IN THE VALLEY OF DRY BIRMINGHAM
Birmingham, Alabama, our beloved city, was born in a valley. Not metaphorically, but literally. Nestled in Jones Valley, between Red Mountain and the foothills of the Cumberland Plateau, Birmingham was built on a foundation of richness: iron ore, coal, limestone, and underground springs that sustained its people and fueled an industry that once made us the “Magic City."
And yet, despite all that abundance beneath our feet, some feel as if we are now walking through a spiritual and civic drought.
The valley has grown dry.
Over the past few weeks, Birmingham has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. The problems are no longer just whispers; they are shouts across social media, cries from community members, and painful confessions whispered in quiet homes. Our city feels more like a dumping ground than a birthplace of potential.
Citizens across the “Magic City” say blight is spreading. Infrastructure is collapsing. Hope is fading.
And the politics? Over the weekend, they’ve turned petty. Let’s be real, too many people in leadership today are more focused on parties, pictures, positions, and weak drinks than on policies, progress, or the people.
It’s no longer about service, it’s about selfies.
It’s not about impact, it’s about influence.
And while the noise increases, those who have class, experience, and true love for the city are stepping back, watching as chaos runs unchecked. The rise of performative leadership and camera-ready conflict has left the everyday citizen behind, watching, hurting, and wondering if anyone still hears them.
This past Sunday, Pastor Ramone Billingsley preached something that hit me deeply:
“People are walking around with a certificate of death.”
Not physical death. But the death of hope. Trust. Community. Direction. I will not play the petty political games that have dragged the “Magic City” down. Not today.
But I will say this with everything in me:
If you want change, you’ve got to vote.
People have gotten so used to being defeated, disappointed, and dismissed that when hope shows up, they don’t even recognize it. When good intentions appear, they treat them like threats. When vision tries to rise, they crush it under the weight of skepticism.
I won’t tell you who to vote for. That’s not my role.
But I will tell you this truth:
You get what you vote for and what you fail to vote against.
If you’re tired of how things are, vote to change it.
If you’re satisfied with the way things are going, vote to keep it.
But either way, vote.
Because once the results are in, what you end up with is what you must live with. And if you don’t like it, you have to take ownership of your silence, your inaction, and your absence from the polls.
Yes, you may feel taken advantage of.
Yes, you may feel overlooked.
Yes, you may feel politicians have failed you.
But let me assure you, not all have.
Some leaders see you.
Some are from the same streets, the same pews, the same schools.
Some have not forgotten who they are here to serve.
But without your vote, their hands are tied. Their vision dies in committee, and communities stay stuck in the valley.
Your vote is not small.
Your voice is not weak.
Your zip code is not forgotten.
Remember, local elections impact your daily life more than any federal election. They decide your roads, your schools, your water, your safety, your parks, your taxes, your trash, and your housing.
So the question is: Are you going to keep living in this dry valley? Or are you ready to dig deep and help uncover the living springs beneath us?
Because Birmingham still has them.
And we still have time.
But it starts with us.
It starts with you.
And let me leave you with this, because it’s more than a quote. It’s a call:
“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
So, straighten your back, Birmingham.
Lift your head.
Grab your ballot.
And rise out of this valley together.