Urban League Board of Directors Elects Board Chair, Officers and Members

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Birmingham Times

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November 13, 2013

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Birmingham, AL – The Birmingham Urban League Board of Directors has elected Glyn Agnew, Regional Director, AT&T Alabama, as Board Chairperson for 2013-2014.

Glyn Agnew is the regional director for greater Birmingham and east Alabama AT&T External and Legislative Affairs organization. In his current position, Glyn works with local business, civic and public officials to promote economic development and investment in their communities. Additionally, he supports local non-profit organizations in their quest to serve the needs of our communities. During his 30-year career with AT&T, Glyn has held such positions as Executive Director/Sales Vice-President, Director of Sales Operations, Director of Sales Support and Director of Strategic Initiatives and Performance Management. He is a graduate of Mississippi State University and resides with his wife, Annette and their daughter Gabrielle in Hoover, Alabama.

Glyn serves on the Board of Girls, Inc. of Central Alabama, Birmingham-Southern College Edward Lee Norton Board of Advisors and the AT&T Pioneers Birmingham Metro Chapter. He also serves on the Birmingham Business Alliance’s African American Business Council and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Other Board Officers 2013-2014

Arlan Lewis, Vice Chair
Attorney/Partner
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings

Erica Sheffield, Secretary Counsel
Honda Manufacturing of AL, LLC

LeDon Jones, Treasurer
Vice President
National Bank of Commerce

The Board of Directors also elected the following new members to three-year terms:

Milton Davis, Jr., Director, Business Development, B. L. Harbert International

Tammie Bell Sawyer, Assistant Director of Clinical Services, Jefferson County Department of Health

Abrams Elementary School News

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Birmingham Times

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November 13, 2013

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Breast Cancer Celebrates PINK
The students and Faculty at J.S. Abrams Elementary Collected Change for the Cure On Fridays in October. The students made donations to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama. The students were allowed to wear PINK each Friday.

Fire Prevention Week
The Abrams Elementary School students and faculty participated in Fire Prevention Week. The Bessemer City Fire Department Captain Carlton Jackson arranged for Sparky to come out to the school for a assembly. The students learned ways to be safe at home and school in the case of a fire or emergency. They also took a tour of the Fire engine to see how various tools are used by the firefighters.

Safe Walk To School DAY at Abrams Elementary School
The J.S. Abrams Elementary School participated in Walking School Bus on October 9. This was a National Day for students to walk to school. Safe Routes to school is initiative to encourage students to be safe. Trained volunteers leaders walk children to school. The students are encouraged to be healthy and walking to school is like recess before school. Students in K-5 participated in the Safe Walk to School Coloring Contest the winners are: Christina Dotson, Vanessa Duran, Makayla Davis, Marcus Mason, Kaylnn Abbott, and Makeda Beavers. Congratulations to the Abrams Elementary School Mighty Champions.

Grandparents Day at J.S. Abrams Elementary School
We love our Grandparents. The students at Abrams Elementary School invited their grandparents to come out for lunch and a photo. Having a great family support system contributes to students academic success. The mighty Champion staff welcomes grandparents to come and support our mission of developing productive self motivated learners who take pride in accomplishments and contributions to society.

RED Ribbon Week 2013 at Abrams Elementary School
The guidance counselor Melba Johnson-Shanks at Abrams Elementary School had a week of activities for RED Ribbon Week. A drug Free assembly was held and the Bessemer Police Department’s DARE officer Bruister spoke about making good choices. Sergeant Ryans came to share about being Drug free in the community, and did a demonstration of how the Bessemer Police Department uses K-9 dogs to sniff for illegal drugs in the community, or on the streets.
College is cool, Not drugs. On this day students & faculty wear their favorite college shirts

“IF A MAN DIES”

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Birmingham Times

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November 13, 2013

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A review of the play by local playwright, Eileen Giddens

