Anthony ‘AntSki’ Williams’ Mission to Save Birmingham’s Youth

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December 12, 2024

WILLIAMS7 — Anthony "Antski" Williams, executive director, inside the Crescent Cultural Community Center on Tuscaloosa Avenue in Birmingham’s West End. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

By Je’Don Holloway-Talley | For The Birmingham Times

This is another installment in The Birmingham Times/AL.com/CBS42 joint series, “Beyond the Violence Click here to sign up for the newsletter.

Inside the Crescent Cultural Community Center, on Tuscaloosa Avenue in Birmingham’s West End, teens find a place of education, social enrichment, and quality of life resources, a place where they can be safe as they have fun and even party.

“On Mondays and Wednesdays, we’ve got 120-plus kids with the high school fraternities and sororities coming to practice. Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we have juvenile kids with ankle monitors who are doing the self-work type thing,” said Anthony “AntSki” Williams, 49, executive director of the Crescent Center. “On the weekends, we might have at minimum 350 kids at a party. We also have an elderly calendar, [and] every month we do something for the elders in the community.”

Williams’ wife, Erin “Malachite” Williams, runs the Crescent Cultural Community Center with executive assistant LaTonya Stearns. They oversee the center and maintain several community partnerships with organizations like BirthWell Partners Community Doula Project, the Jefferson County Family Resource Center, the Opportunity Center, Renew Birmingham, Be Kind Birmingham, and others.

“We’re out here with the homeless, the dope smokers, the crackheads, people with mental health issues, the gang bangers, and the hustlers. … It’s real trench work,” said Anthony Williams. “A lot of people admire us, but most people don’t want to get their hands that dirty. They want to help from a distance, and we deal with it day to day out there in the underbelly of the community.”

Anthony “Antski” Williams, executive director, at the Crescent Cultural Community Center on Tuscaloosa Avenue in Birmingham’s West End. (Amarr Croskey Photos, For The Birmingham Times)

Williams can relate to what some of those who visit his center have faced. He grew up in poverty in the Ensley neighborhood in the former Tuxedo Court public housing community, which was known as “The Brickyard.”

“I allowed pain and poverty to shape my decisions,” he said. “I was banging with anybody who would bang before gangs even really came to Birmingham. I went to juvenile [detention] every year [from ages 12 to 17] for stealing cars, robbery, and attempted murder because I was letting poverty shape my choices. … I was just the classic, bad ‘project kid.’”

Among his tough experiences was a seven-year sentence served at several Alabama Department of Corrections facilities. Williams was arrested in 1991, convicted in January 1993, and began his sentence in February 1993. He was released on probation on Sept. 28, 2000.

After being released, he found music was a way to work through his trauma and make sense of the pain, he said: “Music was everything. I’ve got songs that I thought I was writing for the moment, but those songs were my healing.”

One of his songs, “Man Business,” was up for consideration for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song in 2025 by a producer friend of Willams, a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which is known for the annual televised Grammy Awards ceremony that recognizes achievements in the music industry.

Asked why his programming with the Crescent Center, as well as RESTORE, a juvenile reentry program that offers goal setting and conflict resolution workshops, has been so successful, Williams said it’s because of his ability to relate.

“I think coming from the streets and being able to appeal back to the streets is second nature,” he said.

Since the RESTORE program’s inception in 2023, the number of Jefferson County youth ages 13 to 22 who were charged with murder decreased by 80 percent, and homicide victims in the same age group dropped by 61 percent. In one year, the RESTORE program served 249 youth.

Anthony “Antski” Williams, executive director, inside the Crescent Cultural Community Center on Tuscaloosa Avenue in Birmingham’s West End. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

From January to June 2024, 780 children and teens attended RESTORE workshops to talk about accountability, healthy relationships, and how to express their emotions. And 703 services were rendered to participants and their families, including transportation, clothing, food, housing, education, employment, mental health, and medication assistance.

Touching the lives of the youth is his greatest reward, said Williams, 49, who is also a program manager at RESTORE.

“I love God, and I understand that it’s God that turns beasts into servants of men and servants of the community. He turns monsters into servants, and I’m grateful for it all,” he said.

For more information about the Crescent Cultural Community Center, visit its Facebook page (@Crescent Cultural Community Center) or contact Operations Manager Erin “Malachite” Williams at 205-645-8303 or operationscrescentccc@gmail.com. To learn more about the RESTORE program, visit its Facebook page (Jefferson County Family Resource Center) or Anthony “AntSki” Williams at 205-243-2613 or awilliams@jeffcofrc.org.

Beyond Bars, Literally and Figuratively, With Birmingham’s Anthony ‘AntSki’ Williams

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Birmingham Times

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December 12, 2024

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WILLIAMS3 — Anthony “AntSki” Williams is well-known for his community work with Birmingham-area teens but has also impressed with a song that he describes as a road map for young Black men to follow. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

By Je’Don Holloway-Talley | For The Birmingham Times

This is another installment in The Birmingham Times/AL.com/CBS42 joint series, “Beyond the Violence Click here to sign up for the newsletter.

Many may know Anthony “AntSki” Williams from RESTORE, a Birmingham-based juvenile reentry program that offers goal setting and conflict resolution workshops or through the Crescent Cultural Community Center, a place of education, social enrichment, and quality of life resources that have become key factors in addressing crime.

“By knowing who you are and where you come from and tapping into your highest potential you can achieve anything,” said Williams, 49, a program manager at RESTORE and executive director of the Crescent Center, located on Tuscaloosa Avenue in Birmingham’s West End.

