State Senator Merika Coleman (D-Pleasant Grove) has announced her candidacy for Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee. (Brian Lyman, File)
The Birmingham Times
Alabama State Senator Merika Coleman, (D-Pleasant Grove) has announced her candidacy for Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Democratic Party leaders elect their new leaders Feb. 1, at their winter meeting in Washington D.C. The meeting comes at a time when Democrats are preparing to govern following the election of Donald Trump, who returns to the White House Jan. 20 with a Republican majority in the House and Senate.
Coleman, Chair of the Alabama Legislative Black Caucus, previously served 20 years in the Alabama House of Representatives, including as Assistant Minority Leader. Throughout her career, she has introduced legislation addressing human trafficking, racial justice, healthcare reform, economic equity, and more.
“While I am new to the DNC’s internal leadership structure, I am not new to the Democratic Party,” Coleman said in a press release. “I’ve spent my career championing Democratic values, fighting for equity, and building coalitions that drive meaningful change. I started my career as a community organizer and economic justice strategist. That’s just who I am. Organizing is in my blood.”
As Treasurer, Coleman said her top priorities include enhancing transparency and accountability within the DNC’s financial systems. “Democrats lead the way in fighting for integrity and justice, and our party’s financial practices must reflect those same values,” she said. “I am committed to fostering trust through open communication, clear financial reporting, and strategic allocation of resources to amplify the voices of all communities, particularly those historically underserved.”
Coleman pointed to her work on Alabama’s powerful Ways and Means Committee where she helps oversee the budget for all state departments. Coleman holds a Master of Public Administration and a Juris Doctorate. In addition to her legislative work, she serves as the Director of the Judge U.W. Clemon Center for Economic and Social Justice at Miles College, an HBCU where she leads initiatives that promote social equity and economic opportunity. She also owns a law firm specializing in family and estate law.
“I am honored to step forward for this critical role at such a pivotal moment for our party and our nation,” Coleman said. “Together, we will fortify the DNC’s foundation, expand opportunity, and ensure that every dollar spent reflects our mission to protect democracy and advance progress.”
It’s a touching moment between the Birmingham mother and two sons busted for doing something mischievous. It’s not hard-hitting stuff, but it’s the type of moment TikTok influencers like Ford have counted on to generate an audience.
The legal battle pitting TikTok’s arguments of First Amendment rights against national security concerns has upended the enormously popular social media site utilized by more than 17 million Americans.
“There is no doubt that the current ownership of TikTok presents a risk to our national security and the privacy of American citizens,” Republican U.S. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama said on Friday. “I believe the most immediate problem with TikTok is effective control of the application and its data by the Chinese Communist Party, which is no friend to America. In my view, we shouldn’t allow the CCP to have such easy access into the lives of Americans via TikTok.”
The end of TikTok is likely to have an impact for the many Alabama influencers who have used the site to create or heighten their brands. Here are three of their stories:
‘Important For Small Businesses’
Ford, 39, was a content creator at the time she joined TikTok in 2022. The site, she said, allowed her to “express myself more creatively.”
“It’s helped influencers build a platform easily,” she said. “It’s helped business owners get their products in front an audience easier. It’s helped a lot of people. What is going on now with it possibly banned in the U.S. is sad, not just because we get on there and scroll all night and laugh. But it’s helped people pay their bills, feed their kids and bring artistic works before an audience.”
Ford’s focus is on lifestyle and fashion, though TikTok has allowed her to put a personal spin on her appeal. Her hair-cutting children were included in her most popular TikTok video, and the diverse range of videos has helped her draw an audience since.
Born in Nigeria, Ford grew up in Montgomery where she went to high school and college before moving to Birmingham, where her husband practices law. Before her influencer career, Ford worked for Allstate, the insurance company, and was a videographer at her church.
“Since I’m a full-time creator now, I show up every day and it’s my job,” Ford said. “I’ll take maybe one day off a week. But I work this like it’s a 9 to 5 job. If I’m not doing a brand deal, I’m posting content that is relatable and insightful for an audience.”
International Following
Ford’s audience is also diverse. She estimates her TikTok following is comprised of about 70 percent from the U.S., with a large base of followers in Birmingham, New York City and in Georgia. She also has an international following in Africa and Europe.
“What we influencers do, and I won’t say we’re doctors out there doing heart surgery, but what we do is important for small businesses, the economy and for ourselves,” Ford said. “We are, ourselves, small businesses.”