Scenes ranged from zesty to serene to comical in the Eileen Giddens production of “If A Man Dies.” A talented cast presented this musical at Hawkins Park on Saturday, October 12, with two performances. Eileen Giddens is a local playwright who has written and produced numerous plays. Initially using cast from her church membership, she decided to open her cast up to members of the Birmingham community.
This riveting play highlights the lives of two men from “different walks of life.” One gentleman (Phillip) who is a minister persuades the other one, who is a drug dealer (Earl), to give his life to the Lord, but chaos quickly follows this life-changing decision. Scene one opens with two sisters (Joy and Cammy) communicating via phone about the lives of the two men from their former neighborhood. Turbulent and dramatic scenes collide and produce a positive message of hope and faith in Jesus Christ.
Audio was by Pastor Christopher A. Wren, video by Lester Burrows, dances were performed by Birmingham Dance. Background scenery by Connie Gardner.
“I have worked with Mrs. Giddens several times in the past, she is a conscientious, and creative writer,” mentions Dr. Berry. Mrs. Giddens incorporates real-life situations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ in her plays, and the public can expect to see more of Mrs. Giddens.
The cast and characters included: Jewell Buchanan who played young Cammy; Yvonne Johnson played the adult Cammy; Jalyn Garner played young Joy; Rose Gordon played the adult Joy; Martin Luther Garner, Jr. played young Phillip; Luther Burrows played the adult Phillip; Lesley V. Hall, Jr., played the young Earl; Livingston Gordon played the adult Earl; Raymond D. Hall played the sick child; Steven Martin played the deaf boy; Phillip Martin played Ben, LaDarius Allen played Bull; James Moore played both Carl and Boo-man; Ejella Gardner played both May and Sister Pauline; Cathy Smith played Shirley; Marilyn Stoves played Mrs. Kenneth; church members were played by Olivia Garner and Jan Berry, finally Eileen Giddens played Pearl.
You can expect to hear more from Gidden’s Productions and cast.
This play is available for booking. For more information on upcoming plays or bookings, contact Eileen Giddens @ (205) 222-5304. For more information on how to be a part of the Woodlawn Ballet (permanent residence of Birmingham Dance) contact Adair Whetstone at (205) 919-9960; Dr. Berry at (205) 422-8506.

Grace House to Host 90th Birthday Party for Founder Mama Lois

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Birmingham Times

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November 13, 2013

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Grace House Women’s Auxiliary is preparing to host a 90th birthday celebration in honor of Lois Coleman, founder of Grace House Ministries, on Saturday, November 16th at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church at 3 p.m.
“I can’t think of anyone more worthy of such a huge celebration,” said Erin Bentley, Volunteer Coordinator at Grace House.
During the 1970s, Ms. Coleman, lovingly referred to as “Mama Lois,” opened her home to at-risk children where she stood in as a mom for 15 young girls before founding Grace House in 1989. Since then, Mama Lois and her staff have worked tirelessly to provide homes for girls who come from crisis backgrounds. Today, at the age of 90, Mama Lois continues to be an active part in the ministry.
“Mama Lois has been such an inspiration and such a blessing to everyone she meets,” said Brianna Weekley, Development Coordinator at Grace House. “You can’t fathom how much she has done for the girls who have stepped foot in these doors, and its so good to be able to do something special for her.”
The event will feature a concert celebration lead by world-renowned musician Dr. Daniel Cason as well as performances by Mistress of Ceremonies Alonza Jones, The Birmingham Community Mass Choir, The Briarwood Ballet, The Magic City Brass Works Quintet and many other special guests.
A reception will follow the concert celebration. Everyone is encouraged to attend, but seating is limited. Send in your RSVP by email at 90bday@grace-house.org.
Sixth Avenue Baptist Church is located at 1101 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW, Birmingham, Alabama 35211.

