Plan 10/30: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:51, 9 April 2008

Plan 10/30 is a campaign organized by Birmingham mayor Larry Langford and Frank Matthews of the Mayor's Office of Citizen's Assistance to engage community leaders to reduce violent crime in the city and the metropolitan area.

Through a series of public rallies at Fair Park Arena, the campaign seeks to encourage residents to take personal responsibility for the "culture of lawlessness" in the community. It is modeled after a similar initiative in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The name reflects that fact that most violent crimes are committed by black males between the ages of 10 and 30.

1st rally

Approximately 3,000 African-American men attended the 2-hour kick-off rally, entitled "Why am I dying? Do you care?" Non-blacks and women were excluded from the event, as were representatives of the press. Speakers included Langford, Birmingham Police chief A. C. Roper, Tommy Lewis, pastor of Bethel Baptist Church Pratt City, former pro-athlete Bo Jackson and two inmates from the St Clair Correctional Facility. The rally was preceded by a gun buy-back sponsored by the Birmingham chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

2nd rally

A second rally, "Leap Up to the Challenge" was held on February 29 for African-American women.

3rd rally

A third rally, "Remember the Dream. Restore the Family" was held on April 4 the anniversary of the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. All families were invited ("black, white, blue, green, whatever") to the rally in which Mayor Langford announced that "only God can change hearts." O. C. Oden of Antioch Baptist Church in Fairfield and Calvin Woods, president of the metropolitan Birmingham chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference led 1,100 attendees in a "service of renewal." Thousands of Christian Bibles donated by Pat Robertson's 700 Club were distributed at the event.

4th rally

For the fourth rally, not yet scheduled, Langford has ordered 2,000 burlap bags to be worn by attendees as a show of humility, mourning and penitence and to increase the chances that God will hear their prayer.

References

Bryant, Joseph D. (February 4, 2008) "Langford plan has sights set on crime." Birmingham News
Williams, Roy L. (February 9, 2008) "Mayor Langford asks black men to reclaim crime-ridden neighborhoods." Birmingham News
Bryant, Joseph D. (March 29, 2008) "Pat Robertson to donate Bibles for Birmingham family summit." Birmingham News
Bryan, Kim (April 5, 2008) "Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford calls for spiritual renewal to address city's woes." Birmingham News
Underwood, M. (April 9, 2008) "Langford dressing down for crime summit." Birmingham Weekly

External links

Plan 10/30] project page at Birminghamal.gov

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 '''Plan 10/30''' is a campaign organized by [[Birmingham]] [[Mayor of Birmingham|mayor]] [[Larry Langford]] and [[Frank Matthews]] of the Mayor's Office of Citizen's Assistance to engage community leaders to reduce violent [[Crime in Birmingham|crime]] in the city and the metropolitan area.
+__NOTOC__
 Through a series of public rallies at [[Fair Park Arena]], the campaign seeks to encourage residents to take personal responsibility for the "culture of lawlessness" in the community. It is modeled after a similar initiative in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The name reflects that fact that most violent crimes are committed by black males between the ages of 10 and 30.