Ford said her influence has helped take obscure, small brands and heighten their popularity. A purse she purchased from a small business owner in Georgia was included in a TikTok video she did last year, helping to elevate its profile.
“Because of the work I did for her, free of charge, Bloomingdales called her in the Atlanta store (and offered to sell the purse at its store),” Ford said. “People think, ‘oh, you take pictures and don’t do anything.’ But they forget it’s a multi-billion-dollar industry. People buy from influencers. It creates jobs for women who want to be entrepreneurs … who otherwise would not have a budget for TV (commercials) or to put a billboard out.”
Ford said she is confident her brand will be healthy if TikTok shuts down soon. She is on Instagram with approximately 138,000 followers and has a following of more than 17,000 people on YouTube.
“I advise other influencers to get on other platforms,” Ford said. “You don’t own these platforms. None of us owns them. We are renting real estate in someone else’s land. We have to make sure you have other coals in the (fire), so to speak.”
Maintaining a list of old-school electronic mail addresses is also vital at this time, Ford said.
“Having an email list is No. 1,” she said. “You can always still contact your audience directly.”
Birmingham resident LaDarrius Hutcherson, who goes by the handle LHut on TikTok, has reached nearly 60,000 followers on the popular social media site. (Birmingham Times/FILE)
“Cousins”
LaDarrius Hutcherson also had that singular viral moment on TikTok that has since helped create a brand that includes highlighting small restaurants throughout Central Alabama.
On Aug. 15, 2022, a video he filmed inside Ruth’s Place in Irondale went viral. Since then, under the handle LHut, he has built a following of nearly 60,000 on TikTok, using the platform to spotlight small, minority-owned and unheralded restaurants in Central Alabama.
Other restaurants are drawing attention from LHut. A video about his 2023 visit to Yo Mama’s on 2nd Avenue in Birmingham drew over 337,000 views. A visit to Urban Parc that same year has amassed over 180,000 views.
Hutcherson refers to his followers as “cousins,” and the 33-year-old Birmingham resident has hopes of someday taking his TikTok experience to greater fame with a show on The Food Network or writing restaurant reviews.
Hutcherson, who is currently working on a doctorate in business administration with a focus on rural business innovation at the University of West Alabama, is a 2010 graduate of GW Carver High School and a 2014 graduate from Jacksonville State University.
“My goal is that I wanted to start a marketing firm, and I also want to do more independent teaching, not necessarily at a college, but more of doing workshops for new and up and coming business owners,” Hutcherson said. “There are so many things that people don’t know about businesses.”
‘Impactful’
Hutcherson’s work on TikTok has already helped out businesses in Birmingham, and he’s been compared to TikTok food review sensation Keith Lee, who has an astonishing 16.8 million TikTok followers.
“I try not to get caught up in that,” Hutcherson said about the comparisons. “He’s internationally known.”
For now, Hutcherson said he’s heartened with stories about the impact his TikTok handle has had on Birmingham and its foodie scene. He said there have been small businesses that have reached out to him before with appreciation for his videos, saying they help increase foot traffic and their bottom lines.
“I’ve helped businesses in the process of closing to stay open,” Hutcherson said. “Small mom and pop shops. The business owners (that I profile) … they are truly thankful for what I do and they support me and I, of course, support them and it’s been impactful.”
Hutcherson said his food reviews are positive. He said that if a restaurant isn’t worth the praise, he will simply move on and not post a review on TikTok.
“I understand my influence, and I’m not in the business of taking people out of business,” he said. “That’s not my thing. I’m practical in understanding the impact and the influence I have.”
Hutcherson said that without TikTok, that influence will have to come from elsewhere. He said he has been working to build up his other social media channels in order to continue with his work.
“If you asked me that question a year ago, I might’ve been frightened,” Hutcherson said about the prospects of TikTok vanishing. “But on Facebook, my videos do exceptionally well. I’m not necessarily concerned about it, but I do love TikTok.”
‘Drastically change’
For 21-year-old Jackson Dean, a Los Angeles influencer who grew up in Madison, TikTok has “consumed” his young influencer career.
Dean, whose TikTok following is over a whopping 5.7 million people, got his start during the pandemic while he was in high school.
“When COVID happened, I was really bored and out of school with nothing to do,” he said. “I saw a bunch of people on TikTok getting thousands of followers and likes. I thought, ‘let me give this a try.’ I did and saw some success right away. I kept going until now, it’s my whole life.”
