Embracing Differences in Utopia

In 1894, a group of Iowa progressives arrived on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay to establish a utopian single tax colony. Believing that their plan had a “fair hope” of success, the Fairhope Single Tax Colony was founded, generating support from across the country and attracting an eclectic population of industrious, creative and free-thinking people. Meanwhile, the area (known as Tatumville) was already inhabited by a diverse population that arrived more than 30 years earlier, including many former slaves looking to enjoy their newfound freedom.

THE HISTORY

“It was a great area because there were no plantations, it was right on the bay with good fishing and there was good soil,” says Thelma Young Todd, co-producer of the documentary Celebrating the African-American Heritage of Fairhope, Alabama and retired research librarian. Her great-great grandparents moved to Fairhope in 1865 and along with their six children they cleared 15 acres, built buildings, planted gardens and orchards and raised livestock.

According to historian Paul M. Gaston, when the single taxers arrived in 1894, they were trapped in a compromise of principle. Their hope was that by making land common property, they would eliminate poverty and foster cooperative individualism. They wanted equality for all in their “model community”, but feared that doing so “would likely mean destruction of the colony” and therefore determined that Fairhope Single Tax Colony property was for whites only. As a civil rights activist and the grandson of Fairhope’s founder, Gaston wrote, “The compromise was perhaps made easier by the belief that, at bottom, racial prejudice was a function of economic injustice and that, insofar as the Fairhope demonstration might help to point the way to a better economic order, it was hastening the day when racism might disappear.”

Gaston wrote extensively about Todd’s widowed great-great grandmother, Nancy Lewis, who was asked to move from her 40-acre homestead (where Coastal Community College is now located) because of her race. She had been paying taxes on the property but did not have a deed and in 1895, Fairhope Single Tax Colony paid her for the improvements she made to the land.

Her family was able to purchase 40 acres (this time with a legal deed) where Thomas Hospital now stands, 20 of which were in Nancy’s name. Gaston’s grandfather spoke about starting a single tax colony in the black community, but action was never taken.

The colonists continued acquiring land until the 1950s but the patchwork of property was limited by what they could afford and what was for sale. Today, Fairhope Single Tax Corporation still owns about 4,500 acres which is about 20 percent of Fairhope, and anyone can become a member and/or buy a house on colony land.

THE HOPE

In 2016, Fairhope resident Sally Smith felt called to act locally in response to the divisiveness of the country as she battled cancer. Bringing together a diverse set of friends, Smith fostered candid conversations about the detrimental impacts of racial bias and predispositions. Ideas for heightened communication and collaboration developed, eventually leading to the formation of Hope Community—a multicultural and multiracial organization that brings people together to unite as one human race.

“Sally believed a black person should have leadership in this so she asked me to lead. I felt like I could be a liaison for both sides,” says fifth generation Fairhopian and Hope Community director Shawn Graham. “We were thirsty for a judgment-free zone to spend time with those different from us. We learned a lot from each other and we wanted to make an impact on the local community.”

When Graham started dating his wife, who is white, he recalls that they were both warned by members of their own families that interracial dating could be dangerous. “It’s because of the generation they came from and what they witnessed. But nothing like that crossed my mind growing up in the ‘90s. These types of things are what make it a challenge and so we try to bring people together in a central place to share stories and conversations,” Graham says.

Paramount to Hope Community’s vision is the forging of friendships between people who are different from each other. “If something happens to someone we don’t really know, we may have emotional reactions to their needs, but when we become friends with someone, we’re more inclined to seek justice because we stand up for people we know and care about,” says Cynthia “Maggie” Mosteller, a founding member.

All labels are put aside so the group can pursue equitable justice in a nonpartisan way. Graham says, “We seek joy together and wrap ourselves in the mosaic fabric of what makes us different, understanding and embracing those differences over coffee, lunch, in each other’s homes. Where I’m from, my political party, where I worship—all of that is put aside to become a human race.”