What many may not know is that Williams has a song titled “Man Business” that impressed a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which is known for the annual televised Grammy Awards ceremony that recognizes achievements in the music industry.

“A producer I’d been using for years is a member of [the Recording Academy], and I made a song that grabbed his attention, [so] he pushed to have it considered for a Grammy for Best Rap Song in 2025,” Williams said.

Anthony “AntSki” Williams, on the mic at CityWalk in downtown Birmingham, is well-known for his community work with Birmingham-area teens but has also impressed with a song that he describes as a road map for young Black men to follow. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

While the song did not make it past the consideration phase and through to the nominee’s list, Williams said the song is “my ode to the arrival of manhood.”

“I told a lot of my story,” he continued. “It’s my personal expression of how I arrived and evolved as a man. I wasn’t trying to tell nobody how to be a man or give an opinion of what a real man is, I am just speaking on how I got here. It’s a rite of passage, but the passage into manhood is different for every man. No man takes the exact same path to [evolution], but this song is a good road map for young Black men to model.

“In the video, you can see how I tie rites of passage together from the West African drummers and dancers to the high school frats doing their signature steps. … Shown here on YouTube It shows me teaching and mentoring the youth.”

“Conscious-Trap”

Art depicts life for the father and husband, who describes his genre of music as “conscious-trap.”

“I’m one and the same,” said Williams. “The man ain’t no different from the artist. I live what I write, and I write what I live. It goes hand in hand. My music is like a combination of things that are true to the soul that you can grab out of my music, and I think that true reflection is what you see and feel in my bars.”

Those experiences include a seven-year sentence served at several Alabama Department of Corrections facilities. Williams was arrested in 1991, convicted in January 1993, and began his sentence in February 1993. He was released on probation on Sept. 28, 2000.

He grew up in poverty in the Ensley neighborhood in the former Tuxedo Court public housing community, which was known as “The Brickyard.”

“I allowed pain and poverty to shape my decisions,” he said. “I was banging with anybody who would bang before gangs even really came to Birmingham. I went to juvenile [detention] every year [from ages 12 to 17] for stealing cars, robbery, and attempted murder because I was letting poverty shape my choices. … I was just the classic, bad ‘project kid.’”

A pivotal moment for Williams came while he was in prison, when he learned through a letter written to one of his cell mates about the death of his 2-year-old daughter, A’neJah.

“My first daughter passed away [in 1994], when I was 20 years old … and the story I heard was that she was born with deficiencies and seven days after her second birthday her lungs collapsed,” recalled Williams. “The cage [prison] was like a chicken coop. We were in single cells, and the cages had no ceilings. It was like a warehouse, … so when my [cell mate] got the letter from his girl—we were from the same hood—he started hollering ‘AntSki!’ from his cell and told me about the news like that.”

At age 21 and after completing three and a half years of his seven-year sentence, Williams said that was his wake-up call, and music was a way to work through his trauma and make sense of the pain.

“Music was everything,” he said. “I’ve got songs that I thought I was writing for the moment, but those songs were my healing.”

Battle Rap

Anthony “AntSki” Williams is well-known for his community work with Birmingham-area teens. (Amarr Croskey Photos, For The Birmingham Times)

Williams actually got his start rapping in the eighth grade. He was inspired to learn the craft after watching freestyle rap battles take place on the corner near Bush Middle School in Ensley.

“I used to watch [the battle rappers], and I asked one of the homies to teach me how to freestyle. He taught me over the phone, [telling] me to just keep my mind in front of my mouth,” Williams reminisced.

A year later, his mother tried to change his environment and enrolled him at the former W. A. Berry High School in Hoover, Alabama, where he started performing covers and alternative renditions of existing rap songs every week at the high school pep rallies during football season and at the school’s talent shows.

“My mama was trying to get me out the hood,” Williams said. “I only lasted there a year and a half, but that’s where I got my vocabulary up. My ninth-grade English teacher, Ms. Albritton, used to let me put my vocabulary words in rap songs, and that’s how I built my vocabulary. … If I knew where to find her, I would give her flowers because she was 100, she was a real one for [allowing] that because it made it easier for me to learn.”

Williams also performed both original and cover music at several venues in the Birmingham area, including “Niecy’s,” a teen nightclub on 19th Street in Ensley, the Continental in Homewood, and the Bessemer Civic Center, as well as places like WorkPlay, the High Note, the Rocking Horse Lounge, and the Carver Theatre. He even did a show with Grammy Award-nominated R&B artist Musiq Soulchild through a Coca-Cola music showcase at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in the early 2000s.

“Living a Dream”

Anthony “AntSki” Williams on the mic at CityWalk in downtown Birmingham. (Amarr Croskey Photos, For The Birmingham Times)

Between juvenile detention stints and before his seven-year incarceration, Williams got a record deal with a company based in Japan and went there for a summer to work on his project.

His music didn’t always have a positive message, though. His rhymes were once riddled with harmful lyrics: “I always used to talk about robbery, murder, crime, … you know, what was comfortable for me,” said Williams.

“[But] one day my [late] brother, Eddie Pollenitz, challenged me. He said, ‘If you’re so good, then take that [harmful, violent, criminal messaging] out your rap, and let’s see how good you really are.’ I said, ‘Cool! Challenge accepted.’ I did it [in 2004], and I never looked back.”

Willams’ brother died three months ago of medical complications following 15 years of dialysis, a treatment to remove extra fluid and waste [from the body] when kidneys fail.

“Me and my brother was frick and frack. … We grew apart as we got older, but we always gravitated back to each other. That’s my big brother, and I always loved him. Losing him has been tough. Even doing [interviews] is the stuff that our dreams were made of,” Williams said.