Dean moved to Los Angeles when he was 17, when his manager at the time persuaded him to move into a house with other influencers. Now, Dean lives with his girlfriend, fellow TikTok influencer Paige Taylor, and his TikTok videos are mostly focused on their day-to-day lives together.
They are also extremely popular. A video of his girlfriend styling Dean’s hair drew 4.4 million viewers.
TikTok fame aside, Dean said he loves Alabama, is “not a huge fan of L.A.,” though he says, “it’s a nice place.” He said his parents have been supportive of his work.
As far as the TikTok lawsuit, Dean said he is concerned about people who have gained attention on the site but who “will lose everything” if it shuts down. He is not worried about his own brand, as he anticipates his massive audience following him to YouTube or other sites.
By TikTok’s own estimate, around 2 million creators would suffer $300 million in lost earnings in just one month if the app is banned.
“I think if everyone is going to ban TikTok for national security (reasons), then they should look at the other big players of social media as well in the U.S.,” Dean said. “If this app does get banned … some people’s lives will drastically change.”
The University of Alabama at Birmingham has achieved a remarkable milestone, blazing into the top 6 percent of global universities in the latest U.S. News & World Report international rankings.
The 2024-2025 Best Global Universities rankings from U.S. News & World Report named UAB No. 164 out of 2,459 schools, making it the highest ranked school in Alabama. This ranking surpasses UAB’s previous rankings of top 10 percent in 2021 and top 8 percent in 2022.
UAB’s continued ascent among the top 10 percent in these rankings—a four percentage point gain over four years—speaks to the world-class caliber of research and scholarship being conducted by our faculty, staff and students all around campus,” said UAB President Ray Watts. “As we carry on the most successful era of research funding in UAB history—and pursue the ambitious aims of Growth with Purpose—our research enterprise will become all the more competitive and, most importantly, have an even greater impact on lives around our state, nation and world.”
Out of the 297 schools ranked in the United States, UAB is No. 57, or in the top 19 percent of American universities.
49: Best Global Universities for Clinical Medicine
58: Best Global Universities for Endocrinology and Metabolism
69: Best Global Universities for Oncology
71: Best Global Universities for Immunology
85: Best Global Universities for Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems
86: Best Global Universities for Infectious Diseases
The Best Global Universities methodology is based on data provided by Clarivate, rather than gathered directly from the institutions by U.S. News. Rankings were calculated using bibliometric indicators such as publications, citations and highly cited papers rather than data about specific programs.
This is the 10th year that U.S. News & World Report has compiled its Best Global Universities rankings. A complete list of U.S. News rankings can be found online.
Gloria Jean Berry, a copy editor for The Birmingham Times, died on January 4. (Provided)
The Birmingham Times
Gloria Jean Berry, an eagle-eyed copy editor for The Birmingham Times, died on January 4. She was 75.
Ms. Berry was born in Birmingham on July 26, 1949, to Thattius and Dorothy Berry. She spent part of her formative years in New Jersey before returning to Birmingham to live with her aunt (second mother), Mrs. Mamie Lee Walker.
Ms. Berry confessed Christ at a very early age and was baptized into the family of the Macedonia 17th Street Baptist Church. Always a willing worker, over the years, she served in numerous positions at church including choir member, Sunday School secretary.
Upon graduating from A. H. Parker High School, she was employed as the secretary of the Baptist Leader newspaper. She worked there for numerous years, before becoming an employee of The Birmingham Times. Always an eye for fine detail, she became the copy editor of the Birmingham Times.
Ms. Berry was the epitome of a sweet soul and would help and serve wherever she was needed. Her kindness will be sorely missed by her family and friends.
Her parents, aunt, sisters Janet Blake and Juanita Callens, all preceded her in death.
Those left to cherish her memories: niece, Esther Callens: nephew, Bobby Callens, all of Birmingham; nephew, Kenneth Blake of New Jersey; cousins, Sylvester Childress, Erskine (Cynthia) Childress all of Birmingham; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, Jan. 14 from 12 -p.m. – 6 p.m. at Davenport & Harris Funeral Homes, Inc., 301 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Birmingham, AL 35211.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 12 p.m. at Macedonia 17th Street Baptist Church, 1405 13th Ave N. Birmingham, AL 35204. The final resting place is New Grace Hill Cemetery, 1931 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Birmingham, AL 35211.
The rains continue to melt away some of the wintry mix that fell early Friday morning. But those who made it outside early Friday had to contend with snow and slush on the roads.
The big concern will be if the pavement freezes during the overnight hours. Downtown streets covered in slush Friday morning making for some dicey driving conditions.