Simple Actions Can Make the Difference in Home Fires

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Birmingham Times

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November 13, 2013

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(NAPSA) – There seem to be countless things we don’t think twice about when it comes to protecting our families. You’d never hit the road on a long road trip without buckling your baby in a car seat. And most people have a nightly habit of making sure the house is locked before going to bed. Both are simple things that become a habit in order to keep your family safe.
So why are Americans still not taking simple actions to protect their families from home fires? According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), almost 2,500 people die every year in home fires. Yet most of these deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms.
Did you also know that cooking is the main cause of home fires and home fire injuries? But it doesn’t have to be that way, because Fire is Everyone’s Fight™. There are simple steps you can take right now to reduce your risk of a home fire that could not just injure you or a loved one, but could take a life.
Put smoke alarms in your home to keep your family safe. Make sure your smoke alarms work. Your family is not safe if they can’t hear the smoke alarms. Test your smoke alarms. Push the test button. You will hear a loud noise. If you don’t hear the noise, you need a new battery or a new alarm. Fix this immediately.
To protect against cooking-related fires and injuries, keep an eye on what you fry. Most cooking fires start when someone is frying food. Hot oil and grease can burn people and start fires. Be prepared when cooking and make the cooking area safe. Make sure children and pets stay at least three (3) feet away from a hot stove. Clean and clear the area around the stove before you turn on the heat. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so no one can bump them or pull them over.
Just as the simple click of a seat belt can become a habit that decreases your chance of being injured in a car crash, getting in the habit of doing these fire safety practices may help save your life or the life of your family one day. Remember, keeping you safe isn’t just the fire department’s job. Fire is Everyone’s Fight™.

The Ultimate Natural Hair Journey

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Birmingham Times

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November 13, 2013

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by Jessica Jones

Sheri Youse, origIinally from Atlanta, is a state certified stylist for Studio New York, a natural hair care lounge in Homewood.
Before she became a natural hair stylist, she graduated with a degree in business from Georgia State University, then studied at Dudley’s Cosmetology School in North Carolina.
Many of the clients that visit her have issues with growing their hair, and Youse provides a safe, private environment for clients to assess and take care of their hair’s needs.
Her own natural hair journey began two and a half years ago. Chemically relaxed since the age of three, Youse wanted to see the natural texture of her hair.
“I wanted to see what I looked like,” Youse said. “It’s just that simple. I was almost 40 and I felt like I had never really truly seen myself, so I stopped relaxing.”
She went from bone-straight, shoulder length locks to sporting a tiny two inch afro. But the lack of length didn’t bother Youse. In fact, she was thrilled with the person she saw. Pleased with her new style, Youse then began the mission of growing her hair out. When it came to learning her hair and providing it with what it needed to retain length, she did what most people were doing at the time, searching YouTube for tutorials and guidance.
“It was a learning process,” she said. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I just knew that I liked it. I knew that I loved the way I looked, and I felt free, and I felt like my true self. I felt like I had evolved. I felt so f-r-e-e. I even started calling it fresh revolution by ethnic evolution. [Learning my hair] was a learning process. I had to learn my texture, I had to learn what products worked for me, what didn’t, what my hair needed. But it was fun.”
Youse’s hair journey taught her a lesson that would eventually lead her to an even greater discovery. While she was learning what her hair did and didn’t like, she realized that the key to length retention was moisture. So she began creating her own homemade moisturizing mixtures to apply to her hair.
“I’m not going to use any of my products on my clients,” she said. “I was still just buying hair conditioner and just beefing it up a little bit. But as my natural hair grew out fast, people would always ask me what am I using, so then I started using my conditioners on my clients.”
She named her business The Hair Café, a service where clients can request a product based on what they feel their hair needs. A wide range of ingredients are used in the conditioners, everything from blueberries and sweet potatoes to carrots and Shea butter and can be used on any type of hair, relaxed or natural.
“Just like you go to a coffee shop you’re able to step up to the counter and order a hair smoothie,” she said. “Patrons are able to take it home and shampoo and condition their hair [or] take it to their stylist and have them use your deep conditioner or your treatment on you. Of course being a natural hair stylist, I can shampoo and condition your hair here at the salon.”
The salon suite that she rents inside Studio New York also features a hair steamer used as a hair drier would be used for allowing deep conditioners to penetrate the hair. Youse uses this method over the traditional plastic cap and hair drier method because she feels the steamer allows the conditioner to better penetrate the hair shaft.
“I do everything to natural hair, except relax it,” Youse said. “I’m not going to chemically change anybody’s hair.”

