photo by Joe Rada

First HOPE Inside location in the state of Alabama will be at a Birmingham branch of Regions Bank.
John Hope Bryant’s plan to rebuild families, neighborhoods and cities is really quite simple.
“We’re going to move credit scores up 100 points and watch neighborhoods take off,” Bryant said.
The founder, Chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE, Bryant joined Regions Financial President, Chairman and CEO Grayson Hall and Protective Life Corp. Chairman, President and CEO John D. Johns on Jan. 23 at Regions headquarters in Birmingham to announce the first commitment for HOPE Inside locations in the state of Alabama.
“This is about helping people succeed financially to make our community stronger,” said Hall. “Financial education gives people the knowledge and information they need to make decisions that will benefit themselves and their families.”
The first HOPE Inside location in Alabama will be housed in the Regions Bank Five Points South branch near downtown Birmingham. HOPE Inside offices offer free adult financial education, individual financial counseling guidance and financial disaster recovery workshops to people who seek to build personal wealth or protect assets from disasters. Through the new HOPE Inside partnership, Operation HOPE will be able to provide customized, one-on-one financial education to more people throughout the Birmingham area.
“Operation HOPE is a global leader in helping individuals and families build financial capacity and achieve financial dignity through their strong financial literacy programs,” said John D. Johns, CEO, Protective Life Corporation. “We are pleased to partner with Regions to bring the HOPE Inside program to Alabama, and we are excited about the impact this program will have in our community.”
Through education, Bryant said, people can reclaim their financial dignity while effectively altering a rising high school dropout rate.
“Kids drop out of high school for a simple reason: They don’t think education is relevant,” Bryant said. “We’re going to plug the aspiration socket back in the wall.”
Bryant said Regions and Protective Life have played key roles in funding and support in getting HOPE Inside to Birmingham, noting that Operation HOPE asked for one Birmingham location and Regions instead provided two. The second one will be in Woodlawn.
A financial advisor to three U.S. presidents, Bryant said his ties to Birmingham go back to his mother, a Birmingham native who reared him in Los Angeles.
He said the problems of lower-income residents of Birmingham are universal to those across the country, regardless of race or background.
“If we can fix it in Birmingham, then we can fix it in Detroit and we can fix it in the South Side of Chicago, and we can fix it so that people in South Central Los Angeles have hope,” Bryant said.

MARION, Ala. – Judson College will host its spring Preview and Scholarship Day on Feb. 15.
High school seniors and transfer students are invited to participate in testing for academic scholarships, tryouts for athletic scholarships, and auditions for performing arts scholarships.
Academic scholarships to be awarded after Saturday’s tests are based on a four-year enrollment period and include one full-tuition scholarship, two $10,000 scholarships, and three $8,000 scholarships. Performing arts scholarships are available in piano, organ, voice and theatre, and athletic scholarships are available for soccer, softball, tennis, basketball and volleyball.
The Intercollegiate Horse Show Association will also hold its Alabama competition on the Judson campus that day. Equine competitions are scheduled for 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. at the Equine Science Center, Dunkin Athletic Park, on the Judson College campus.
More information is available on the college website, www.judson.edu, by calling the admissions office at 800.447.9472, or by sending an e-mail: admissions@judson.edu.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Birmingham Bar Foundation and Cumberland School of Law at Samford University will revisit history through a unique day of appellate oral arguments to educate students about the importance of the civil rights movement in appellate decisions.
High school, college and law students from area schools have been invited to the event that will feature a mock oral argument of one of the most influential civil rights cases decided by the United States Supreme Court in the 1960s – Katzenbach v. McClung.
The Katzenbach case concerned whether the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applied to Ollie’s Barbecue, a popular restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama.  The mock argument will be presented by Kevin L. Butler, Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of Alabama and Barry A. Ragsdale, an attorney with Sirote & Permutt, PC.  Federal judges from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as from the Northern District of Alabama, will serve as the panel of judges for the mock oral argument.
“This is a great opportunity for students to gain an understanding of what was the most important Supreme Court decision of its time,” said Barry Ragsdale. “I am proud to be part of an event that helps students understand the vital role that Birmingham played in the civil rights movement.”
Prior to the mock oral argument, there will be an opening vignette commissioned by the Foundation and written by Mary Nagle, a New York attorney and playwright.  The vignette will feature actors from Samford University’s Theatre Department and will bring to life the reality of segregation in Birmingham.  After the mock argument, a panel discussion will emphasize the significance of the Katzenbach decision and how it continues to impact current issues related to civil rights.
The event will be held on Thursday, March 20, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Leslie Wright Center on the Samford University campus (Samford University Wright Center, 800 Lakeshore Dr., Homewood, Alabama, 35229).  It is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact the Birmingham Bar Foundation at 205.251.2231 or by email at bbfound@bellsouth.net/.