Williams now lives in Birmingham’s East Lake area, and he enjoys his quiet home life with his wife, Erin “Malachite” Williams — who runs the Crescent Cultural Community Center — and his 9-year-old daughter, also named A’neJah. He is proud that he is able to give his daughter a two-parent household and provide well for her needs.

“God brought my baby girl back around to me 22 years later, when I was ready for her. That’s why we named her A’neJah, too,” said Williams. “My family is my dream. I’m living a dream because everything is aligned. My wife works right beside me in the community at the center, [and she’s also] a trauma-informed certified yoga instructor. My daughter loves basketball, and I’m grateful that I can [support her ambitions]. … I’m just so proud of my life and what everybody in my dream is doing.”

For more information about the Crescent Cultural Community Center, visit its Facebook page (@Crescent Cultural Community Center) or contact Operations Manager Erin “Malachite” Williams at 205-645-8303 or operationscrescentccc@gmail.com. To learn more about the RESTORE program, visit its Facebook page (Jefferson County Family Resource Center) or Anthony “AntSki” Williams at 205-243-2613 or awilliams@jeffcofrc.org.

Miles College Purple Marching Machine to Compete in ESPN Band of the Year Championship

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Birmingham Times

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December 12, 2024

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Miles College

The Miles College Purple Marching Machine (PMM) has been selected to compete in the ESPN Band of the Year Championship, set to take place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Dec. 13. The competition, part of the Cricket Celebration Bowl weekend, will showcase the nation’s best HBCU marching bands in Division I and Division II.

The PMM will face off against Virginia State University’s Trojan Explosion. The Purple Marching Machine of Miles College is the only college from Alabama selected for this competition.

The Purple Marching Machine’s selection follows an extraordinary season, including a show-stopping performance at the Pepsi Battle of the Bands in Houston, TX. The band is ranked as the Number Two in the nation by HBCU Buzz and featured on the CNN podcast 5 Good Things.

“I am not at all surprised by this invitation. I know we have one of the best bands in the land and one of the most talented directors leading them, Willie Snipes,” said Miles College President Bobbie Knight. “The Purple Marching Machine is a source of pride for our illustrious institution, and I am grateful for all they contribute to our tradition of excellence. We can’t wait to cheer them on in Atlanta.”

PMM Director Professor Willie J. Snipes said, “We are ready to give an outstanding performance and proudly represent Miles College. We look forward to an incredible battle in Atlanta.”

The ESPN Band of the Year Championship will feature four HBCU bands, with North Carolina A&T University’s Blue and Gold Marching Machine and Florida A&M University’s Marching 100 competing for the Division I title and the Miles College Purple Marching Machine taking on Virginia State University’s Trojan Explosion for the Division II crown.

For tickets and more information about the ESPN Band of the Year Championship, visit https://shorturl.at/nF7a1 or www.hbcugameday.com.

Kendall Petties: Birmingham Promise Intern Brings Fresh Perspective to UAB HR

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Birmingham Times

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December 11, 2024

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Kendall Petties, a student at Ramsey High School, recently joined UAB's HR Talent Acquisition team. (Provided)

By Dwayne Coleman | www.uab.edu

The Birmingham Promise program continues to make a significant impact by providing local students with valuable work experience and educational pathways. Kendall Petties, a Ramsay High School student, recently joined UAB’s HR Talent Acquisition team, bringing enthusiasm and fresh perspectives to her fall internship opportunity.

“Kendall brought a lot of enthusiasm to the group,” said UAB HR Talent Acquisition manager Oscar Hunter. “She is committed and creative, always asking for more ways to make a positive impact.” Even though Petties is still in high school, “she brings us real-world experience,” Hunter explained. “We asked Kendall to help us understand today’s youth, from where they want to go to what they want to do next with higher education and in the workplace.”

Petties’ role involved providing insights into how young people look for jobs and what they seek in employment opportunities, Hunter said. “We asked her these questions: How do young people prefer to find jobs? Do they gravitate to searching QR codes or cell phones? Kendall gives us valuable perspectives on how younger people think and what they want in a job opportunity.”

Reflecting on her experience, Petties shared, “My biggest win is my experience of being able to work in a corporate office, because a lot of people my age don’t get that experience, and they do not have the knowledge or opportunity.” Working with UAB’s Human Resources team “has influenced my career aspirations by showing me that I want to work in a fast-moving environment,” Petties said.

Career Destination

The Birmingham Promise/UAB HR Talent Acquisition alliance supports each entity’s impact on the community, Hunter notes. Local high school students get real work experience and a paid internship. UAB gets to showcase its role as a community partner and, ultimately, a career destination for the best and the brightest.

“Programs like Birmingham Promise are vital in shaping the future of our communities,” Hunter said. “They help bridge the gap between education and employment, providing students with the skills and experiences necessary to thrive in their careers.”

As Petties finishes her internship, UAB Human Resources acknowledges her significant contributions, and the positive impact of the Birmingham Promise Program. The experience has benefited her and reinforced UAB’s mission to support and prepare students for future success, Hunter says.

“Watching Kendall grow and develop professionally has been a pleasure,” Hunter said. “We have no doubt that she has a bright future ahead of her.”

The partnership between UAB and Birmingham Promise exemplifies a shared commitment to fostering talent and creating opportunities for the next generation. UAB was the first academic partner to support the Birmingham Promise scholarship in providing a one-to-one tuition scholarship match to students admitted to UAB as first-time, full-time freshmen in the academic year following high school graduation from a Birmingham City School. Another aspect of Birmingham Promise is its internship program, which allows Birmingham City Schools seniors to earn $15 an hour while getting job experience and building professional networks.

