My city of Mobile, Alabama is a charming and picturesque Southern community. With its large antebellum homes and vast array of tall pine trees and massive oak trees overhanging Springhill Avenue, Mobile is a city that can rival any Southern city for beauty and scenery. However, the creative minds of the people of Mobile are one of the unique characteristics that elevate the city of Mobile above other Southern cities.
Photo: Oil and gas pipelines run behind Africatown's historic Mobile County Training School. Photo credit: Karen Savage
The law will be of no value to you if 1) you do not know the law, 2) you are afraid to use the law, 3) you cannot financially afford the law. Historically, laws are created to protect the innocent and the weak or safeguard the greedy.
To commemorate the 155th anniversary of the beginning of the Africatown saga and the 154th anniversary of the landing of the last recorded shipment of slaves to this country, here is a summary of the "Africatown Story" from 1859 to today. (As told to me by Mr. Henry Williams as he taught Sunday School at Yorktown Baptist Church).
Most of you have heard of "Fats Domino" and "Minnesota Fats" but have you ever heard of "Africatown Fats"? He was an unsung community baseball champion who touched the lives of hundreds of players through his involvement in owning and managing a "negro" baseball team in Mobile, Alabama during the ‘40s, ‘50s, ’60s, and ‘70s.
Locally here in Mobile, Alabama, it is rumored that things are being put in place that would ensure that by year 2025, Mobile County would be industrialized with "Oil-Based" industries while Baldwin County will be "Water-Based" with beach resorts, fancy restaurants and hotels and lively entertainment.
A few months ago there was an explosion of train tank cars of crude oil in Canada. One exploding tank car ignited another, then another, then another, etc. Final results were half a town wiped out and dozens of people killed or injured. The blast area of that explosion was estimated to have a 5 mile radius. If you allow a "storage tank city" to be built close to a community, you are asking for trouble.
"Son, don't let nobody take your watermelon", was a phrase my grandfather used often when I was a kid, referring to something you had of value that others wanted. Sometimes others will try to devalue what you have in an effort to make what they have seem better. Their efforts to make what you have meaningless could be a by-product of envy, greed, jealously or spite.
Industry along Mobile's riverfront. Photo by Karen Savage, flight by Tom Hutchings
The bully on the block will take your lunch money each and every day until you make him stop. You will earn a lot by fighting and losing than by not fighting at all. You will earn respect, love and admiration, even from the person you are fighting, because you did not back down and stood up for yourself. One day that bully will leave you alone because you did not remain invisible and let him know you were there and was coming back the next day for more if necessary.
One of my favorite television shows today are reruns of the hit series from the 60's called "The Untouchables". The word "Untouchable" referred to the good guys or FBI. Federal Agent Elliot Ness and his crew were given the task of bringing down the Mob led by Al Capone and Frank Nittie. Whenever the Mob wanted to move their operation to another city the first thing they would do is call in their tough guys and give them cases of money to buy out the locals and change any law that could hinder their operation. That way they would be operating within the confines of the "new law".
"Son, don't let nobody take your watermelon", was a phrase my grandfather used often when I was a kid, referring to something you had of value that others wanted. Sometimes others will try to devalue what you have in an effort to make what they have seem better. Their efforts to make what you have meaningless could be a by-product of envy, greed, jealously or spite.
The bully on the block will take your lunch money each and every day until you make him stop. You will earn a lot by fighting and losing than by not fighting at all. You will earn respect, love and admiration, even from the person you are fighting, because you did not back down and stood up for yourself. One day that bully will leave you alone because you did not remain invisible and let him know you were there and was coming back the next day for more if necessary.