Two new board members to represent the City of Birmingham
By: Elle Petties

On Wednesday, January 22, the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) welcomed two new board members to represent the City of Birmingham on the BJCTA Board.
Judge Nyaa Parson-Hudson swore Bacarra Mauldin and Frank Topping into office during last week’s January Board meeting at Central Station.
Mrs. Mauldin, is employed by the City of Birmingham as an Administrative Assistant to the Mayor and Project Manager in the Mayor’s Office – Division of Grants and Special Projects. In this role, Ms. Mauldin oversees the implementation and execution of mayoral projects and initiatives.

Mr. Topping served as Miles College’s Director of Institutional Advancement Planning and Development from 2005-2013 and was employed with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) for 20 years as the Bureau Chief of Human Resources. He has retired from the Alabama National Guard as a Legal Administrator.

Mauldin and Topping were appointed to fill the seats of board members Terri Sharpley, who announced her resignation to the Board on September 25, 2013 and Ron Lyas whose term ended in August of 2013.

Goodlettsville, Tenn.—(January 28, 2014) – Dollar General arrived at Bessemer City Middle School in Bessemer, Ala. this morning ready to start a revolution. Company representatives carried a yellow and black box with a very special gift inside. When school leaders opened the box in front of a classroom of curious students, they were surprised and elated to find a check for $40,000!

“Dollar General is very passionate about its mission of Serving Others and we are all excited to surprise Zane Grey Elementary School with a donation to further their reading and literacy programs,” said Mark Coe, Dollar General’s Director of Human Resources. “We hope this donation will help equip the school with the tools and resources it needs to improve the learning experience for students.”

The donation from Dollar General is part of its new Reading Revolution program. The program aims to provide schools with additional resources to purchase books, computers and other educational supplies to enhance their reading and literacy programs.

Bessemer City Middle was chosen due to its close proximity to Dollar General’s distribution center in Bessemer. Dollar General plans to make donations to additional schools through its Reading Revolution program in various locations where it has a strong presence.

“By supporting Bessemer City Middle School with this gift, we hope to help students become better readers, more successful students and lifelong learners,” said Denine Torr, Dollar General’s director of community initiatives.

For additional information, photographs or items to supplement a story, please contact the Media Relations Department at 1-877-944-DGPR (3477) or via email at pr@dg.com.

Dr. Timothy George, Dean of Beeson Divinity School, and Denise George, author and teacher, were featured speakers at Christian Emphasis Week at Judson College

