Secrets of a Strategist: My Public Diary (October 2022)

Partying with a Male Stripper, My Public Calendar, and Civic Engagement in Birmingham

I partied with a male stripper. It was a wild night.

Let me tell you how we got here.

A few weeks ago my wife, Shyla, and I attended Kulture Ball, a fundraising gala hosted by Kulture City. Within ten years of its founding, this Birmingham-based nonprofit that advocates for sensory inclusion has become an international phenome and attracted the likes of celebrities, and financiers, among others. For perspective, their board chairman is NBA legend, Dominique Wilkins.

I have attended dozens of fundraising dinners, galas, and balls. This one progressed as most do. Wine, dinner conversation, networking, photos, listening — a lot of listening — to the powerful stories of parents living with the invisible illnesses impacting their children. It was great.

Immediately after the event, the Mayor invited my wife and me to stop by a local bar named Plum to unwind and enjoy some live music. There were six of us at a corner table enjoying local artist, Yung Vocalz.

Vocalz was just getting into his groove when the Mayor leaned over and whispered to me, “one of the presenters from the ball might swing by.”

It wasn’t more than 10 minutes before I turned around and found international movie star, Channing Tatum, of Magic Mike fame, standing right behind me.

He jumped right in right on cue as if we all rehearsed this little show. He walked in as Vocalz and the entire bar was singing “Stay” by Jodeci, among other 90s R&B songs. A few other fun folks from the ball showed up and all of a sudden it was a party with friends, few who knew each other before that moment. It was the best date night ever!

Tatum was born in Cullman, Alabama and grew up in Dothan, Alabama. He was humble as his Alabama roots. Keep reading below to watch his tear-jerking remarks at the Kulture Ball where he looked his 9-year-old daughter, mother, and father in the eye and shared his heart.

It turns out the fun we had with Channing that night was more than just a fun night. It was a celebration of a person — a dad and son — who shared a part of himself with his family and the entire world in a way he never had before. He made ‘never’ possible.

And, he didn’t even have to be Magic to do it.

A Week In The Life September 12–16, 2022

Here, I offer readers a behind the scenes look at my calendar, projects, and major themes that emerged in just one week at the city. I hope this helps someone understand the flow, feel, and impacts of our team’s effort.

Monday. Visited the City’s Greenhouse thanks to the Civic Design Studio team who hosted an internal Green Infrastructure discussion with the Mayor, Executive Leadership Team, and leaders from key departments such as Public Works, and PEP (Planning, Engineering and Permits), among others. Later, I attended a riveting high school football where our 15-year-old and his team took a hard loss.

Tuesday. Project team updates with external partners leading initiatives that are tightly aligned with the Mayor’s agenda, including the Mayor’s inaugural charity golf tournament (see below), a documentary film, and the Mayor’s radio show. Later, I participated in my very first sleep study. I looked like the bionic man by the time they hooked me up to all the machines!

Wednesday. The drama around Chris Rice had peaked within the previous 24 hours. My tight little calendar was blown up with a few impromptu huddles and the constant texts and questions from political allies and key staff. While the media, the internet, and the streets were all enduring (or enjoying) the spectacle that is the Birmingham Water Works Board, the Mayor kept the team focused on the ultimate goal — flushing the political gunk out of the pipes of progress for residents. From my perspective, it was a smart expenditure of political capital and for a good cause. But, don’t get it twisted, it was an expenditure. Necessary in the pursuit in the higher goal of progress.

In the meantime, I have a responsibility to carry engagement with strategic partners — no matter what the political drama may be back at City Hall. So, I kept my morning meeting with the Executive Committee of the World Games in the morning and lunch with the CEO of the Community Foundation.

Thursday. Coffee with Chris McCauley and Pete Jones of UAB. Then, the 59th Observation of the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church. Mayor’s Office Code Enforcement Town Hall for neighborhood leaders. Fundraiser for Houston Mayoral candidate, Chris Hollins. And, a most intriguing private meeting with the Mayor and a dozen key law enforcement officials about tackling violent crime — there are so many levels to solving big nasty challenges.

Friday. Ended the week nearly as I began with a “green” lens as I visited the City’s landfill. My goal for both visits was to be more present in different spaces as well as to thank our staff in the field doing the most direct service work of the city. I was honored to meet them. Beyond that, I hosted an impromptu lunch with old friends in support of Joy Webb and her national tour, supported the book launch for Denise McNair, and celebrated the 70th birthday of Birmingham leader Bob Dickerson.

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INITIATIVES

Beyond that, there are a lot of great things happening around the Mayor’s Office. All of these items below are public, but, sadly, rarely make the 5 o’clock news. They just are not as scintillating as covering a murder spree, though some of these are clear interventions and long-term solutions that can ensure we have the kind of community our residents deserve.