By connecting Birmingham City Schools students with workforce experience as well as post-secondary opportunities, the program aims to enhance students’ economic mobility.

As UAB continues to Forge Ahead through its strategic plan, such collaborations remain integral to the university’s vision of making a lasting, positive impact on the local and global community.

Sarah Granderson

Another student benefitting from the program is Sarah Granderson, who graduated from Ramsay High School in 2021 and is now a senior at Jacksonville State University, Birmingham Promise is more than a program. “It’s a path to economic opportunity that can truly change lives,” she said.

Through Promise scholarships, Granderson has been able to work toward her degree in political science and sociology without needing student loans. She also continues to benefit from her time as an intern at Oakworth Capital Bank, where she met people who continue to serve as mentors and role models. “To this day, I stay in touch,” she said.

Granderson last month attended a gathering as the program celebrated its fifth anniversary helping city students with scholarships and internships.

Since its creation in 2019, Birmingham Promise has provided college scholarships totaling $11 million to 1,636 graduates of Birmingham City Schools. It has also facilitated paid internships for more than 300 high-school students in the Birmingham system.

Promise Executive Director Samantha Williams said almost all students who benefit from Birmingham Promise are people of color, and many come from poor homes where parents did not attend college — all factors that can create roadblocks to higher education and career opportunities. “They are surmountable,” she said, “with help.”

Already, Birmingham Promise has seen growth in the number of freshman college students who return the next fall — a key indicator of how many of them will ultimately complete a degree. The percentage of freshmen returning for the sophomore year grew from 66 percent in 2021 to 74 percent in 2023, she said.

Carver alum Damiuna Dawson said she graduated from UAB in four years with no debt thanks to Birmingham Promise, and is now pursuing a master’s degree in social work at Alabama A&M. But one of the things that excites her most is that her college journey has inspired an older sibling and even Dawson’s mother to pursue additional education.

In accepting the Promise Keeper Award from Birmingham Promise board chair Danny McKinney, Regions executive Leroy Abrahams spoke about more ripple effects that will come from Birmingham Promise.

“It’s so powerful to think of what comes from this,” said Abrahams, who is on the Birmingham Promise board and served as chairman for most of its history.

He recalled being the first member of his family to receive a four-year college degree and said he realized at a recent gathering with his adult children that he was “the least-educated person in the family.”

“This is generational impact,” he added.

While it will take time to reap the full rewards, he urged supporters to be patient and keep investing in Birmingham Promise. “The cost of ignorance,” he said, “is a lot higher than the price of an education.”

For more information on Birmingham Promise, visit http://www.birminghampromise.org/.

Learn more about Birmingham Promise scholarship requirements and eligibility at UAB.

Christmas Travel: When is the Best Time to Take Your Trip

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Birmingham Times

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December 11, 2024

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Christmas is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. It’s a time when people schedule trips to visit family and friends, take that winter wonderland vacation or simply enjoy a festive getaway.

When planning for your trip, the thoughts of hitting the road or boarding a flight can be stressful. You envision not “sugar plums dancing in your head”, but crowded airports, long lines and very heavy traffic because Christmas travel can be notoriously difficult. It’s a time of high demand and volume with millions traveling during the winter weather, which is often synonymous with snowstorms, icy roads and delayed flights.

This safety article is meant to help you dodge the busiest crowds and make your trip as stress-free as possible, but also not to lose focus on practicing good safety measures. It will identify the best travel dates and times.

Christmas is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. (Adobe Stock)

Most travelers wait until closer to Christmas, so plan your trips this year earlier in the week – specifically Monday, December 16, through Thursday, December 19. This is ideal for several reasons:

• Lower Crowds – airports and highways are less congested.

• Cheaper Flights – airlines often offer lower fares earlier in the week before the rush begins.

• Less Stress – with fewer people on the road and shorter lines at the airports, your travel experience will be much smoother.

The least busy days with fewer travelers during Christmas are:

• December 24 (Christmas Eve)

• December 25 (Christmas Day)

While not as bad as the days immediately before, Christmas Eve still poses some challenges such as:

• Last Minute Travelers – many people wait until the last minute to travel.

• Shortened Hours – some businesses and transportation services close early.

• Higher Stress Levels – the pressure to arrive on time can add a little additional stress.

Avoid peak times at the airport. Opt for the late or early morning flights. The red-eye flights and early morning flights are generally less popular but offer significant advantages such as:

• Fewer Delays – airports are generally less busy during these times, reducing the risk of delays.

• Faster Security Checks – shorter lines at TSA means you will get through the airport faster, especially if it’s a large airport.

• Affordable Options – airlines sometimes offer discounts on less desirable flight times.

Hopefully this article will help you Keep an Eye on Safety when traveling over the 2024 Christmas season by decreasing your holiday chaos, which could result in your lack of focus while traveling.

PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS

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Birmingham Times

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December 11, 2024

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PPT1212 1 — Preservation Hall Jazz Band at UAB Alys Stephens Center’s Jemison Concert Hall. (Provided)

By Gwen DeRu | The Birmingham Times

HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!!