Marion, Ala. – Dr. Timothy George and his spouse, Denise George, were the featured speakers at Judson College’s annual Christian Emphasis Week.
Christian Emphasis Week, a time in which the campus community annually engages in additional intentional and focused worship and study, was held in the Ramsay-McCrummen Chapel on the school’s campus January 14 thru 16. This year’s event was entitled, Following Jesus in Today’s World: Life, Race, and Prejudice, with presentations by the Georges at 11 a.m. all three days.
Dr. George, who serves Samford University as Dean and Professor of Religion at Beeson Divinity School, spoke on Tuesday. Mrs. Denise George, who works as a full-time author and speaker and serves the Beeson Divinity School as an adjunct instructor, spoke on Wednesday and on Thursday.
The common thread running through all of the messages delivered by the Georges is that all persons are created in God’s image, and that this core doctrine deeply impacts the way in which we should live with and care for all persons.  Thus, on the first day of the event, Dr. George presented, “Loving the Least of These: The Sacredness of Life.” Dr. George’s talk was far-ranging, yet he framed his message with what Jesus said in the Book of Matthew: “Inasmuch as you do unto the least of me, you do unto me.”
Dr. George emphasized that all human life is sacred – from the point of conception to natural death. In October of 2009, he was part of a three-member committee that drafted the Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience. This manifesto was issued by evangelical Christian leaders to affirm the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty. The Manhattan Declaration’s website encourages supporters to sign the declaration and counts about 600,000 signatories to-date.
Dr. George used the analogy of the nineteenth century British anti-slavery activist, William Wilberforce, as an example to those wishing to protect unborn children. According to Dr. George, during the 1800s in England, Wilberforce faced strong opposition to ending the slave trade. But he worked steadfastly to end the entrenched tradition. After years of perseverance, Wilberforce won the battle – the British Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.
On the second and third days of Christian Emphasis Week, Denise George, spoke to the assembly in Judson’s Ramsay-McCrummen chapel. Addressing the issues of prejudice and forgiveness, Mrs. George looked deeply into the lives of two children who had survived the Birmingham church bombing; and the other, the holocaust of Hitler’s concentration camps.
On Wednesday, Mrs. George’s presentation was entitled, “While the World Watched: Racial Reconciliation.”
Mrs. George reminded a captivated audience that on Sunday, September 15, 1963, just 50 years ago, the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham was shaken by the explosion of a bomb. Ironically, it was “Youth Sunday,” and the pastor was prepared to give a sermon based on Luke 23:34, “A Love that Forgives.”
But on that day, the sermon was never delivered. At 10:22 a.m. a bomb blast killed four young girls, who were buried under rubble in the basement of the church.
Mrs. George told the story of Carolyn McKinstry, a little girl who survived the bombing. But it was her friends who died. She never received grief counseling; in fact, the terrible event was not talked about very much. The child grew up with strong feelings of loss, guilt, bewilderment and anger. As an adult, she became an alcoholic.
However, Carolyn eventually changed her life through forgiveness. It wasn’t until she could forgive the Klansmen who had set off the bomb that killed her friends, that she could live again a life of purpose and faith.
Similarly on Thursday, Mrs. George’s message, entitled “Secret Holocaust Diaries: Standing with the Victims,” presented the story of a girl who became empowered through forgiveness.
Nonna, a Russian Orthodox Christian, was a refugee from the Ukraine caught in the holocaust of World War II. On August 7, 1942, her mother, Theodocia, her sister, Anna, and she were arrested and sent to a Nazi concentration camp. They spent four years in six different camps.
A total of 35 family members were interred in labor and concentration camps. Nonna was the only person of her family to survive.
However, rather than let weeds of bitterness grow in her heart, she was able to forgive her captors. Despite the horrendous acts committed against herself and family, she forgave them.
While still a young woman, Nonna came to the United States where she married a man named Henry Bannister. In her book entitled “The Secret Holocaust Diaries,” Mrs. George writes about Nonna’s experiences during the holocaust. The book became a best-seller and is in print today. Nonna Bannister died in August of 2004.
At the conclusion of the week’s event, Dr. David Potts, President of Judson College, graciously expressed his deep appreciation to Dr. and Mrs. George for their outstanding presentations. He also thanked Dr. Harold Arnold, who was instrumental in organizing this year’s Christian Emphasis Week activities, as well as students, faculty, and staff members for their support.

Founded in 1838 by Alabama Baptists, Judson College was recently ranked by the Washington Monthly among the top 60 national liberal arts colleges in the nation and the #1 liberal arts college in Alabama.  The college website is www.judson.edu.