40th Anniversary

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Birmingham Times

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November 13, 2013

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Winthrop and Phyliis Nall Celebrate 40 years, November 15th, of Marriage Bliss!
Happy Anniversary Players

Birmingham City Council President Maxine Parker Passes

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Birmingham Times

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November 13, 2013

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Birmingham City Council yesterday, along with Mayor William A. Bell, announced the passing of City Council President Maxine Herring Parker, in a joint press conference.
Councilwoman Parker served on the council for over eight years and was recently elected Council President by her colleagues a few weeks ago, after being elected by voters to her third term of office. She is a former neighborhood leader and long-time assistant to the president at Talladega College. She retired after more than 40 years of service.
“We come together collectively to support her family during this time of bereavement and we ask that you lift the family up in prayer at this time,” said Council Pro-tem Jay Roberson. “The Council will govern ourselves accordingly as we move forward.”
Mayor Bell referred to Councilor Parker as a “gentlewoman, who was stern in her convictions.”
“She was very tough,” Bell said. “I guess that comes from her experience of working with 12 college presidents”
The Mayor has ordered that the city flags be flown at half-staff in her honor.
Bell encouraged continued support of her legacy of protecting the environment and building stronger neighborhoods throughout North Birmingham.
Councilor Steven Hoyt stressed the importance of faith during times of grief. “Councilor Parker loved God and she led a Christian life,” Hoyt said. “We must keep our trust in God.”
Birmingham Councilor Sheila Tyson stated :”We are filled with sadness and grief over the loss of Councilor Maxine Parker.”
“I’ve known Mrs. Parker for over 20 years, and she always personified class, grace, and a quiet strength. She didn’t have to speak loudly, because her actions did the talking for her.”
“Many people know that Councilor Parker was a passionate advocate for environmental justice in her community. She went to the mat to protect the citizens in her district, and we pledge to continue bringing a voice to the issues that were important to her.”
“As Council President, Mrs. Parker emphasized that as our sole responsibility as city councilors is to represent the needs of our constituents, and that we have a duty to cooperate with one another for the good of Birmingham. When she spoke, we listened.”
“Councilor Parker just brought a genuine and sincere leadership to the Council.”
“We all lost a mentor and a friend today. I just ask the members of the Birmingham community to join us in lifting up Councilor Parker’s family through prayer during this difficult time.”
No arrangements have been announced at this time. The president pro-tem will preside over council meetings until a new council president is elected.
The council will appoint a replacement to fill her district 4 seat at the appropriate time.

OBIT-Godfrey Dudley

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Birmingham Times

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November 13, 2013

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Attorney Godrey David Dudley, Sr. formerly of Bessemer, Ala.
passed on Thursday, November 7, 2013 – Funeral is Friday, November 15, in Washington, D.C.