TODAY…

**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!!!

**LIVERPOOL LEGENDS, “THE COMPLETE BEATLES EXPERIENCE”, 7:30 p.m. at the Lyric Theatre.

**English Village Holiday Open House.

**SKYLER DAVIS WITH GERALD SARANTHUS at the Nick Rocks.

**THURSDAY NIGHT WEEKEND PREPARTY with ASHTRONIC at The Nick Rocks.

**BLUES JAM EVERY 3rd THURSDAY, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing.

**FIREHOUSE CAC END OF THE YEAR BASH 2024 at Saturn.

**BLUES JAM EVERY 3rd THURSDAY, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing.

**EVERY THURSDAY- THAT’S MY JAM THURSDAYS, 7 p.m. at Platinum of Birmingham with DJ Slugga.

**ALABAMA BLAZIN BINGO, 6 p.m. at Overtime Grill and Bar.

**FILM at Sidewalk Film.

**KARAOKE, 7 p.m. at True Story Brewing.

FRIDAY…

**Downtown Leeds is where the family fun starts at 4 p.m. This is the Third Annual Mistletoe on Main event. Enjoy games, food trucks, horse and carriage rides, bounce horses, train rides, and photo ops. Shop with downtown businesses and enjoy so much more.

**CHRISTMAS PARADE – The Leeds Area Chamber‘s Annual Christmas Parade starts at 7 p.m.

**SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO BGBC, 4 p.m. at 500 Mineral Trace, Suite 100 in Hoover.

**CREOLE CHRISTMAS with PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND, 7 p.m. in the Jemison Concert Hall at the UAB Alys Stephens Center.

**Q DOT, JAXXXON & FRIENDS HIP HOP CONCERT at The Nick Rocks.

**LATE NIGHT FRIDAYS with DJ JACK BAMA at The Nick Rocks.

**DRAYTON FARLEY at Saturn.

**FUTUREBIRDS at Iron City.

SATURDAY…

**SIXTEENTH ANNUAL WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA CEREMONY at the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo.

**SATURN HOLIDAY MARKET, 12 p.m. with arts, crafts and vintage. Free entry.

**KARAOKE SATURDAYS, 3 p.m. at 3605 Gray Avenue, Adamsville, with the ALL-EN ONE BBQ with Chef Randy ”Dee” Allen and The Lovely LaToria at the 7 Angels Coffee & Smoothie Café.

**CHRISTMAS IS A DRAG, 8 p.m. at Saturn 200 41^st Street South.

**SATURN HOLIDAY MARKET, 12 p.m.

**SKEPTIC? + POST CONSUMER WASTE + JONNY AND THE BLACK FRAMES at The Nick Rocks.

**LATE NIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT WITH R.1.Y.T.

**THE ERRORS TOUR – COMEDIAN JAMES “MURR” MURRAY at the StarDome Comedy Club.

SUNDAY…

**SINGO BINGO EVERY SUNDAY, 1 p.m. at Cahaba Brewing Company.

**SOUNDS OF THE SEASON by Opera Birmingham Chorus and soloists for an afternoon of music and cheer, 2:30 p.m. at the Brock Recital Hall.

**EASE BACK 4th SUNDAYS, 5 p.m. at True Story Brewing.

**THEM CHIREN GONNA HAVE A GOOD CHRIMA with BENNI MAC featuring CORTEZ BROOKS, MS. AARKANSAS and BRANDON MILLS at the StarDome Comedy Club.

**COMEDIAN SAMMY OBEID at the Star Dome Comedy Club.

**KYLE KIMBRELL at The Nick.

**ERICA RYLEIGH WITH BACKWOOD SHINERS at The Nick.

**AMERICAN AQUARIUM with JUSTIN BLOSS at Saturn.

MONDAY…

**BIRMINGHAM BANDSTAND at the Nick.

**THE MOTH BIRMINGHAM STORYSLAM: SILVER LINING at Saturn.

TUESDAY…

**SUPERSTAR KARAOKE TUESDAYS, 10 p.m. at The Nick Rocks.

**JOSE CARR EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT at True Story Brewing.

**GLADYS IMPROV at Saturn.

WEDNESDAY…

**PRODUCE GIVEAWAY, 9 a.m. at 100 Mike Moore Blvd, in Birmingham.

**REAL FUNNY COMEDY WEDNESDAYS at True Story Brewing. Sign up at 7:30 p.m.

**WEDNESDAY NIGHTS WITH SUNDROP at the Nick.

**SATURN’S SANTA SPECTATULAR at Saturn.

**SATURN CHRISTMAS RAVE.

NEXT THURSDAY…

**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!!!

**PHEROMONIA at the Nick Rocks.

**THURSDAY WEEKEND PREPARTY with ASHTRONIC at The Nick Rocks.

**BLUES JAM EVERY 3rd THURSDAY, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing.

**THE JESUS LIZARD at Saturn.

NEXT FRIDAY….

**COMEDIAN DL HUGHLEY at the StarDome Comedy Club.

**BURLESQUE NIGHT with BELLA DONNA at The Nick Rocks.

**LATE NIGHT FRIDAYS with DJ JACK BAMA at The Nick Rocks.

**NIKKI NAIR- SATURN 360 RAVE with ANDRES REALLY< and MELLOW MELLON at Saturn.

**THE MOLLY RINGWALDS at Iron City.

NEWS TO USE

**URGENT NEWS…from the U.S. Department of Treasury – Financial Crimes Enforcement Network –

ALL BUSINESS OWNERS, LLCs AND CORPORATIONS are required to file the (BOIR) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP INFORMATION REPORT by December 31, 2024, midnight/before January 1, 2025. IF NOT COMPLIANT – Penalties are $553 per day up to $10,000 AND 2 years imprisonment. For more information, contact (205) 595-8156 Mary Latimore OR www.fincen.gov/boi. MUST DO!!!

