Blackburn Institute

2008 Burt Jones Rural Travel Experience: Mount Vernon and Citronelle

January 22, 2008

by Martha Griffith and Joan Reichwein, 2007-2008 Blackburn Fellows

Click here to see pictures of the travel experience.

The 2008 Burt Jones Rural Travel Experience saw first year fellows traveling to North Mobile County, specifically Mount Vernon and Citronelle. The purpose of the trip, the first for the 2007-2008 fellows, was to interact with the local officials and experience a new culture and community within our state while learning more about the problems and opportunities this community has. Mount Vernon was our primary place of study and was chosen because of our 2007-2008 theme, workforce development. ThyssenKrupp Steel Company is coming to the area and is the largest economic development project in the United States. Using North Mobile County as a case study, we could see a community before the industry came and study the planning and preparation going into a project of this size. We hope that in five years we can return to further observe what happened and compare it to the strategies and ideas we learned about on this trip. While in the area, we learned about the Native American population there, the issues and challenges that face the community, education in the area, and economic development with specific emphasis on ThyssenKrupp. This trip helped show both old and new fellows a rural perspective on issues facing communities within the state.

Our group of over 40 student fellows, alumni fellows, and advisory board members began our experience with a church service at the Simple House of Praise, a local nondenominational predominately American Indian church. The reverend spoke about the importance of having unyielding faith. After the service, many church members joined us for a traditional southern dinner at the Iron Skillet. During lunch the church and community leaders discussed issues facing their community, county, and way of life. Meeting with these individuals revealed the importance of the church as an educator, an economic entity, and also as a hub of social advocacy within Alabama’s Native American communities.

That evening, young professionals met with us at the Whispering Pines cafeteria for a panel discussion on living and working in North Mobile County. State representatives Marc Keahey and Chad Fincher discussed their efforts to improve Mobile County along with the surrounding counties while preparing for the arrival of ThyssenKrupp. Stephanie Weaver, a Citronelle High School teacher, discussed recent improvements to education in Citronelle as well as the areas that desperately need assistance. Randall Reed, 2007 James Madison Fellow, future teacher, and MOWA tribal member, discussed the expected impact of ThyssenKrupp on the small town way of life that many residents enjoy. After the panel discussion, Cleon Bolden, mayor of Mount Vernon, discussed the recent developments made to his town as well as the need for improved infrastructure particularly in regards to sewage systems. The mayor discussed how the lack of proper sewage systems prevents business from moving into the area. Their stories revealed many problems that the area is facing as well as the current lack of preparation for the arrival of ThyssenKrupp. We concluded Sunday with a late night discussion at Whispering Pines Lodge.

The next morning, we traveled to Citronelle High School where we met with Ken Meginson, Mobile County School Board Commissioner for District 1, Alex Crane, Citronelle High School Principal, and three student leaders from the high school including the SGA president. In this panel we discussed educational partnerships for student success and learned how the potential increase in students due to ThyssenKrupp’s arrival will affect the high school.

Next we met at the MOWA Culture Complex to learn more about North Mobile County’s American Indian community in a panel led by Chief Longhair Taylor, chief of the MOWA band of Choctaw Indians. In addition to the panel, we also toured their museum to learn more about the history of the MOWA band. We had lunch at the Mount Vernon Community Center while hearing from Michael Waltman, mayor of Citronelle, discussing how Citronelle is preparing for the arrival of ThyssenKrupp. Then we heard from a panel on economic development. Mayor Waltman moderated the group consisting of Congressman Jo Bonner of US Congressional District 1, Mobile County Commission District 1 President Merceria Ludgood, Mobile Division Area Manager of Alabama Power Sam Covert, and Project Manager for the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce Claudia Zimmerman. Questions were posed regarding ThyssenKrupp’s arrival to the area and the effect it would have on the community, steps that have already implemented or potential action that could take place to prepare for ThyssenKrupp, and general community concerns for the future.

When our first travel experience came to an end, we briefly reflected on our time spent in North Mobile County. As we met with community members and heard about many aspects of life in this rural community, we learned more about the challenges and opportunities they will have in the future. This knowledge provided us with valuable skills to evaluate other rural communities throughout the state. Though it is impossible to completely gauge the impact ThyssenKrupp will have, the small communities of North Mobile County are working hard to prepare for the future, making it a valuable area of the state and a pleasant place to live for its citizens.

Martha Griffith is a junior from Spanish Fort majoring in History and Public Relations and minoring in Computing Technology and Blount Undergraduate Initiative Liberal Arts. Joan Reichwein is a senior from Cullman majoring in Metallurgical Engineering.

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