Alabama

Paul Kersey of SBPDL.com recently published his latest book on Amazon, The Tragic City: Birmingham, 1963-2013, which tells the true story of how the City of Birmingham has fared under 34 consecutive years of a black controlled municipal government.

The latest news out of The Tragic City concerns the 2013 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama which is scheduled to take place at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham on April 7.

In 2010, the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama attracted more than 79,000 fans from 41 states and 5 countries to watch the IndyCar races in Birmingham. According to Birmingham City Councilor Jay Roberson, “the event has created almost $80 million in economic impact for the region and the city of Birmingham in particular.”

Unfortunately, the Birmingham City Council recently decided that the Honda Indy Grand Prix is suffering from a potentially fatal lack of blackness, so now its future (and the tourism it attracts to the Birmingham metro area) has been placed in jeopardy due to a $300,000 a year contract between the city and the event’s promoter:

“I am growing increasingly concerned that we are making a lot of statements,” said Councilwoman Lashunda Scales, who chairs the Economic Development Committee. “We keep talking about the economic impact, but where is it? I’m not seeing this in writing about all this economic impact.”

Councilman Steven Hoyt was even more candid in his racial assessment of IndyCar racing:

“Councilman Steven Hoyt questioned why a majority black city should continue to give money to the event run at the Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds. “I’ve seen nobody, nobody who looks like me make any decisions with Barber sports. None. Zero,” Hoyt said.”

The contract was put to a vote and died in a 4-4 split decision because there weren’t enough people at Barber Motorsports who look like Councilman Hoyt making the important decisions.

David Sher at The Comeback Town has justifiably been full of praise for George Barber, a local White grandee with a passion for motorcycles, who has invested over $80 million dollars of his own money in Birmingham:

“George Barber, founder of Barber’s Dairy, has invested an estimated $80 million of his own money, excluding the contents of the museum, to build Barber Motor Sports Park and Museum here in Birmingham.* Barber Sports has had a major positive impact on local tourism and economic development…and given us a great deal of pride. … But our Birmingham region is lacking when it comes to holding onto large successful businesses. A little over ten years ago we had thirty public companies headquartered here—now we have fifteen; we had six S&P 500 Companies—now we have one—Regions. Losing successful companies costs us jobs and growth. … Better government means more prosperous businesses which means more George Barbers and Don Logans.”

The future of the “Comeback Town,” as Sher would call it, lies not with aging White businessmen like George Barber, who grew up in another civilization, but with the ability of human capital such as Ja’Quares Walker, Councilwoman Lashunda Scales, the graduates of Birmingham City Schools, and entrepreneuers “who look like” Councilman Steven Hoyt to create businesses and sustain economic growth.

At least … until the Deluge.