THINGS TO DO…in town, around the state…

FOR MUSIC AND CHRISTMAS LOVERS…

**FRIDAY – CREOLE CHRISTMAS with PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND performs at the UAB Alys Stephens Center’s Jemison Concert Hall on Friday, 7 p.m. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band takes the stage with the Creole Christmas performing New Orleans classics as well as loved holiday selections with a twist. It was established at the dawn of the 20^th century in New Orleans with a mix of African, Caribbean and European musical traditions. Preservation Hall defied segregation by welcoming racially-integrated bands and audiences during the Jim Crow era. The Jaffe family at the heart of this institution participated in the Southern Civil Rights Movement facing police scrutiny for their inclusive practices. The nightly jazz concerts got media attention locally and nationally in the New York Times and the Brinkley News Hour causing Allan Jaffe to go beyond New Orleans organizing the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in 1963. The band has performed in venues like The Filmore West with the Grateful Dead to international stages including an appearance at the palace of the King of Thailand. After Allan Jaffe’s passing in 1987, leadership of Preservation Hal and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band passed to his son Benjamin Jaffe where the Hall continues to thrive, preserving and promoting traditional jazz for audiences worldwide.

AT THE LYRIC THEATRE…

**TODAY – LIVERPOOL LEGENDS will perform at the Lyric Theatre at 7:30 p.m. The Liverpool Legends are four talented musicians and actors, handpicked by Louise Harrison – sister of George Harrison, to honor her brother’s legacy and re-create the band that changed the world forever. Experience the complete history of The Beatles, starting with the early mop-top hits, such as I Want To Hold Your Hand, She Loves You and Twist and Shout. You’ll then take a Magical Mystery Tour down Penny Lane, through the psychedelic era of Sgt. Pepper. And in The End, Come Together and sing and dance to classics like Get Back, Here Comes the Sun and Hey Jude. This one-of-a-kind Beatles show is narrated by Louise Harrison, who was an instrumental part of the promotion of The Beatles in the early years. With precise attention to every musical detail, along with costume changes, vintage instruments and special effects, Liverpool Legends will make you feel like you are watching the real thing! Together, these four lads will bring you “The Complete Beatles Experience.”

AT THE JAZZ HALL OF FAME…

**THROUGH SATURDAY INSTRUMENT DRIVE – Join the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame for their campaign of collecting gently used instruments, including saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, flute, guitar, bass, trombone and more. Drop off through Saturday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at 1631 4th Avenue North.

AT THE OPERA BIRMINGHAM…

**SUNDAY… SOUNDS OF THE SEASON bring the magic of the holidays, 2:30 p.m. in Brock Recital Hall at Samford University campus. The festive concert features sacred and secular favorites performed by soloists, the Opera Birmingham Chorus that includes WON CHO, soprano MEG JACKSON and soprano ALLISON SANDERS. DELEE BENTON, LAUREN TINSLEY and CAITLYN WALTERS will join them. JOHN ROBERTSON, who will accompany on piano, directs the music. GRACE KLEIN COMMUNITY will partner with Opera Birmingham in the spirit of giving. The nonprofit is dedicated to providing relief to disadvantaged individuals and families in the Birmingham Area. The audience is encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to drop off in the collection barrel located in the lobby. For more, operaBirmingham.org or 205-322-6737.

AT THE BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS…

**TODAY…CREATE YOUR OWN DESERT TERRARIUM, 5:30 – 7 p.m. (Outdoor Classroom) Create your mini ecosystem in a make-and-take workshop with Astrid Jerez of Vivatia Plants, perfect for low-maintenance plant lovers and small-space gardeners. Materials and tools are provided. Register.

**TUESDAY – GROWING YOUR OWN MUSHROOMS, 10 a.m. – Noon. (Outdoor Classroom) Join Urban Regional Extension Agent Bronson Lubresky with the basic steps for growing mushrooms. Register.

**JANUARY 7 – THYME TO READ BOOK CLUB, 4 p.m. with “Comfort of the Crows” by Margaret Renkl. Free to the public.

**JANUARY 9 – CARING FOR YOUR GARDENING TOOLS, 11 a.m. – Noon, to learn how you can store, clean and sharpen your had tools. Bring your pruners, a trowel, loppers or soil knife. No power tools such as long-handled shovel or pitchfork. Register.

**JANUARY 13 – DISCOVER & EXPLORE: BOTNAICAL STILL

LIFE, 10 – 11:30 a.m. Join artist Erica Scott of Dabble, a Birmingham Arts Studio. Learn drawing techniques using colored pencils and pastels. Take botanical elements such as cut flowers, leaves, etc. to be assembled in a classroom stll life. Drawing materials are provided.

**JANUARY 28 – ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP CELEBRATION – Join Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens as they welcome Mike Gibson as the Special Guest Speaker for the annual John A. Floyd Lecture. Members Free.

(For more, visit bbgardens.org.)

AT THE BIRMINGHAM CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE…

**SATURDAY – GIFTS FOR GOOD MARKET, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Protective Stadium with handmade gifts, baked goods, home décor and more from local non-profits plus festive holiday music, photo booth and gift-wrapping station.

**NEXT SATURDAY – CELEBRATE KWANZAA FAMILY WORKSHOP, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. in the Odessa Woolfolk Gallery. Register at www.bcri.org/events.

AT THE BIRMINGHAM ZOO

**GLOW WILD is happening right now (through January 2025) at our own Birmingham Zoo. See the larger than life lanterns that will light the path through the Zoo as you make memories of a lifetime. Walk through the displays and take plenty of photos with the family and friends as you try the special versions of hot chocolate in the restaurants. Don’t miss one of Birmingham’s Top Holiday Activities. AND, throughout the season, there will be special guests and appearances. Visit www.birminghamzoo.com for more.

