Summary

Ed Fields reflects on the evolution of Birmingham's young professional movement, his role in the Woodfin mayoral campaign, and the impact of elder mentors in fostering new leadership.

Abstract

In "Yung Birmingham: The Legacy (Part 4)," Ed Fields marks his 20th year in Birmingham by chronicling the city's young professional evolution. He recounts his experience as the campaign manager for Randall Woodfin's mayoral campaign, emphasizing the significance of mentorship and the emergence of a new generation of leaders. Fields highlights the importance of elder support, citing individuals like Hatton Smith, Bobbie Knight, and Frank Woodson, who played pivotal roles in nurturing young talent. The article underscores the transition of Fields and his peers into mentorship roles, echoing the impact of their predecessors, and concludes with a call to action for continued support of emerging leaders.

Opinions

Fields values the mentorship he received from senior leaders and emphasizes the importance of such guidance in developing new leaders.
The Woodfin campaign is celebrated for cultivating young talent that has since influenced democratic races nationally.
Fields notes a contrast between the passionate engagement of certain elder leaders and the perceived apathy of others, appreciating those who went beyond mere acknowledgment to actively support young professionals.
He acknowledges the necessity of energy and new perspectives in leadership, while also recognizing the role of experienced individuals in guiding the next generation.
The article expresses gratitude towards specific individuals who have been instrumental in the author's journey and the broader young professional movement in Birmingham.
Fields sees the act of mentoring as a practice that requires deliberate effort and is not solely an intuitive skill.
He reflects on the historical context of Birmingham's progress, linking past revolutions to the current evolution of its leadership.
The piece concludes with a forward-looking perspective, pondering the future leaders who will continue the city's legacy of change and innovation.

Yung Birmingham: The Legacy (Part 4)

The Ultimate Chronicle of Birmingham’s Young Professional Evolution

2017 Woodfin Campaign Leadership Week: Field organizers each took one day each to serve as team leader

I am celebrating 20 years in Birmingham with #20For20 — a series of reflections, insights and homages to my journey. Follow me on Medium, LinkedIn and Twitter to be notified of new posts.

Yung Birmingham: The Ultimate Chronicle of Birmingham’s Young Professional Evolution Part I: The Genesis Part II: The Pivot Part III: The Avalanche Part IV: The Legacy (read below)

My last post discussed the massive expansion of Birmingham’s young professional movement, who led it and the culimination of the Alabama Young Professionals Summit.

In hindsight, my work on the Alabama Young Professional Summit was the perfect segue for my transition into the Woodfin campaign, another platform loaded with young, smart and ambitious talent in need of support from my new, old hand.

Serving as campaign manager for the Randall Woodfin for Mayor campaign was surreal because I was older than everyone else on the team, including my candidate, and I was only 42-years-old. Nothing stranger than finding yourself the oldest person in the room. I suppose it happens to everyone at some point. I just did not expect it so soon in life.

NOTE: No matter what your age or stage in life, mentoring and developing others takes practice. It is not purely intuitive and should not be. It is a practice. If you want to be a better gray head, then be an elder to someone now.

Today, the five young leaders featured in the image both have gone on to serve as Directors or Deputy Directors of campaign field organizations in multiple democratic races throughout the nation since our win in 2017.

That’s the exciting part. The Woodfin Campaign and the subsequent administration has spawned an entire crop of new (not recycled) leaders with new energy in the South and beyond.

As I consider my role as an elder among the groups I lead today I can’t help but to think about the handful of elders that were purposeful about their engagment with me and my peers.

The Gray Hairs

No movement has ever been successful without the complicity of some members of the ruling class. In Birmingham, there were elder zealots that saw the need to support new leaders with urgency. They acted like it was an existential crisis.

I remember feeling distant from some senior leaders in our community. Surely, it was not a purposeful distancing on their part. But, it was the absence of a purposeful attempt to connect that was felt. So, whenever a senior leader would avail themselves, showed interest and sponsored resources for us it really stood out. They went beyond the first step of acknowleding us, they were with us.

There were several senior community members that invested in us, but here I’d like to illuminate a few that stood out for different reasons.

Hatton Smith, was the high energy CEO of Birmingham’s, Royal Cup, a coffee company steeped in civic pride. It was not uncommon for Hatton to hop up on a table at a reception to make his presence and his point known. The consummate volunteer fundraiser, Hatton has chaired numerous campaigns for local organizations. And, at one point, he was on a personal campaign to talk up and engage young professionals. United Way Young Leaders Society of Birmingham was born under his chairmanship of the United Way of Central Alabama. Frankly, I didn’t know Hatton personally. We never spoke. However, I remember him being the loudest person in the room and charging us with stepping up to the plate to lead. Most corporate leaders were saying some of the same things, but they were grossly attenuated. A little apathetic and rote. Then, again, Hatton was a showman and a salesman — we bought it. Thank you, Hatton.

Bobbie Knight was the top ranking leader for the Birmingham Division at Alabama Power Company before she retired. Before, during and after her tenure, Bobbie was head of the pack in her support for young leaders inside and outside of the company. Even in retirement, she has been the girl-crush for nearly every professional woman I know.

Bobbie sponsored young professional events at The Wine Loft and in her home, working hard to foster a supportive network for young leaders in Birmingham. And, if you know Bobbie at all, you know it wasn’t hard work. She loves it! In fact, she came out of retirement a few years ago to serve as president of Miles College where she spends every waking hour supporting the youngest generation of leaders that we all need to be supporting. Thank you, Bobbie.

Frank Woodson was a former UPS executive, faith leader and associate director for Young Business Leaders (YBL), a Christian organization for the development of young leaders. Frank had his programs and his mandate with YBL. But, he also had an unction that superceded his title — he was on a mission to grab the hearts of young black men, rising in leadership and ask some pretty profound questions. We would gather 6 to 10 at a time in the small meeting room off the cafeteria at Alabama Power Company at 6:30 am on Friday mornings. Marquelon Sigler dubbed it “Frank Fridays”. Marquelon helped recruit people to the table and was — as he was for the Birmigham Urban League Young Professionals — the connective tissue for a purposeful endeavor among young leaders. That table was an important off-book, relationship-building measure that fostered political alliances, entrepreneurial partnerships and good old-fashioned peer-accountability. Thank you, Frank.

Again, this list is not exclusive by any means. There were others, but few more feverent than these folks from my vantage point.

What We Leave

I chuckle as I watch my younger friends — the eldest of the Millennials — turn 40 this year. I’m not sure people fully appreciate what is happening here. Another shift is afoot! As me and my peers gray, I hope that we are embracing the role of “practicing elders”. We should be more like Frank, Bobbie and Hatton.

Personally, there is no greater achievement than seeing others achieve because I know, in some small part, the fire placed in me has successfully ignited a spark in others.

Energy is neither created or destroyed. — Julius William Mayer

This country was founded by revolutionaries. Young and full of verve. Chargrined by their foreparents, they were determined to find new frontiers to conquer. And, they did. All of the struggles, the discoveries and moments of social enlightenment yielded a series of movements and revolutions.

Decendants of those revolutionaries found themselves between alabaster concrete and red clay brick, fighting principalities and powers in the bloody streets of Birmingham.

Birmingham’s evolution has always been connected to Birmingham revolutions.

Who’s next?

I am celebrating 20 years in Birmingham with #20For20 — a series of reflections, insights and homages to my journey. Follow me on Medium, LinkedIn and Twitter to be notified of new posts.