“It’s funny it kind of feels like you’re driving through sand to a degree, like the wheels not catching all the way, they’re kind of spinning,” Birmingham resident Norris Woods explained when asked to describe the driving conditions.
For those who live and work downtown, walking really required boots Friday morning, but not everyone was prepared. We spoke with a UAB medical student Bipul Mainali who stopped to talk with us while walking to the grocery store.
“My exam got canceled this morning so appreciate the school for doing that,” he noted.
“I’m lucky, I have a nice warm jacket on so it’s not too bad but it is a little bit on the icier side with the snow, so got to be a little bit careful in making sure you don’t slip.”
The concern moving forward will be refreezing according to Melissa Sizemore, an Emergency Management Officer with the Jefferson County EMA.
Before the snow melted Edie Galicia, who is from Guatemala, drove his friends who had never seen snow before to Birmingham. His friends are from Columbia and Venezuela. We also saw folks out walking their dogs in the snow, four-month-old Cash and 8-year-old Harper, a huskie, really seemed to enjoy their time outdoors.
“Oh she loves it,” said Lance Ledbetter, a Birmingham resident. “We used to live in Denver and so this is like the first big snow she’s gotten to have since then so she’s loving it.”
The city of Birmingham’s Community Development Department wrapped up its final public hearing to gather input and discuss the Program Year 2025 Action Plan. (File)
The city of Birmingham’s Community Development Department wrapped up its final public hearing Tuesday night to gather input and discuss the Program Year 2025 Action Plan, which outlines the city’s objectives and priorities for allocating approximately $9.2 million in federal funding.
Interim Deputy Director Randi Foy
The money, provided annually by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will support affordable housing projects and public services. According to Interim Deputy Director Randi Foy, the funding aligns with the mayor’s strategic goals to improve the community.
The funds will go towards affordable housing projects, public service to expand those projects, and collaborating with affordable housing initiatives, according to Foy.
Attendance at the in-person meeting was low, but Foy said the department saw better engagement during two virtual sessions held earlier this week.
“We actually received a lot of new activity this year from agencies who are hoping to partner with us to spend some of these funds and make an impact in our communities,” Foy said. “Our highest turnout was about 60 participants at our first virtual option. Our second virtual option today we had close to about 40 participants.”
Foy also noted that agencies interested in partnering with the city can begin applying for funding starting Wednesday morning. Residents and organizations are encouraged to submit public comments or questions about the funding process until February 14.
The department is planning to host another virtual session in the coming weeks to ensure more people have a chance to share their input.
For more information on how to apply or submit comments, click or tap here.
If winter storms cause dangerous road conditions and power outages, residents should have what they need to last until Monday without having to leave the house. (Adobe Stock)
A State of Emergency and a Winter Storm Warning have been issued as Alabama prepares for winter weather.
Alert Days are issued when widespread severe weather or winter weather poses a life-threatening risk. Please prepare for the upcoming winter storm. It is important you stay up to date with the latest forecast details.
Who will be affected?
A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for North-Central Alabama beginning late Thursday night through Saturday morning.
Counties included in the Winter Storm Warning are Cullman, Marion, Lamar, Fayette, Winston, Walker, Blount, Etowah, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, St. Clair, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, AL, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan, Marshall, Jackson and DeKalb.
Heavy snow mixed with periods of sleet and freezing rain will move in late Thursday night through Friday. Total snow and sleet accumulations between 1 and 3 inches and ice accumulations up to one-tenth of an inch are forecast for areas under a Winter Storm Warning. Counties closer to Huntsville and the Tennessee border could see snow accumulations of 2 and 4 inches.
A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for areas south of I-20. Counties included are Autauga, Greene, Hale, Perry, Sumter ,Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Bibb, Chilton, Coosa, Greene, Hale, Sumter, Tallapoosa, Chambers, Elmore, Lee, Clay, Randolph, Shelby and Talladega.
Areas included in the Winter Weather Advisory can expect a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain with accumulations up to an inch and ice accumulations up to one-tenth of an inch.
Timing
The Winter Storm Warning begins Friday morning at midnight and continues through Saturday morning at 6 a.m. The Winter Weather Advisory begins Friday morning at midnight and continues through 3 p.m. on Friday.
The type of winter weather (sleet, snow, freezing rain etc.) will heavily depend on how fast warmer air filters into Alabama from the south. The winter storm will begin in southwest Alabama and stretch to northeast Alabama.