Lessons Learned from the World Games

A few months ago we launched a new City blog, InSync Birmingham, dedicated to telling the stories of our civic and economic innovations as well as public-private partnerships. We recently shared the unique perspectives of two Mayor’s Office leaders with their own lessons learned from the World Games. Read Alanah’s powerful story of supporting the homeless community and then read Amelia’s interesting insights related to the city’s “forced” solutions for public transportation and business licensing.

A legitimate crisis in 3rd-grade literacy

We are in the midst of a crisis related to 3rd-grade literacy rates across the entire state of Alabama, including students in Birmingham City Schools. The Mayor has been ringing the alarm about this for several months now, but it must be college football in Alabama because our message is not getting through. Either people don’t care about this crisis as much as the other crises we are experiencing, or they just don’t know what to do about it.

Either way, we aren’t waiting to do something about it.

You don’t have to be an educator to make things better for our children.

Immediate Intervention — With support from willing volunteers from the entire Birmingham region, corporate and small business partners, among others, the re-imagined City’s Department of Youth Services launched Page Pals, an incentive-based reading initiative. The team even created a cool YouTube playlist featuring the reading voices of our youth.

Long-term Interventions — There are a small handful of leadership development cohort programs in the Birmingham area, such as Leadership Birmingham, Momentum’s leadership groups, Project Corporate Leadership, Youth Leadership Forum.

With support and partnership with Casey Family Programs, we are launching Lead Early — a new cohort initiative that will put residents in Birmingham and the broader region in a position learn more about systems, governing bodies, and critical programs that undergird or block opportunities for children in Birmingham.

Finally, Mayor Woodfin, IMC Financial Consulting, and Goalsetter recently announced a transformational $1 million financial literacy program, BHM Financial Freedom Project, for youth and their families in Birmingham City Schools.

The Academy of Civic Engagement

Three years ago we launched one of the nation’s most robust civic engagement initiatives with the Academy of Civic Engagement (ACE). ACE is a seven-week immersive experience that connects neighborhoods to neighborhoods and neighborhoods to city hall. City leaders meet with residents in neighborhood libraries and neighbors visit city hall and other city-owned venues. They explore, challenge, celebrate and really get to know one another. The program is totally free, but open and privileged only for residents of the City of Birmingham. This will be our 5th class. Our 1,000th resident will soon be served when applications close on October 5. Applications are still open.

Inaugural Randall L. Woodfin Charity Golf Tournament

A new golf tournament will be launched in support of Mayor Woodfin and his agenda for progress in Birmingham. The tournament, scheduled for Monday, October 24 at Highland Park Golf Course, is led by a handful of Birmingham business leaders in partnership with The Penny Foundation. Funds raised will be distributed to selected charitable organizations. Contact Shella Sylla for more information at [email protected] or visit this page for more information.

Partnering well with UAB

Mayor Woodfin and UAB President, Dr. Ray Watts, have partnered to tackle neighborhood revitalization and blight elimination through the UAB Grand Challenge Live Health Smart initiative. The initiative seeks to connect cross-sector partners in a handful of “demonstration” zones where best practices — from street paintings to smart homes — are supported and developed in a coordinated matter. The goal is to protect and enhance the quality of life for Indigenous residents while creating targeted and measured opportunities to attract new residents. From my perspective, this is the most intentional large-scale effort underway to address social determinants of health in Birmingham. Much more to come from this effort in 2023.

Radio Show Wrap Up

We recently wrapped up 13 episodes of the Mayor’s radio show on 94.9 FM WATV. The weekly show aired live at 9:00 am and hosted nearly two dozen city leaders — inside and outside of City Hall — aligned with the Mayor’s vision for progress for Birmingham. Lots of laughter, tears, and incredible perspective on the people doing good works throughout the city. Find all 13 episodes here.

Final Thought: Kulture City and the Power of Belief

Watch Channing Tatum’s powerful testimony here on the stage of the City of Birmingham’s Boutwell Auditorium. Fun facts: 1) Tatum has a new children’s book titled The One and Only Sparkella. August liked it. And, 2) the fellow standing behind Tatum in the video is Simu Liu, the star of Marvel’s Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings!

Hearing presenters, mostly parents, at the Kulture City Ball made me remember how vulnerable we all are. It also made me think of my mother who has been struggling with her own invisible illnesses and how much our public spaces contribute to or diminish her quality of life. Lights, loud sounds, accessibility — it all combines to create a sensory experience that most of us take for granted. But, parents and caretakers of people with significant sensitivities know the difference. They have seen their loved ones set off and run off from certain places because of their big reactions to big vibrations.

Life is fragile. We all need one another.

Read my previous public diary posts.

I am a poet, essayist, and civic strategist in Birmingham, Alabama. Get to know me better here.