Unscripted. Uncut. Unplugged.

That’s the way Lukata Mjumbe describes the Community Action Association of Alabama’s 4th annual Legislative Barbershop.

It takes place on a day when new numbers show the state unemployment rate rose to 11.1% in January, the highest figure since 1984. The rate translates into 228,105 unemployed people.

Lawmakers can stop by for a quick haircut, a manicure and a message from low-income Alabamians connected with CAAA’s 22 field offices.

“For at least 10 minutes, they are not going to be able to move,” Mjumbe says about lawmakers in the barber’s chair.

Mjumbe also serves on the 22-member Alabama Commission to Reduce Poverty formed last year by the legislature.

He tells FOX6 News Good Day Alabama it’s a chance to “tell them (lawmakers) what they think about poverty. What they think about the policies under debate down there.”

A year ago, one of the key issues for anti-poverty advocates created a battle in the final weeks of the legislature. This year, removing the state sales tax on groceries hasn’t received much notice. Serious concerns about the budgets and tension over e-bingo has sucked the oxygen out of the room for many issues.

“Its frustrating for alot of low income people around the state. We are in an economic crisis around this nation and around this state. To not have critical dialogue and make real decisions and choices around unemployment issues, around grocery tax issues, around those types of policies that will have a direct impact on the day to day lives of people who are struggling now, more than they ever have in some instances.”

Earlier this year, a poverty reduction expert met with Mjumbe and other commission members to challenge them to better tell the story of Alabama’s high poverty rate. Jodie Levin-Epstein urged the commission to create a larger coalition that includes the business community.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blogs here.

Filed under: Legislature