Karin Hopkins

You may have heard that Tuskegee has been nominated for renovations that would transform a building, a neighborhood or a section of town. We don’t know whether Tuskegee will be chosen nor do we know what project will be selected. This much we do know—the Tuskegee Area Chamber of Commerce has been notified that the submission from Tuskegee is being reviewed. Tuskegee is an ideal candidate for this opportunity. The rules stated that the town must be historic with less than 40,000 residents. The towns also need to have blighted properties or neighborhoods and downtown buildings that are distressed. The Chamber produced a video that begins with compelling history focusing on Lewis Adams and his determination to establish a school so that emancipated slaves could get an education and have a shot at becoming productive citizens. The video talks about the relationship between Lewis Adams and George Campbell, a white Tuskegee businessman who was a former slave owner, and how they teamed to bring Booker T. Washington to Tuskegee to get the school started. It touches on the bold outreach to prominent business and political leaders throughout the country, as a cornerstone of Booker T. Washington’s fundraising strategies. The video heralds the original students, who made their own bricks and then used those bricks to construct the buildings that became their schoolhouses. This powerful history is juxtaposed to other stories that satisfy the HGTV requirements. The video features the deteriorated Johnston-Curtwright House on North Main Street. This structure, which is suffering from neglect and vandalism, was built in 1850. It is badly damaged and the cost of repairs is now so astronomical, a TV driven restoration may be its last gasp for life.  Three neighborhoods were featured—Bibb Street, Greenwood and South Main. Also, downtown Tuskegee was included. If Tuskegee is selected, production crews from the HGTV program “Home Town” will come here and work for a six-month period and they will hire local contractors. Ben and Erin Napier, the hosts of “Home Town” are credited with resuscitating Laurel, Mississippi through renovation projects that improved neighborhoods and the business district. Their show debuted in 2017 and attracted 16 million viewers. “Home Town” was such a hit, HGTV network executives are allowing Ben and Erin to spread their wings and make a similar impact on another small town. We are praying that Tuskegee gets picked. My eyeballs are practically crossed from watching videos of other small towns that also want this “Home Town” transformation.  Many of the towns have posted their stories on Youtube. As of my last check, Tuskegee’s video had almost 2,000 views. We would love to see that number grow even higher and here’s where you can help.  Watch it on your smart phone or computer, using the search words HGTV Home Town – Tuskegee Profile. Right now, we’re in a waiting posture for a decision and the suspense is almost too much to bear.

Karin Hopkins is Executive Director of the Tuskegee Area Chamber of Commerce. Contact her at ourchamberworks@gmail.com.