ex-offenders are released from prison every year, and studies show that approximately two-thirds will likely be rearrested within three years of release." Helping these folks find stable housing will go a long way to reversing this trend and HUD's new guidelines are a good start.
For more information click the link to HUD's memorandum and/or the digital toolkit called, "Fair Housing for People with Criminal Records" put together by The Fair Housing Center for Rights & Research a not-for-profit fair housing agency that promotes equal housing opportunities and positive race relations in Northeast Ohio.
Lila Hackett
Birmingham City Council Highlights 8.29.2
Birmingham City Council Highlights 8.29.23
ITEMS 18-19
The Birmingham City Council has voted to delay considering proposed amendments to the City’s parking and towing ordinances following a public hearing at today’s Council meeting.
Several representatives from local towing companies addressed the Council during the hearing and raised concerns over the proposed language surrounding insurance coverage in the updated ordinance. In order to get the corrected language included into the ordinance, there will be a two-week delay.
Written submissions for public comments will still be accepted until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, September 5th; the public hearing to consider the amended parking and towing ordinances will be held September 12th during the regularly scheduled Council meeting.
Written comments can be sent to Darrell.OQuinn@Birminghamal.gov
The Council will be in a position to consider approving the amendments at the conclusion on the public hearing on September 12th.
The Office of the City Attorney presented the proposed changes during a Town Hall held in June. Some of the key points of the updated ordinance include, but are not limited to, increasing insurance requirements for operators; clarifying proof of payment to help drivers with dispute options; prohibiting operators from towing/booting a vehicle while a driver is paying; additional payment options — the use of mobile and web payment systems; improved requirements for signage.
In addition to modernizing the way parking in paid for by phone, the updated ordinance also gives the Birmingham Department of Transportation purview to oversee parking signage placement and regulations.
Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, chair of the Transportation Committee, said he has been encouraged by the productive conversation and feedback from members of the public throughout this process.
“There were definitely issues that were brought up that we had not heard before when we heard from residents in June. It’s really great to get these comments into the public record,” O’Quinn said. “There were multiple people that have referred to the ambiguity of the signage that refers to overnight parking. I think that’s really valuable to for us to hear. I’m looking forward to this additional opportunity for people to provide feedback. I’d like to thank the Mayor’s team and our City Attorneys for their continued work and diligence on these important updates to our city code.”
ITEM 30
The Council approved a resolution for a grant application seeking $15 million for the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program with the U.S. Department of Transportation to convert 4th Avenue North from a one-way to a two-way street.
This would take place from 24th Street North to 9th Street North through the downtown corridor. This program is part of the bi-partisan infrastructure bill that was passed by Congress in 2021. These conversion plans are supported by the City Center Master Plan and Northside/Southside Framework Plans, which have shown a need to convert several one-way streets as a way to boost economic activity and help prevent incidents of reckless driving.
This corridor is the home of the Fourth Avenue Business District. According to representatives with the City’s Department of Transportation, national studies have shown that converting roads from one-ways is a big boon for local businesses. Two-way traffic allows for people to access these stores from both directions and allows for a slower pace of traffic.
“I know we have had many instances of collisions at the intersection by the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and there is some confusion with drivers when they are passing through this area,” Council President Wardine Aleander said. “I think it’s so important for the City to support this historic Black business center. I am hopeful this grant application will be successful and we will be able to make our roadways a little safe and more supportive for local businesses.”
Most of the cost would be incurred from outfitting the intersections with new signals and ADA compliant features.
This corridor is located in an “area of persistent poverty” and therefore does not require the typical 80/20 percent grant match under federal guidelines. However, in order to strengthen the grant application, the City will be contributing $2 million towards the project in the event the application is successful.
Here is the item as it appeared on the agenda:
ITEM 30.
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute any and all documents
required for the City to apply for a Reconnecting Communities and
Neighborhood (RCN) Program grant from United States Department of
Transportation in the amount of up to $15,000,000.00 to convert 4th Ave
North from a one-way to a two-way from 24th Street to 9th Street. This
grant requires matching funds in the amount of twenty percent (20%) of
the total grant received by the City and authorizing the Mayor to take any
and all actions and execute such documents as are appropriate and
necessary to accept and expend the grant funds on behalf of the City in
accordance with the grant documents. (Submitted by the City Attorney)
(Recommended by the Mayor and the Chief Community Planner)
PRESS RELEASE- BWWB Reaches Settlement on Water Source Protection
BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL: Week in Review, August 14th - 20th
Public Safety Chair (D9) Councilor LaTonya A Tate Hosts Credible Messenger in the Magic City
At Wednesday's Committee of the Whole Meeting, Credible Messenger Mentoring Movement President and CEO Clinton Lacey was in town for a presentation for the Birmingham City Council. Mr. Lacey's presentation was one of several given at the meeting, geared toward addressing and reducing violence in the City.
Credible Messenger is a community-based crime prevention program that is currently active in 20 states. While in town, Councilor Tate and Lacey also visited the Ross Bell Juvenile Detention Center and met with Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway and Urban Alchemy.
