About VCS

 

Village Creek Society

Village Creek Human and Environmental Justice Society, Inc. (VCS) started as Coalition #1 in the 1980's followed by Coalition #2 in 1996 headed by Dr. Mable B. Anderson, an area born resident, to address extensive flooding in the minority populated community in the Village Creek Watershed. She was joined in the late 1980's by John C. Meehan, who grew up in the Ensley area. The Army Corps of Engineers many studies did not make attempts to "stop" the flooding nor to "upgrade" the quality of the industrial polluted waters that once, in early Birmingham, severed as its drinking water and then became the water that brought the "magic" and "money economy" to Jefferson County. But justice was overlooked and VCS has worked and is still working to improve the quality of life in the 3 sections of the 44 mile watershed:

Headwater Section:   From Roebuck to East Lake

Mid Section:   From North Birmingham to Ensley/South Pratt to Mulga

Lower Section:   From Bayview to Black Warrior River

Village Creek has given so much to the people of Birmingham and Jefferson County. The families that moved into the Village Creek watershed in the 1920's, to become a part of the City's legacy, are forever a part of this history.

 

 

About VCS

  • Completed Survey of Village Creek From Avenue F to Avenue W
  • Completed Design for Creek Bank restoration Project from Avenue F to Avenue W
  • Completed Designs for Creek Walk and Jogging Trail from Avenue F to Avenue M
  • Met with ADEM and held community meetings on Water Quality Upgrade and Reclassification of Village Creek Waters
  • Wrote Submitted a proposal for a Clinical Health Research Study
  • Trained a team of leaders in each of the three Sections of Village Creek watershed
  • Organized a VCS High School Team
  • Approved as the first "Creekkeeper" in the nation by The International Water Keeper Alliance
  • Distributed Semi-Annual Newsletter
  • A non-profit 501 (c) 3 corporation

 

 

Beyond Vision into Action

The current VCS Advisory Board was changed to consist of stakeholders who are teaming to restore the 1997-2000 property buy-out area in the Ensley Moro Park and South Pratt area with a focus on community education, community economic development and community advocacy. This partnership began in the late 2003 with Mr. William (Bill) Gilchrist, an architect and the City's Director of Planning, Engineering and Permits assuming team Leadership of the VCS current Advisory Board. Current Board Members include: 4 City Deputies; 3 neighborhood Presidents in the buy-out larger area; Birmingham Police Chief and Fire Chief or their proxy; essential administrators in the Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits; Park and Recreation. Other stakeholders will be added as the projects proceeds.

On September 09, 2005 the Board was engaged in an all day Strategic Planning Workshop at the Botanical Gardens. Mr. James Oakley was the Facilitator.          The Concerns were:

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      • Where are we now?
      • Where we want to be by the end of 2005? Process to get there?
      • Where do we want to be one year from now? Process to get there?
      • Where do we want to be three years from now? Process to get there?
      • How and with whom?

Sub-Steering Committees for the three year Advisory Board plans to get the jobs done are:

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      • Funding
      • Planning and Design
      • Community Involvement
      • Public Relations

General community involvement in Village Creek Society for 2005 and beyond is being developed through the Community Sub-Steering Advisory Board Committee.

Village Creek Society is continuing to provide education for teachers, students and parents in the watershed through the leadership of VCS Community Coordinator. Village Creek remains a possible laboratory for Science and Social Action.

 

 

Village Creek Watershed

Village Creek has a wonderful story to tell.... it was, and still is, the only notable stream in the Jefferson County area. Village Creek was the first source of drinking water for the residents in the City of Birmingham. Alabama's first coal operations are recorded to have happened along the banks of Village Creek in the 1820's

From atop Red Mountain, James T. Miner, a rail road engineer, had a vision for the lovely valley as he sat on his horse. He purchased seven thousand acres along the Village Creek Watershed and this vision became the City of Birmingham, January 26, 1871.

The rich deposits of coal, iron ore and other raw materials that make steel were all discovered within a thirty-mile radius of Birmingham. The one key element for his process was water. Village Creek would then go from a drinking water source to a key element of steel production, propelling Birmingham into the international steel industry. In fact, the first steel production actually took place in the Thomas Community, along the banks of Village Creek.

Families moved into the Village Creek Watershed in the 1920's. Social stratification determined locations where different racial groups could buy property and build their homes to raise their families; thus, people of color bought in the Moro Park Ensley and South Pratt areas at or near the Village Creek banks. They were unaware that flooding occurred and would invade their homes as much as four to eight feet. Since relocation was not a choice at this period in history, families had their homes raised as much as they could and they worked with each other to clean the water ways and have the Creek blasted. The major social life was family fun, church and schools. Education was the major focus by the families, neighbors, and school. It was like a family village within a village. Manners were required. Sex typing and sex role identification were modeled. There were distinct roles, dress and activities for boys and distinct ones for girls.

The church was the hub for family activities. Yearly revivals were attended by all family members and prater with conversion were family and church teaching. Sunday school, summer Bible School, choir rehearsal and training, church plays, fish fries were the sources of enculturation. All families had beautiful gardens, fruit trees, grape arbors. Chicken were raised to broiler size and placed in the freezer. No one ever went hunger and children become family teams with these chores and household chores. Every child had a responsibility at home and received positive family and neighborhood reinforcement.

Racial groups attended separate schools but teachers focused on the academics for the child as an individual learner and used discipline with parent reinforcement. Children valued school. Many left the area for higher learning in states that accepted different racial groups. Some returned home well educated as teachers, nurses, a few doctors and lawyers as young adults but most went to positions in other states.

Many of the Birmingham leaders today grew up in the Village Creek Watershed environment. It is to this history that we owe the responsibility to do our part and become stewards of this great watershed.