Godfrey David Dudley peacefully departed this earthly life on November 7, 2013 with his family by his side. He was the oldest of seven children born to Walter Lee Dudley and Ethel Collins’ Dudley in Bessemer, Alabama on March 14, 1944. Godfrey graduated from George Washington Carver High School in 1962 and matriculated with a Bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee Institute (University) in 1967. While a student at Tuskegee Institute, Godfrey pledged Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He was also selected as an exchange student with the University of Michigan. Upon graduation from Tuskegee Institute, he was selected to continue his studies for the summer at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Godfrey attended Howard University Law School obtaining a Juris Doctorate in 1970.
In 1971, he was wed to Philippine “Penni” Thomas of Washington, D.C., whom he adored and loved as his wife and friend. He was a loving father who provided for the three children he was blessed with from this union. Of importance to Godfrey was providing for his family and encouraging his children to set goals, follow dreams, and become the best they could be. He was a wonderful role model for his children and to others. He taught the value of togetherness by extending family ties beyond our households to others. He taught the importance of accepting people as they are and was an advocate for the less fortunate. Most importantly, he taught to live each day as if it were the last. Godfrey was and still is an inspiration for all of us to follow.
After graduating law school, Godfrey briefly worked for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in its Birmingham, Alabama district office. In late 1970, he transferred to the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) division of Enforcement Litigation, Office of Appeals in Washington, D.C. In this office, Godfrey was successfully promoted to the Senior Attorney position and from 1976 through 1979, he served as a Supervisory Attorney. In September 1979, Godfrey was promoted to the position of Deputy Assistant General Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel, Division of Operations-Management, where he was responsible for coordinating the administration and management of field offices in the Eastern, Northwestern, and Southern regions of the U.S. While employed at the National Labor Relations Board, Godfrey was the recipient of numerous awards for outstanding performance.
Godfrey was as competitive and successful in sports as he had been in his professional life. Godfrey played softball on NLRB’s softball team, participated in fishing adventures, and played golf with his buddies. After retiring, he was able to spend more time on things he loved to do and found himself spending more time on the golf course. He spent so much of his time at the golf course that he was asked to become one of the staff members. Having a part-time job at the golf course, allowed him to stay involved in the golf community and allowed him to develop new and endearing friendships.
He enjoyed taking his grandchildren to the golf course so that he could teach and pass down his knowledge of the game. Just as he was with his own children, he was so proud of each and every one of his grandchildren.
Godfrey was preceded in death by his father, sister-Louise, and brother–Walter. He leaves his devoted wife Penni; sons, Godfrey, Jr., Kenneth (Dana) and daughter Stephanie. A devoted mother Ethel C. Dudley, brother George (Maple); sisters Mureldene Jackson (Jimmy), Barbara Anne Snead (Anthony), Sharetta Dudley, LaFrences O’Neal (Gary). Grandchildren, Olivia, Jair, Rashawn, Kamryn, Alex, Kenneth Jr., Marco, Bryce, Madison, Daniel, and Julia. Sister-in-law Dorothy Waters (Tommy); brother-in-law Phillip Thomas (Adrienne), brother-in-law Keith Thomas; sister-in-law Bridgette Biscoe (Michael).
The burden for each of us now is to accept the torch he has passed to us. He has run his race and it is now up to us. The greatest tribute each of us can make on his behalf is to love and be loved, stay close as a family and never do less than your best. That is the torch we must carry from here.

ACKNOWLEGEMENT
We are not quite prepared to face life’s darkest hours alone. At such a time the thoughtful expressions of family and friends in so many ways make the burden seem lighter. Your love, deeds, kind words, calls, cards prayers and other acts of kindness have been received with profound gratitude. We thank each and every one of you and may God bless you!
A very special thanks to the Community Hospices of Washington.
The Family