Learn more about Credible Messenger here...
Watch the Committee of the Whole meeting for Mr. Lacey's presentation here...
Council President Wardine Alexander Hosts Quarterly Chat and Chew with Neighborhood Leaders
Council President Wardine Alexander sat down with neighborhood officers during the annual District 7 Chat & Chew.
A number of neighborhood officers had the opportunity to voice neighborhood concerns to Mayor Woodfin and also break out into small groups to discuss projects, collaborations, and nonprofits.
Council Votes to Approve Resolution of Intent for Birmingham-Southern College Funding
On Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council voted to approve a resolution of intent to provide funding to Birmingham-Southern College as the institution works its way back from a period of financial uncertainty.
The resolution of intent does not transfer any funds or establish a dollar amount for the one-time funding agreement. However, based on conversations that took place from the dais and during previous Education Committee Meetings, the leadership at BSC is seeking a commitment of up to $5 million.
The resolution passed 6-1 with the dissenting vote coming from Council President Wardine Alexander, who expressed her support of the institution, but said she would like to see similar investments made into neighborhoods across the city.
Councilor J.T. Moore, chair of the Council’s Education Committee, said he would like to see more opportunities for service-based learning taking place in schools across the City.
“We would love to see Birmingham-Southern become a part of the Birmingham Promise network of schools,” Councilor Moore said. “We want to increase the access that our students have to this institution, and create a more robust partnership with BSC, especially as we look to improve our reading levels in city schools. Their service-based learning model has been a great resource, and we’d like to build on that moving forward.”
Read more here...
Council Pro Tem Smitherman Partners with Operation HOPE for Financial Wellness Series
Council President Pro Tem Crystal Smitherman has partnered with Operation Hope for a series of financial wellness workshops. This week's focus was on how to improve credit scores and money management.
We hope you will join us for the next installment when we discuss pathways to homeownership. That will be taking place at 5:30 pm at the West End Library on Thursday, September 21st!
Public Hearing Set For Birmingham's Parking and Towing Ordinance
REMINDER: The Birmingham City Council recently voted to set a public hearing to discuss proposed changes to the City’s parking and towing ordinance. That public hearing has been set for Tuesday, August 29th during the Council meeting on the second floor of Boutwell Auditorium.
UPDATED TIMEFRAME: Due to Chamber Renovations, Council Meetings are being held at the Boutwell
The Council voted to extend the length of time in which meetings will be held at the Boutwell Auditorium while the City Council chambers are being renovated. That completion date has been extended to December 19, 2023.
The Council unanimously passed an ordinance earlier this year to change the regularly scheduled meeting location to the second floor of the Boutwell Auditorium, 1930 Reverend Abraham Woods, Jr. Boulevard. The meeting time will remain 9:30 a.m. on every Tuesday.
If you plan to attend the meeting in person, please arrive early. All meetings will still stream to the Council's Facebook page: @citycouncilbham
Birmingham City Council Highlights 8.22.23
Birmingham City Council Highlights 8.22.23
ITEM 3
The Birmingham City Council voted to approve an ordinance accepting grant funds for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to study the impacts of air pollution in Birmingham.
The $1 million grant is part of the Air and Radiation Climate Pollution Reduction program, and will help formulate a climate action plan for the City and region. The City and the Regional Planning Commission are leading this effort to address the impacts of climate change and air pollution. A preliminary climate action plan is expected to be completed in 2024. A larger, more comprehensive plan will be submitted to the EPA in 2025 and will be funded by this grant allocation.
The studies are a prerequisite for being able to apply for implementation funding from the federal government, meaning once the City completes the study, it will open the door for additional federal dollars to be allocated.
“Obviously this is an issue – air pollution – that impacts a big part of the communities that I represent,” Councilor JT Moore said. “I’m very interested in seeing the results of this study, considering the amount of heavy industry that we have near residential neighborhoods. We need all the help we can get to help remediate the impacts of this pollution in our neighborhoods.”
Here is the item as it appeared on Tuesday’s agenda:
An Ordinance “TO FURTHER AMEND THE GRANTS FUND BUDGET” for the fiscal year ending Jung 30, 2024, by appropriating $1,000,000.00 to the Mayor’s Office for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation for the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant per grant award received. (Submitted by the Mayor) (Recommended by the Mayor and the Budget and Finance Committee)**
ITEM 12
The Council approved an agreement with the Credible Messenger Mentoring Movement, which aims to reduce instances of violent crime and recidivism, especially among young people. The funding will be coming in part from Councilor LaTonya Tate’s American Rescue Plan Act funding ($200,000).
Credible messengers are individuals who have personal experience and background that allow them to connect with and influence young people who may be at risk of engaging in violence or other harmful behaviors. These messengers are often respected and trusted within the communities they serve due to their own life experiences and transformations. Credible messengers can effectively reach and guide at-risk youth by drawing from their own stories of overcoming challenges, making positive changes, and avoiding violence.