Roads, bridges and overpasses are likely to become slick and hazardous, making travel very difficult or impossible (mainly along and north of Highway 278). You should avoid all travel if possible.
Civil Rights icon and original Freedom Rider Charles Person passed away on January 8, 2025. (Pete Conroy/bhamnow.com)
By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
Charles Person, a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement as the youngest of the original Freedom Riders, and a dedicated U.S. Marine, passed away peacefully on Jan. 8 at his home in Fayetteville, Georgia. He was 82.
One of the original 13 Freedom Riders, Person and his fellow Riders were brutally beaten on Mother’s Day, May 14, 1961, at the downtown Birmingham Greyhound terminal by a mob of Klansman while the police watched.
After that day, Person continued to work on various Civil Rights and justice initiatives and would play a role in the creation of the Freedom Riders National Monument in 2017.
“Charles was not only my life partner but a tireless advocate for justice and equality,” said his wife, Jo Etta Person, according to bhamnow.com. “His passion for nonviolence, peace, and education touched countless lives. Although he is no longer with us, his legacy lives on through the Freedom Riders Training Academy and the lasting change he inspired.”
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin called Person “a giant in the Civil Rights movement.”
“I join the City of Birmingham in mourning the passing of my Morehouse brother Charles Person … His dedication to equality and nonviolence continued well into the present day, when he co-founded the Freedom Riders Training Academy (FRTA), teaching a new generation of activists civic engagement and how to uplift our people.
“His legacy will always be defined by his immeasurable courage. He stood firm so that we may be able to experience the joys of freedom. Rest well,” Woodfin said.
In recent years, Person co-founded the Freedom Riders Training Academy (FRTA) that teaches the principles of nonviolent resistance, civic engagement, and the protection of constitutional rights. (FILE)
The Freedom Rides
Enrolling in Atlanta’s Morehouse College in 1960, Person participated in numerous lunch counter sit-ins, enduring a 16-day jail sentence for his activism. His involvement caught the attention of Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) recruiters seeking a Freedom Rider to represent Atlanta.
The Freedom Rides aimed to challenge segregation in interstate travel, despite earlier Supreme Court decisions declaring it illegal.
At age 18, Person was the youngest Civil Rights Freedom Rider in 1961 and was one of the first 13 riders to encounter violence as his Trailways bus entered Alabama.
The response was immediate and violent in Anniston, Alabama, where a white mob firebombed one of the buses. In Birmingham, Person and fellow riders faced brutal attacks by Klansmen and a white mob, with local doctors refusing to treat the injured Black riders. Person’s wounds were life-threatening, but a nurse with the Rev. Fred L. Shuttleworth’s Bethel Baptist Church saved him.
The Freedom Rides persisted, garnering national attention and ultimately leading to the Interstate Commerce Commission’s order to end segregation in public transportation.
When Person returned home, his mother said, “You should join the Army. It would be safer.” Instead, he joined the Marine Corps where he went on to serve a 20-year-old career serving in Vietnam in 1965-1966 at Chu Lai south of Danang.
Principles Of Non-Violent Resistance
In recent years, Person co-founded the Freedom Riders Training Institute (FRTI)with Pete Conroy, a civil rights advocate from Anniston. The academy teaches the principles of nonviolent resistance, civic engagement, and the protection of constitutional rights, drawing on the teachings of the original Freedom Riders, Mahatma Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
A pilot program in Hoover allowed 80 people who were arrested during demonstrations in 2018 to complete the FRTA curriculum as part of an alternative sentencing program. Pro bono attorney Richard Rice, representing those arrested, reached an agreement with the Hoover Municipal Court officials creating an alternative to traditional sentencing.
The innovative program helps reduce court caseloads and provides a meaningful opportunity for justice reform, serving as a model for communities nationwide.
The FRTA will officially launch in February. It will offer training for demonstrators, students, and law enforcement to promote peaceful protest, understanding, and reconciliation.
For more information about the Freedom Riders Training Institute, visit here.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to support the development of the Freedom Riders Park and the Freedom Riders Training Academy, which will continue Charles’ mission. Donations can be made to the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama.
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, who represents Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District, became the first Black woman to serve in the House Ways and Means subcommittee leadership Wednesday.
According to Sewell’s office, she was selected as a ranking member of the House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight. Sewell is the subcommittee’s top Democrat. The House Ways and Means Committee was first formed in 1789.
