By: Devonte Booker
Imagine three mountains painted green with whitewater waterfalls pouring from the tips of the mountains making long streams over vibrant green grasslands into a goldish-brown lake. This portrait is painted on the back wall of a one-story storefront, a representation of what love is like in Tuskegee, a town home to people from all walks of life who all share the same grit that no struggle will keep the community from prospering.
Tuskegee is a town in Macon County, Alabama. According to the Alabama Encyclopedia it was founded and laid out in 1833 by General Thomas Simpson Woodward, a Creek War veteran under Andrew Jackson. Tuskegee was located along an historic Indian trail that later became the highway between Fort Mitchell and Montgomery.
After the CreekIndians were forcibly removed from Alabamian 1836, the area began to fill with white settlers. The town was officially incorporated in 1843, and the first local newspaper, the TuskegeeNews, was first published in April1865. It is the largest city in MaconCounty. According to the U.S. Census, the population was 9,865 in 2010, down from 11,846 in 2000, but despite the declining population, locals easily declare their love for the place.
“Tuskegee will forever be my home,” said Earl Hosier, a 59-year-old Black man who has lived in the town for over 30 years.
He’s worked all over Tuskegee from being a security guard to a construction worker.Hosier has raised two children with his wife Janet by his side. The town is small compared to other towns, so the people that make up the community know each other well. His wife, Janet, calls Tuskegee a “family.” Many people have left the community because of the lack of opportunity. In smaller towns like Tuskegee, economic hits can change someone’s life drastically.
“There's little to no money here,” Hosier said. “It doesn’t matter to me because I'm going to do what I need to do to survive,” Hosier said.
This toughness is felt throughout Tuskegee. People live in challenging circumstances, but they aren’t falling victim to these challenges.
One recent spring day, a bald-headed man was on the side of the street holding a sign that said “get the best here.”
Bernard “Bernie” Thomas runs a soul food truck that's painted black with yellow and green cursive writing that states “Bernie’s Best soul food.”
The economy and inflation are putting burdens on people who have made sacrifices in their way of life just to sustain basic life necessities, but the most humbling part of this situation is that Thomas lives out of his truck due to the hard times.
“I make it work but I keep it low key,” Thomas said. “Becoming homeless had me doubting my worth.”
Thomas finds his peace in God by praying every day and loving those around him by being a presence in their life. The economy has changed his outlook on life.
“I’m just happy to be alive sometimes,” Thomas said.
Tuskegee is one of the poorest towns in Alabama, with a median household income of $26,848 and a poverty rate of 24.2%. Even though Tuskegee is among the poorest, it does not stop the shine.
Thomas’ food truck is a hit in Tuskegee and has been ever since the start of the year.
“People are lined up when I pull up,” Thomas said.
Tuskegee’s lack of economic progress has stalled its growth over three decades, but Tuskegee University has acted as something of a safety net for the town’s economy.
According to the National Park Service, the town gained national fame with the establishment of what is now Tuskegee University in 1881 by educator Booker T. Washington and through the agricultural research made famous by George Washington Carver. Tuskegee gained additional recognition during World War II as the site of the Tuskegee Airfield, home of the renowned TuskegeeAirmen.
Tuskegee ranks fifth from the top of cities in Alabama having the highest percentage of college graduates. Macon County ranks fourth of the counties in the state with respect to having the highest percentage of college graduates.
The importance of education is felt throughout the town. Now the goal is about retaining those graduates to get some economic flow through various businesses.
“The relationship between the university and the town of Tuskegee is tricky,” said Rebecca Jones, a faculty member at Tuskegee University. “The economy could be a lot better than what it is currently.”
Jones has been working for Tuskegee for three-and-a-half years. She suggested the funds brought in from the university could be used more efficiently to help the city’s economy.
“Historical museums are going out of business because there is no money,”Jones said.
When a town like Tuskegee struggles to generate funds and is threatened by economic decline, government services are reduced. Families within Tuskegee must find a way to survive through their own means. Traumatic real-life situations like being in poverty accelerate the rate in which a kid grows up.
According to the American Psychological Association, children living in poverty experience the daily impacts of hunger, illness, insecurity, instability. They also are more likely to experience low academic achievement, obesity, behavioral problems and social and emotional development difficulties.
“Hard times really brought the best out of all of us,” said Jerome Hadden, who is a museum expert and tour guide at two local museums: the Tuskegee Human & Civil RightsMulticultural Center and the George Washington CarverMuseum.
The Tuskegee Human & Civil Rights Multicultural Center is only open on select days because there is not enough money to help keep it open five days a week.
Hadden said the economy is not going to stop Hadden from doing what he loves, and it’s apparent as he speaks about his love for the museum and what it means to him and Tuskegee. “It will stay open as long as I am living,” Hadden said.
Tuskegee has been important in Black history and highly influential in United States history since the 19th century. It’s a place that many Black Americans are proud of, which is shown through the citizens' grit to survive no matter the circumstances.
Just like the mountains with the white waterfalls and the streams that blanket the grasslands, Tuskegee’s community comes together and helps one another by blanketing others with love.
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