 MIAMI — Sailormen Inc. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is fighting back against muscle disease during the 2014 “Appetite for a Cure” campaign to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
From Jan. 27 through March 16, participating Popeyes restaurants in South Florida and across the Southeast will invite patrons to purchase $1 coupon cards worth $30 to be used toward free and discounted purchases during a future visit.
 “MDA is excited to kick off another season of the ‘Appetite for a Cure’ campaign with Sailormen/Popeyes,” said Katie Bobin, divisional director of the MDA chapter in South Florida. “We are grateful to have the support of a company that is committed to serving its local communities and helping to support of the families we serve.”
In 2013, the campaign raised a record $503,000 to support MDA’s programs of research and health care services, including MDA summer camp.
 “Sailormen/Popeyes is proud to be part of the annual ‘Appetite for a Cure’ campaign that will help more than 1 million Americans affected by muscle disease,” said Bob Berg, CEO of Sailormen Inc. “This campaign has been successful due to the generosity of our dedicated employees and customers. With their continued support, we hope to exceed last year’s fundraising efforts to help save the lives of those served by MDA.”
The annual coupon program provides Popeyes customers with great discounts while supporting local MDA families by helping fund MDA’s worldwide research program, as well as MDA’s network of more than 200 medical clinics. Medical services in South Florida are provided through the MDA/ALS Clinic at the University of Miami School Of Medicine.

Educational video game to help Alabama students score financial touchdowns

CALERA, Ala. – Regions Bank and Visa Inc. joined with Mark Ingram, 2009 Heisman Trophy winner, former Alabama Crimson Tide running back and current New Orleans Saint; and Alabama State Treasurer Young Boozer recently to tackle the issue of improving financial literacy among Alabama teenagers.
Together, they announced the statewide launch of Financial Football, a free educational video game and classroom curriculum designed to help high school and middle school students learn essential money management skills. Developed by Visa Inc., Financial Football combines the action of an NFL game with financial education questions based on real-life scenarios.
Financial Football will be distributed by the Alabama State Treasurer to every public middle school and high school in the state. Regions Bank and Visa are working with the state treasurer to share the financial information and skills with students.
“Regions is a strong believer in promoting financial education and helping teenagers understand the importance of making good financial decisions,” said John Turner, South Region president for Regions Bank. “By learning concepts such as how to set a budget, how to save for the future and even how investments and credit work, students can develop financial management skills that will last a lifetime. Regions is proud to work with Visa and with Treasurer Boozer to support this program.”
The campaign kicked off at Calera High School as Ingram and Treasurer Boozer led teams of students in a hard-fought, high energy game of Financial Football. The game is an online simulation that combines the structure and rules of the NFL with financial concepts. Players gain yards and score points by correctly answering questions of varying difficulty.
“Financial Football is a wonderful way to get students interested in personal finances, and it gives them a financial playbook they can use the rest of their lives,” Treasurer Boozer said. “This is a valuable program and a great partnership between my office, Regions, Visa and the NFL.”
Before the game, Ingram shared with students his personal experiences on the importance of money management.
“Students need to learn to make smart money management decisions early in life,” Ingram said. “It takes the combined efforts of parents, teachers and mentors within the community to give teenagers a strong background in personal finance.”
Financial Football is available online at www.treasury.alabama.gov. The game is accompanied by a classroom curriculum. Visa has also released the game as a free iPhone app on iTunes, along with an optimized HD iPad version.
“For over a decade, Visa has been committed to promoting financial literacy, and we are proud to assist Regions and Treasurer Boozer in their efforts to strengthen financial education,” said Nat Sillin, Head of U.S. financial education, Visa Inc.
The launch of the Financial Football program in Alabama coincides with Regions’ annual “Financial Fitness Fridays.”  Throughout the month of January, various Regions’ branches across 16 states are hosting free financial fitness events covering important topics such as budgeting, borrowing, identity protection, investing and estate planning for consumers and businesses. Regions’ commitment to financial education is year-round, and Regions offers a variety of free advice, guidance and education services online at www.regions.com/advice.rf.
This launch is part of a national educational campaign with Visa, the NFL and NFL PLAYERS, now in its seventh season. Since 2006, Visa has reached agreements with 41 states and the District of Columbia to distribute Financial Football to every high school and middle school in those states.

Financial Football is part of Practical Money Skills for Life (www.practicalmoneyskills.com), a free, award-winning financial education program that reaches millions of people around the world each year. Launched in 1995, the program is now available in 10 languages in 30 countries. At Practical Money Skills for Life, educators, parents and students can access free educational resources including personal finance articles, games, lesson plans and more. Visa also runs What’s My Score (www.whatsmyscore.org), a leading higher education consumer awareness program.