FOR OUTDOORS LOVERS…

**THURSDAY WEEKDAY HIKE at Veterans Park, 4800 Valleydale Road, Hoover, AL 35242. Details: Enjoy an easy three-mile hike on trails in North Shelby County just off Valleydale Road. Veterans Park is an 82-acre park with numerous walking trails, a four-acre lake and a one-acre pond. This is a guided tour of easily walkable trails. Bring water and wear good walking shoes or boots. Dress appropriately for the weather. Meet at 9:45 a.m. in the Veterans Park parking lot right beside the building with restrooms in it at the park. Depart from there at 10 a.m. Optional lunch nearby after the hike at Metro Diner Restaurant in Inverness. Admission to Park: Free. Information and hike leader: Randall Adkins, 205/719-7719 cell.

FOR MOVIE LOVERS…

TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY…

**FLOW directed by Gints Zilbalodis.

TODAY…

**DAHOMEY starring Gildas Adannou, Habib Ahandessi, Josea Guedge and directed by Mati Diop.

**SOUNDTRACK KARAOKE: JINGLE BELL ROCKS Free!

FRIDAY…

**STAR WARS: PHANTOM MENACE starring Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and directed by George Lucas.

**STAR WARS SPACE RAVE

**BAD MOVIE NIGHT

SATURDAY…

**STAR WARS: ATTACK OF THE CLONES starring Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and directed by George Lucas.

**STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH starring Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and directed by George Lucas.

SUNDAY…

**FILMMAKER FOCUS – ELAINE MAY: MIKEY AND NICKY, starring Peter Falk, John Cassavetes, Ned Beatty and directed by Elaine May.

Well, that’s it. Tell you more ‘next’ time. People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send your contact info with your events, your things of interest and more to: gwenderu@yahoo.com and thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com.

“If it wasn’t for my team, I wouldn’t even have it right now. They covered all night. We rushed the passer all night. It was just meant to be.”

By

Birmingham Times

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December 11, 2024

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DEFENSIVE LINEMAN AND 6A CHAMPIONSHIP MVP JOURDIN CRAWFORD, AFTER PARKER DEFEATED SARALAND 28-17 IN THE CLASS 6A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AT BIRMINGHAM’S PROTECTIVE STADIUM; BIRMINGHAMTIMES.COM, DEC. 7.

After 3-Year-Old Injured in Shooting, Birmingham City Council Approves $100,000 for Gun Safety

By

Birmingham Times

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December 11, 2024

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The Birmingham Times

On Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council voted to spend up to $100,000 on gun safety resources with the Central Alabama Redevelopment Alliance (CARA) to implement the ‘Gun Safety Initiative’ which is designed to enhance community safety.

This comes less than two weeks after a 3-year-old was injured in west Birmingham by a gun that was accidentally discharged.

When he saw the recent report of an accidental shooting in West Birmingham, Mayor Randall Woodfin said he was disheartened.

“I don’t care if it’s an adult or a child, but it bothers me more when a child is hurt by gun violence,” Woodfin said. “Gun violence, as it turns out, comes in all forms, and that includes the discharging of a firearm by accident.”

Co-Founder Kerry Schrader on Life After Mixtroz, the Birmingham Tech Startup Which Has Closed

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Birmingham Times

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December 11, 2024

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Mixtroz1210 1 — Mixtroz co-founders Ashlee Ammons-Halpin, left, and Kerry Schrader. (FILE)

By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times

Mixtroz co-founders, Kerry Schrader and Ashlee Ammons-Halpin were first time entrepreneurs when they came to Birmingham 10 years ago to be part of the Innovation Depot’s Velocity Accelerator. The company won a $100,000 investment from the Rise of the Rest (ROTR) Seed Fund, and went on to accumulate over $1 million in venture capital, rare for a tech startup led by two Black women.

“And you know we really dedicated a decade to trying to get Mixtroz going,” Schrader told the Birmingham Times on Tuesday. “My saddest thing and my biggest regret is more now than ever Mixtroz is needed because people don’t talk to each other. People are making assumptions, and we aren’t engaging. Our young people aren’t engaging.”

Schrader and Ammons-Halpin announced this month they have decided to wind down their tech business. “It’s been quite a ride. The ups, the downs, the incredible people we’ve met, and the lessons learned have all been worth it,” Schrader told bhamnow.com.

The mother-daughter duo developed the event app which allowed organizers to leverage attendee-supplied data to remove the awkwardness from networking. Attendees would download the app and answer a few multiple-choice questions.

Based on the provided responses, attendees would be divided into groups with others who have shared interests. The experience created an atmosphere where individuals felt comfortable breaking the ice.

“I appreciate Birmingham for becoming a part of our quilt,” Schrader told the Times. “I think it is something to be said that two Black women came to Birmingham and were able to raise our first $1 million here. “

Mixtroz co-founders Kerry Schrader, left, and Ashlee Ammons-Halpin

Schrader and her daughter were initially based in Nashville but moved Mixtroz to Birmingham, which initially garnered their company local attention.

“Birmingham was enamored with us; we were leaving Nashville, we were something different, but I don’t think the eye for the long-term success of a tech company was there,” Schrader told the Birmingham Business Journal.

As for what’s next Ashlee has secured a job with a venture capital group that’s tapping into her experience as an entrepreneur and has been on that job for over a year, said her mother.

Schrader’s next steps will be to focus fully on her new life coaching and mentoring business, KES (pronounced keys), which she launched in August.

“I have opened a coaching consulting business that I’m just now getting off the ground and it’s funny because even from me posting that we’re closing [Mixtroz] people have been coming into that business, Kerry Schrader.com,” told the Times. “And what I am doing is offering my experience to other entrepreneurs. You know I have a background in HR and just life that I will talk to people at a reasonable fee.