Last week, Clinton Lacey, CEO of Credible Messenger presented information during the Committee of the Whole meeting. Some of the key areas of focus for their program include:
Increased engagement with programs and services
Reduction in re-arrests, violations, and anti-social behavior
Increased compliance with court mandates
Improved relationships between system stakeholders and community members
More community capacity to support system-involved youth
“This will have an immediate real world impact, and this is exactly why this program has been successful across the country,” Councilor Tate said during the Committee of the Whole meeting. “We have a lot of credible people who live here and who want to step into these mentorship roles. It takes resources and people to be able to do this, and I’m grateful to be in a position to help fund this important work. I believe it will have a transformative impact on an entire generation of kids here.”
Here is the item as it appeared on the agenda:
ITEM 12.
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute and deliver an agreement
with Credible Messenger Mentoring Movement to address the increase
in violent crime among the City’s youth during COVID-19 through the
implementation of the Birmingham Credible Messenger Initiative
designed to have transformative impact on marginalized young people,
their families, and the communities where they live with funds received
by the City from the American Rescue Plan Act, in a total amount not to
exceed $500,000.00. [Funding Source: FIN039RM 99999A_006_003 –
G/L Account: 039_000.445-035; ARPA-District 9: $200,000.00 – G/L
Account: 039_010.445-035] (Submitted by the Mayor) (Recommended
by the Chief Community Planner)
ITEM 22
The Birmingham City Council took a major step toward empowering neighborhood leaders to remove blight in their communities with the passage of an agreement with ToolBank USA Inc.
The agreement will help with the development of a 5,000 square foot facility that will house thousands of tools and equipment that will be available for rent by community-based organizations to assist with projects. This was one of the first programs that multiple Councilors identified for use of their office’s ARPA funding.
Districts 1, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 all contributed funds for this program (Full breakdown below).
The funding will also allow for up to two full-time employees and one part-time employee to help with maintenance and to answer questions people might have about the equipment they are renting. This service will be available for Neighborhood Associations and any not-for-profit to utilize.
“I want to express my excitement about this program,” Councilor Carol Clarke said. “A lot of my colleagues have partnered together to make this possible. The mayor’s office helped a lot to make this more robust and to allow for more people and groups to access this. I’d also like to thank Councilor Clinton Woods who helped organize the ARPA pitch conversations that brought these groups together to outline how we could have the most impact with this federal funding. This was my favorite of all the projects because it really empowers our residents in a way that we haven’t seen before.”
Here is the item as it appeared on Tuesday’s agenda:
ITEM 22.
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute and deliver an Agreement between the City of Birmingham and ToolBank USA, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $345,000.00, to fund the Birmingham ToolBank initiative through which ToolBank USA will launch a ToolBank Affiliate called the Magic City ToolBank, which will involve (i) the development of a 2,500- 5,000 square foot warehouse facility with thousands of tools located within the City; (ii) the employment of up to two full time employees and one part-time employee to manage and operate the facility; (iii) the empowerment of community-based and neighborhood not-for-profit organizations with the tools, equipment and expertise which are central to completing community transformation projects; and (iv) the expert instruction on the proper use of tools and equipment utilizing safety precautions. The establishment of the ToolBank Affiliate is expected to promote the removal of blight in the City, generate revenue for the City, attract volunteers and private donations, bring jobs and an estimated economic impact to the City. [G/L Account: 039_101.445-035 - ARPADistrict #1: $45,000.00; ARPA-District #4: $55,000.00; ARPA-District #6: $75,000.00; APRA-District #7: $50,000.00; ARPA-District #8: $70,000.00; ARPA-District #9: $50,000.00] (Submitted by the City Attorney) (Recommended by the Mayor and the Chief Community Planner)**
Magic City Spotlight: Sign up for ACE and learn how to make change in your community
The next Academy of Civic Engagement (ACE) cohort is beginning soon!
ACE is a city-wide leadership initiative aimed at bringing residents together for a deeper understanding of how the City works for them and how they can plug into various opportunities. Orientation begins September 7.
Click the image above or the button below to watch Mayor Woodfin's message offering more details about this comprehensive six-week program designed to prepare residents to go out into their communities to act, serve, and lead.
Learn more and sign up at birminghamal.gov/ace.
The City of Birmingham Poet Laureate serves as an ambassador for poetry in Birmingham.
This is an honorary position, and roles and responsibilities include making local appearances, facilitating public and educational programs, and building advocacy and community through poetry.
The poet laureate will receive an honorarium of $5,000 over the course of their term. Additional funds will be available for materials and other approved costs associated with community engagement programs that the poet laureate facilitates.
Click the button below to learn more and access the application portal.
Applications close on October 2.
You're invited to join Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Sullivan and Mayor Randall Woodfin for the Rally For Reading on August 28.
Join us to instill the joy of reading in our students and prepare them for academic success.
Click the image above or the button below to watch the video to learn more.
See you there!