New Trial Sought for 14-Year-Old Execution Victim George Stinney

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Birmingham Times

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November 13, 2013

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(AP) – Supporters of a 14-year-old Black boy executed in 1944 for killing two white girls are asking a South Carolina judge to take the unheard-of move of granting him a new trial in hopes he will be cleared of the charges.
George Stinney was convicted on a shaky confession in a segregated society that wanted revenge for the beating deaths of two girls, ages 11 and 7, according to the lawsuit filed last month on Stinney’s behalf in Clarendon County.
The request for a new trial has an uphill climb. The judge may refuse to hear it at all, since the punishment was already carried out. Also, South Carolina has strict rules for introducing new evidence after a trial is complete, requiring the information to have been impossible to discover before the trial and likely to change the results, said Kenneth Gaines, a professor at the University of South Carolina’s law school.
“I think it’s a longshot, but I admire the lawyer for trying it,” Gaines said, adding that he’s not aware of any other executed inmates in the state being granted a new trial posthumously.
The request for a new trial is largely symbolic, but Stinney’s supporters say they would prefer exoneration to a pardon.
Stinney’s case intersects some long-running disputes in the American legal system — the death penalty and race. At 14, he’s the youngest person executed in the United States in past 100 years. He was electrocuted just 84 days after the girls were killed in March 1944.
The request for a new trial includes sworn statements from two of Stinney’s siblings who say he was with them the entire day the girls were killed. Notes from Stinney’s confession and most other information deputies and prosecutors used to convict Stinney in a one-day trial have disappeared along with any transcript of the proceedings. Only a few pages of cryptic, hand-written notes remain, according to the motion.
“Why was George Stinney electrocuted? The state can’t produce any paperwork to justify why he was,” said George Frierson, a local school board member who grew up in Stinney’s hometown hearing stories about the case and decided six years ago to start studying it and pushing for exoneration.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office will likely argue the other side of the case before the Clarendon County judge. A spokesman said their lawyers had not seen the motion and do not comment on pending cases. A date for a hearing on the matter has not been set.
The girls were last seen looking for wildflowers in the tiny, racially-divided mill town of Alcolu about 50 miles southeast of Columbia. Stinney’s sister, who was 7 at the time, said in her new affidavit that she and her brother were letting their cow graze when the girls asked them where they could find flowers called maypops. The sister, Amie Ruffner, said her brother told them he didn’t know and the girls left.
“It was strange to see them in our area, because white people stayed on their side of Alcolu and we knew our place,” Ruffner wrote.
The girls never came home and hundreds of people searched for them through the night. They were found the next morning in a water-filled ditch, their heads beaten with a hard object, likely a railroad spike.
Deputies got a tip the girls had been seen talking to Stinney. They came to Stinney’s home and took him away. His family wouldn’t see the boy again until after his trial. Newspaper accounts suggested a lynch mob was nearly formed to attack the teen in jail.
Stinney’s dad worked for the major mill in town and lived in a company house. He was ordered to leave after his son was arrested, said Stinney’s brother Charles Stinney, who was 12 when his older brother was arrested. Charles Stinney’s statement explains why the family didn’t speak to authorities at the time.
“George’s conviction and execution was something my family believed could happen to any of us in the family. Therefore, we made a decision for the safety of the family to leave it be,” Charles Stinney wrote in his sworn statement.
Charles Stinney said he remembered the events vividly because “for my family, Friday, March 24, 1944, and the events that followed were our personal 9/11.”
Both statements were made in 2009. Lawyer Steve McKenzie said he planned to file the request for a new trial then, but heard from a man in Tennessee who claimed his grandfather was with George Stinney the day of the killings. McKenzie thought the information from someone not related to Stinney would be especially powerful, but the person suddenly stopped cooperating after stringing the lawyers along for years.
The request for a new trial points out that at 95 pounds, Stinney likely couldn’t have killed the girls and dragged them to the ditch.
The motion also hints at community rumors of a deathbed confession from a white man several years ago and the possibility Stinney either confessed because his family was threatened or he was given ice cream. But the court papers provide little information and the lawyers also wouldn’t elaborate.
At 14, Stinney was the youngest person executed in this country in the past 100 years, according to statistics gathered by the Death Penalty Information Center.
Newspaper stories from his execution had witnesses saying the straps to keep him in the electric chair didn’t fit around his small frame and an electrode was too big for his leg.
Executing teens wasn’t uncommon at that time. Florida put a 16-year-old boy to death for rape in 1944 and Mississippi, Nevada, Ohio and Texas executed 17-year-olds that year.
Lawyers also filed a request to pardon Stinney before the state Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services in case the new trial is not granted.
There is precedent for that. In 2009, two great-uncles of syndicated radio host Tom Joyner were pardoned by the board nearly 100 years after they were sent to the electric chair in the death of a Confederate Army veteran. Joyner’s lawyers showed evidence the men were framed by a small-time criminal who took a plea deal that saved his life and testified against them.
But Frierson said a pardon would be little comfort to him in the Stinney case. “The first step in a pardon is to admit you are wrong and ask for forgiveness. This boy did nothing wrong,” Frierson said.