“I understand what it is like to want questions answered and then somebody wants to charge you $5,000 and can’t do anything. My hourly rate is $60, and I will only talk about stuff that I really know about. We have too many people talking about stuff they have no idea,” she said.

‘I Opened the Ring Box, Got Down on My Knee and Asked Would She Marry Me?’

By

Birmingham Times

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December 11, 2024

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BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY | Special to the Birmingham Times

VALLIE & ANGELIA THOMAS

Live: Bessemer

Married: April 15, 1989

Met: June 3, 1984, at a nightclub in Bessemer, called The Establishment. “We were there and neither one of us wanted to be there,” Vallie laughed. “Angelia was there because her cousin begged her to take her, and I was there because my friend begged me to take him. And once I got there, I saw Angelia and her cousin walk in and I said, ‘Who is that? I got to know her!’”

“My cousin wanted to celebrate getting a new job and begged me to go. I tried everything I could to get out of it that night but she wouldn’t let up,” Angelia said. “Come to find out, Vallie and his cousin knew my cousin and we ended up sitting together.”

Angelia was playing hard to get that night. “When we sat down, I said, ‘What’d you say your name was again?’ and she said, ‘I didn’t.’ And then I asked her to dance and we danced for one song, but I had to leave because I was starting a new job the next day so I asked her for her phone number,” Vallie said.

“I gave the wrong number to everybody that asked me for my phone number that night, but for some reason, I gave Vallie the right number and he called the next day,” Angelia said.

During that conversation, Vallie asked if she’d allow him to come over for a visit. “He was very respectful, we sat around and talked about what we wanted out of life, and it made me feel good because we wanted the same things,” Angelia recalled. “I was nervous, I asked her for a glass of water and ended up wasting it on myself,” Vallie laughed.

First date: Angelia’s birthday, June 18, 1984. They went to Captain D’s for dinner, and he surprised her with a bouquet of flowers at her front door.

“… that was a nice place to take her,” Vallie said. “I gave her the flowers at the front door, but I held on to the card until we got to dinner. I remember trying to be polite and show her I had good home training. I wasn’t much of a talker then…”

“Everything was going good, but like he said he wasn’t a talker so we were sitting and eating and he wasn’t saying anything, and me being me, I said ‘I can’t do this, you’re too quiet for me’, and then he said I can do better, and he did. He started talking,” Angelia laughed. “And after that, we saw each other daily for five years. Every day we went somewhere different to eat. He impressed very well, and he still does.”

Vallie and Angelia Thomas met at a nightclub in Bessemer in 1984. The couple married five years later. (Reginald Allen Photo)

The turn: A few weeks later after the first date the pair were exclusive. “We were sitting in the car after a date one day, and I asked her would she be my girl and she said ‘yes’,” Vallie said.

“I told him I would because after he started talking, I started enjoying his company very much. And he called all the time and I really loved that,” Angelia said.

The proposal: Christmas night, 1988. They were at Vallie’s house in Bessemer. “It was just she and I and we were sitting in the living room with the Christmas tree and with a fire going and I said, ‘I have something to give you’, I had just spent $5k on the ring and I was excited to show her. I opened up the ring box and got down on my knee and asked her would she marry me and she said ‘yes, I will’, Vallie said.

“I was speechless because I wasn’t looking for it at that time. I was really happy because he made a beautiful choice in the ring and that really got me,” Angelia said.

The wedding: At their new home in Bessemer. Vallie had bought a new house to gift and marry his bride in. It was officiated by Vallie’s uncle, Reverend Clifton Dial, of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Bessemer. Their colors were cream and aqua-blue.

Most memorable for the bride was quickly planning her wedding. “I had to plan a wedding [to hold in] our new home in two weeks, and it was fabulous because I had a sister that did that kind of decorating and everything came together well. Vallie was really happy [that I pulled the wedding off so quickly] because he didn’t want to live any days at the new house by himself. It was a beautiful wedding, and one I’ll never forget,” said Angelia, after the couple received more than 100 gifts and welcomed far more guests than they anticipated.

Most memorable for the groom was a huge turnout despite planning a small wedding. “We were only banking on me and my folks and Angelia and her folks, but it wound up being way bigger than we expected. A lot of [additional] people ended up coming….it was about a hundred or so people there. It was fine though, we were excited that so many people showed up because we didn’t realize that many people loved us. And we were happy that we had enough food,” Vallie said.

The couple honeymooned in their new home. “We had more than a hundred gifts, so we spent the first week opening gifts and enjoying our new home,” Angelia said. “We were so happy we were pinching ourselves to make sure it was real,” said Vallie.

Words of wisdom: “Keep God in it and let Him have the last word. And stay close. The way you felt when you first met, keep those feelings alive,” Vallie said.

“Always pray, and never go to bed mad at each other or leave the house without giving a kiss or a hug,” Angelia said.

Happily ever after: The Thomas’ attend Bethel Baptist Church in Pratt City, where Vallie serves as an associate minister. They have three adult children, April, 44, Valencia, 34, Vallie IV, 31, and 2 grandchildren.

Angelia, 66, is a Bessemer native and Wenonah High School grad. She attended Lawson State Community College where she earned an associate’s degree in applied science and retired from Gestamp Automation in McCalla in 2019, where she worked in the assembly department for 15 years.

Vallie, 65, is a Bessmer native and Jess Lanier High School grad. He attended Bessemer Tech where he studied automotive. He runs his own company V&A Tire and Automotive Center in Bessemer.

“You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column, or know someone, please send nominations to Barnett Wright bwright@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love story unique.

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