Nancy Lewis' grandchildren

THE WORK

In addition to socializing, there is an educational aspect to the group’s gatherings, which often feature keynote speakers, workshops and film screenings. Most meetings take place at Page and Palette in downtown Fairhope and are attended primarily by adults (but all ages are welcome to engage) and most of the 150 members are white.

“One of the reasons we got together is to make African Americans feel welcome in town. They started this community but they have been left out, and that’s what we want to change now. We want all people to feel welcome in Fairhope,” Mosteller says.

Years ago, there were gathering places that African Americans could call their own, but that is not the case today and many don’t feel comfortable coming downtown. Attending a Hope Community meeting was the first time in years that some of Graham’s family members came into town and felt accepted.

Todd, who is also a Hope Community member and on the Fairhope Museum advisory board, frequents restaurants and shops regularly with friends but says, “The majority of the black community views downtown as a tourist town with tourist prices. And remember, African Americans only make up a small group of the population.”

Hope Community Prayer Gathering

According to 2016 Census estimates, 91.8 percent of Fairhope’s population identifies as white and 5.2 percent as African American. To encourage more black citizens to participate, Hope Community meets outside of downtown at churches and black-owned businesses when possible, but they’ve also developed actionable programs to engage the African American community. The group provides tutoring and ACT prep for students and helps the homeless and incarcerated.

“We help folks coming out of broken homes, athletes with a desire to succeed but don’t have a stable home life. We leverage the skills of our members who have taught at higher levels to provide these students academic support,” Graham explains. “We also provide summer camps for at-risk youth to improve emotional intelligence and to get them away from their dayto-day life. We want to show them that something better exists and get them thinking about what they can do to make a positive impact.”

THE FUTURE

“The time is now to engage,” says Graham, who notes they’d like to see more young people at their meetings because of their unique perspective. But the caveat is Hope Community’s minimal online presence. You won’t find a website for them in a Google search and only a closed group exists on Facebook. Anyone can request an invitation to join, but the page is in place primarily to communicate about upcoming meetings.

“We feel like social media has a negative impact on what could otherwise be a healthy dialogue on a local level,” Graham explains. “We are very local and what we do is 99 percent in-person.”

Yet word spread of their memorial procession and prayer gathering in June which garnered them some extra visibility. Approximately 400 people peacefully marched through downtown Fairhope to South Beach Park, where several hundred more folks joined the group for inspiring words and prayers by four different faith communities. The Hope Community event was held in partnership with the mayor and police department in memory of George Floyd and all the people of color who have suffered from racism and injustice.

Black History Research Group

“We wanted to show that we all care about people no matter their race and that when someone is hurt at the very bottom, it impacts everybody. We have to care about the disenfranchised and those downtrodden in our local society. Think about if all situations were handled with empathy 50 to 150 years ago… We’re effecting that critical thinking on a daily basis and it forces us to go out and take action,” Graham says.

The city hired a firm to conduct a year-long survey to identify the needs of the South Fairhope African American community which is made up of over 500 households. In January of 2018, a presentation of the findings revealed that some of the most-mentioned community needs and priorities included sidewalks, traffic control, beautification, opportunities for youth and better representation in government—but residents are not aware of any action that has taken place since.

As Todd continues to trace her family’s history, she’s eager to see what 2020 Census estimates reveal about the size of Fairhope’s African American population. “I’m afraid that in 20 years there will be an even smaller population of African Americans. That will be a shame because the history is going to be gone when the people are gone, and the history was rich.”

Graham challenges his kids to do research on their own about black history. Since they are half white and half black, their conversations on race are always robust at home. “Those deep conversations and open forums inside the household are just as important as the conversations we’re having at our meetings,” he says. “We don’t want people to be afraid of each other. The fear is of the unknown and we don’t want there to be an unknown—we want to bring light into the darkness.”

To get involved in Hope Community, email CynMosteller@peoplepc.com.

This is the second article of Natural Awakenings’ new Diverse Conversations department. Each month we will continue this interracial dialogue about diversity, empathy and inclusion of all people, while spotlighting people of color in our local community. To read the archives or suggest story ideas, visit HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com.