Can we do this… yes we can
by Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.
The City of Birmingham is on the threshold of greatness. In order to be the best of the best, you have to work hard, smart and make some sacrifices.
We need to make this City great (I should use the word greater) because it’s the right thing to do and moreover, this City is presently being run by Black people.
I have said this many times, if you are Black, you cannot afford to be equal. We have to be better.
HERE’S WHERE WE START:
Education:
I contend that education is just like an engine to a car. If you do not have an engine in your car, you’re not going anywhere. If your education level goes down, the industry that plans to move in the City will also go down. In the event the education level goes down, crime goes up. Unquestionably, there is a direct correlation between education and crime.
When children drop out and move out of the City, it has a drastic effect on the dollar amount received from the State. Tax revenues go down, income to gas, water, electricity dissipates; apartments and houses get empty, which creates a jungle where it’s the survival of the fittest.
Thanks to Larry Langford’s penny tax, we got some new school buildings and we have to reach out to bring all the drop-outs back into schools so they can do something useful; teachers have to teach and the community has to seriously consider raising property taxes earmarked for the school system.
The Board of Education needs to purchase West Side Golf facility and turn it into a training facility where youngsters will come from all over the Southeastern Conference to see a golf training facility that’s the top in the United States.
The Board of Education needs to partner with Gary Burley, a former professional football player, who has created an organization called ProStart Academy. ProStart Academy is an extraordinary academic and athletic program, managed by former NFL players, and other professionals whose primary goal is to educate, train, develop and enhance the athletic, academic and life skill abilities of the students.
It is a combination of classroom and on-the-field instruction that develops both academic and athletic success. The program’s topics range from personal finance to college scholarships; from running better pass routes to public speaking skills; from study skills to nutrition.
The cost of the one year academy is $2000 and scholarships are available for those students who qualify. The Academy is a one year program that meets every Saturday at a local facility. Each student must commit to the program for the year and agree to abide by a code of conduct and sportsmanship. The Academy is for boys and girls in grades six through 12.
e-mail: jjlewis@birminghamtimes.com.