“I am honored to have been selected by my Democratic colleagues to lead our work on the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee,” Sewell said in a statement. “As Congress prepares to consider new changes to our tax code, I look forward to fighting alongside my colleagues to protect programs like Social Security and Medicare and ensure that our tax system benefits all Americans, not just billionaires and big corporations. As Ranking Member, I am prepared to work with my Republican colleagues where possible and hold the incoming administration accountable when necessary.”
Sewell joined the House Ways and Means Committee in 2017. It works on matters regarding taxes, trade, Social Security and Medicare. Sewell is also serving on the subcommittees on trade and Social Security in the 119th Congress.
A.H. Parker High School students and members of the Creative Minds club Kamarion Morris, Jeremiah Barrow, Sharaia Canady, Shiloh Britt and Makayla Green discuss the importance of mental health and the impact of gun violence on their lives. (Alaina Bookma, AL.com)
This is another installment in Birmingham Times/AL.com/CBS42 joint series “Beyond the Violence.”
Amid a violent year in Birmingham, local children may need additional resources and safe outlets.
The city saw 151 homicides in 2024, including the deaths of 10 children. Many children also have been injured in shootings. Violence can leave friends, family and community members with lasting trauma and fear.
“When young people have to navigate life with the reality that their family member, friend is potentially going to die from violence… that trauma and grief is really profound and sometimes not tended to, so making sure that there is a trauma informed, culturally responsive approach on top of structural changes is important,” Stephanie Hawkins, vice president of the Transformative Research Unit for Equity at RTI International, a nonprofit research organization, said.
“I have personal experience with gun violence. There’s not a day where we’re not talking about it,” Morris said. “I joined the Creative Minds club when my friends told me it was a place where I could express myself freely and with positivity.”
There are multiple local resources children, teens and families can turn to after something scary happens.
How to help a child after a traumatic event
Traumatic events can take various shapes and forms, but loved ones should be on alert after something dangerous or violent happens to or around a child.
Robert Smith, executive director of the Amelia Center, a comprehensive grief counseling center at Children’s of Alabama, said when a traumatic event occurs in a child’s life, parents and loved ones should make sure that the child has:
a stable routine including balanced meals,
regular school attendance, and
ample time with friends to process their emotions.
“One of the things I would stress after a trauma is that what children and teens probably need the most is a sense of stability and safety and structure. Their world, their reality, everything has been upheaved and challenged,” Smith said.
“Sometimes we move a little too fast and try to insist on them getting help when what they’re focused on is getting some calmness, normalcy and predictability.”
How to know if a child needs professional help
Cynthia Jones, director of the Children’s of Alabama Psychiatric Intake Response Center, said community violence can cause stress responses in children such as appetite and sleep changes, lack of motivation and hopelessness.
Jones said that after a traumatic event, parents and adults should reassure children that they are safe. An expert professional can help navigate emotions and feelings, too.
“Kids’ reaction to traumatic events is not very predictable for them. There’s no timetable, and their healing occurs over periods of months, and years and decades. So it’s just being patient with them. Let them know that there’s opportunity for them to recover from this traumatic event and that there is help out there,” Jones said.
While it is normal for children to express sadness, grief and even anger after a traumatic event, if a child’s behavior becomes abnormal to their character, reckless or dangerous, experts advise seeking out additional mental health support.
If months after a traumatic event occurs and a child shows signs of depression, anxiety, or persistent and worsening feelings of isolation, fear, irritability, stress or begins to self harm, misuse alcohol and substances, seek professional help.
“Knowing what your child has experienced and what their level of coping skills are helps. Give them some faith and some time to balance and then we intervene when we recognize that that’s not happening the way it should,” Smith said.
Alabama youth support and mental health resources
Across Alabama, community members have launched initiatives for area children and teens to curb violence and support youth mental health. Experts say giving children and young adults safe spaces to open up can be vital to overcoming grief and fear after a traumatic event.
The Amelia Center specializes in providing services for children and teens who experienced a significant death and offers free mental health resources and counseling for those who are grieving after a tragic event. Counselors for adults, teens, and children can be reached at (205) 638-7481.
Children’s of Alabama Psychiatric Intake Response Center has a resource line available at (205) 638-7472 providing callers with a database of community-based resources, mental health agencies and services tailored to a child’s needs. Certified counselors also are available to answer questions about mental health concerns.
Ms. Berry was born in Birmingham on July 26, 1949, to Thattius and Dorothy Berry. She spent part of her formative years in New Jersey before returning to Birmingham to live with her aunt (second mother), Mrs. Mamie Lee Walker.
